Adam Schiff

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Thomas Patrick Beck upon receiving the prestigious Donald Wright Award for distinguished service to the community from the Pasadena Bar Association. Mr. Beck is a founding partner of Thon, Beck & Vanni, formerly known as Thon & Beck, a highly rated and respected law firm in Pasadena, California, that is celebrating thirty years of existence. Thon, Beck & Vanni specializes in representing seriously injured tort victims. A member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, Tom is enthusiastically involved in all aspects of his profession. He is a past president of the Pasadena Bar Association, a former board of trustee member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and was on the Los Angeles Superior Court Bench and Committee. He is a former president of the Irish American Bar Association and is a founding member of the Cowboy Lawyers Association. Mr. Beck's professional accomplishments include being a three-time nominee for Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Association's (now known as Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles) Trial Lawyer of the Year, and his recent election as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Tom is an active participant in many community organizations. Some of his past volunteer affiliations include the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, Loyola Marymount University Alumni Association board of directors, and coaching for Little League, YMCA Basketball and the American Youth Soccer Organization. In 2006, he received the Lasallian Volunteer of the Year Award from LaSalle High School in Pasadena. Currently, Tom is the chairman of the Methodist Hospital of Southern California Foundation Board, chairman of the Executive Committee of the St. Thomas More Society of Los Angeles, a mentor/benefactor of San Miguel Catholic School, and a member of Helps International. I ask all Members of Congress to join me in congratulating Thomas Patrick Beck upon receiving the Pasadena Bar Association's 2008 Donald Wright Award and wish him continued success.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Rotary Club of Pasadena Sunrise upon the occasion of its seventieth anniversary. The Rotary Club of Pasadena Sunrise is a group whose members are active contributors to the community, both locally and nationally. Over the past seventy years, the Rotary Club of Pasadena Sunrise has exemplified the Rotary motto: ``Service Above Self.'' The club's nonprofit foundation has raised several hundred thousand dollars to benefit the community. For over a decade, the Rotary Club of Pasadena Sunrise has ``adopted'' Field Elementary School in Pasadena and has donated to the school's library and landscaping. Annually, the club also recognizes outstanding Field Elementary School students. Minigrants are awarded annually to Pasadena Unified School District school teachers to meet needs that are not funded by the district. Internationally, the club has done much volunteer service in Mexico, including building houses for the homeless, donating a fire truck and emergency vans to small towns, and sending medical supplies to villages. The club also provides funding for overseas projects in nations such as Uganda, Nigeria, and Liberia. In addition, the club is sponsoring a project in India, where a child care center and a computer/vocational center will be created in the village of Chahalka, India. For their extraordinary commitment to making both the local and the international community a better place, I ask all members of Congress to join me in congratulating the members of the Rotary Club of Pasadena rise upon their seventieth anniversary.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Black History Month. The theme of this year's Black History Month is ``Carter G. Woodson and the Origins of Multiculturalism.'' Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson was a brilliant African-American historian, educator, author, and publisher. Born in 1875 to former slaves, Dr. Woodson grew up working on railroads and mines in Virginia. At the age of 20, he had finally earned enough money to afford to attend high school. He went on to college, and became a teacher in the U.S. and Philippines. In 1912 he graduated from Harvard, and after W.E.B. Du Bois, became the second African-American to receive a Ph.D. Dr. Woodson advocated for education reform to empower African- Americans to unite around shared history. He wrote, ``Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.'' Thanks to Dr. Woodson, we have a record of the accomplishments of our African- American forebears, and we are continually inspired by our knowledge of their biographies and history. This month, we call to our memories the triumphs of Dr. Woodson himself, as the ``Father of Black History.'' His efforts to research, teach, and celebrate African-American history gave us our current celebration of Black History Month. In 1926, he established Negro History Week, held during the second week of February to honor the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, this annual celebration expanded and became Black History Month. Celebrating Dr. Woodson's accomplishments inspires us to examine our present work toward racial justice and equal opportunity. Today, African-Americans serve our country in myriad ways. For example, 2.4 million military veterans are black. The U.S. has about 1.2 million black-owned firms, generating around $88 billion annually. Paving the way for our future, 2.3 million college students are African-American, an increase of over 1 million students over the last 15 years. Congress must continue to work to improve the lives of all Americans. Last year, it took the important step of raising the federal minimum wage to $5.85/hour, which will increase this year to $6.55/hour and in 2009 to $7.25/hour. Congress also strengthened the middle class by making college educations more affordable, such as by investing $510 million over five years in minority-serving institutions, including Historically Black Colleges. The House introduced legislation to provide $410 billion in the federal marketplace to small businesses. By passing the Energy Security Bill, Congress lowered energy costs for consumers, reduced global warming, and created hundreds of thousands of new jobs. The Economic Stimulus Package, recently passed by the House, will put money back into the hands of 117 million American families to reinvigorate the economy. We have made great strides, but we must continue our commitment to serving the American people. Writing almost 100 years ago, Dr. Woodson possessed the insight to understand the immense benefits of nationally celebrating black history. The path he forged paved the way for our great African- American leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and Thurgood Marshall. As we celebrate all African-Americans this month, let us specially recognize Dr. Woodson. May his memory inspire us to continue our work to achieve racial justice and to ensure equality of opportunity for all Americans.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a well-respected and dedicated leader in the 29th Congressional District and a role model in the Asian community, Chi Mui, mayor of the city of San Gabriel. It is with great pride that I introduce a resolution today to pay tribute to Chi Mui, with what may be the first honor of its kind for a Chinese- American, by naming the San Gabriel, California Post Office for him. Born in Toisan, China, on October 26, 1952, Chi Mui was a man of humble origins whose early experiences enabled him to relate and connect to the Asian community in California. His parents, a seamstress and a cook, left for the United States in 1963 when Chi Mui was 10 and moved to New York City's Chinatown. It was in New York City that Mui learned to speak English and graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Polytechnic University of New York in 1980. After moving to Southern California in 1980, Chi Mui began working to better the lives of immigrants in the region. Chi Mui's immigrant roots and experiences gave him special insight, wisdom and the ability to connect with the experiences of generations of people who have come to this country and to San Gabriel for a better life. Mayor Mui always recognized, and never failed to pay tribute to, his parents for their sacrifices and encouragement of their children's education and aspirations for the future. Mui was a key player in the development of 600 units of affordable and senior housing for Chinatown and taught citizenship to help hundreds of legal residents become United States citizens. He led the effort to save the 50-acre ``Cornfield'' in downtown Los Angeles as open space, was instrumental in organizing the Chinatown Yard Alliance, and successfully obtained $35 million from the state in 2001 to build the first urban state park and community facilities on the Cornfield. An avid runner and athlete, Chi Mui co-founded the Los Angeles Chinatown Athletic Association Volleyball Club where he coached young people in teamwork and sportsmanship. He also worked to expand existing recreational facilities in the Chinatown community. In recognition of his leadership, he was elected president of the Los Angeles Chinese American Citizens Alliance--twice. The Alliance was founded in 1895 to advocate for equal political, economical and educational opportunities for Chinese-Americans. Active in local politics early on, he was a field representative for Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Los Angeles) when she was in the Assembly, and he worked for former Assemblyman Richard Polanco (D-Los Angeles) and State Sen. Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles). In March 2003 he made history as the first Asian and Chinese-American to be elected to the San Gabriel City Council since its incorporation in 1913. In a city where one in every two residents is Asian, Mayor Mui often played an important role as a liaison between the city government and the Asian community and he worked diligently to improve the lives of all residents. As a city councilmember, Chi Mui led the effort to maintain better hours at the county public library in San Gabriel to provide greater access to residents and students without increasing costs. An advocate of parks and open space, the `greening' of San Gabriel was a personal passion, to which he brought considerable connections and resources. He was instrumental in helping the City obtain an additional $50,000 for the master plan and redesign of Vincent Lugo Park. Mayor Mui passed away on April 27, 2006 after a courageous battle with cancer. The loss is still being felt by the communities he served and those that had the privilege of working closely with him for the betterment of the region. Although we cannot know how Mayor Mui might have continued to shape lives in the Los Angeles area, I can say with confidence that his work and contributions will always be cherished. Please join me in honoring this devoted public servant by dedicating the San Gabriel Post Office in his name.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the late Gladys Joy Kennedy. Ms. Kennedy was a devoted and active member of the Pasadena community. Gladys Joy Kennedy was born on June 1, 1965, the beloved child of Thomas Foster Kennedy, now deceased, and Leola Sudduth Kennedy of Pasadena, California. Gladys, a twin, was the ninth of ten children. A Pasadena area resident all of her life, she attended Cleveland Elementary School, McKinley Junior High School, and Blair High School. Gladys was active in many churches in the Pasadena area, including Holy Deliverance Church and Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church. She was a proud and devout member of the Metropolitan Baptist Church in Altadena, where she was an enthusiastic and devoted volunteer. Gladys also volunteered extensively for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Pasadena Branch, and assisted with numerous local political campaigns. Gladys Joy will be greatly missed, and I extend my sincere condolences upon the untimely and very sad loss of Gladys Joy to the extended Kennedy family.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, last year the President and the Director of National Intelligence pushed for legislation that would make it easier for the NSA to collect intelligence on Americans and groups abroad. Among other things, the administration's legislation would allow warrantless eavesdropping of virtually all communications of Americans with anyone outside the U.S., so long as the government declared that the surveillance was directed at people reasonably believed to be located outside the U.S. I opposed the bill when it was considered by the House and instead joined with Chairman Conyers and Chairman Reyes in support of a responsible alternative that would have met the needs of the Director of National Intelligence without compromising the privacy of law-abiding Americans in ways that don't improve our security. The proposal included robust oversight and audit provisions designed to determine the impact of these changes on Americans. Unfortunately, Congress was forced hastily to pass the administration's version before adjourning in August. Nonetheless, Congress provided the law would sunset in 6 months to ensure that modifications were quickly made. Over 2 months ago the House returned to this debate by passing the RESTORE Act, legislation that updated FISA, provided these effective surveillance tools while ensuring robust oversight. Importantly, the RESTORE Act also provided protections to ensure that communications of U.S. persons were not acquired without some court involvement or supervision, provisions that were left out of the proposal passed in August. The other body has also drafted legislation aimed at modifying the bill that passed out of the House in August to provide oversight and additional protections. Unfortunately, they haven't completed their work. Some very thoughtful proposals like that by Senator Dianne Feinstein offer fresh ways to break the impasse over some very difficult issues. The proposals that they are debating and attempting to finalize have a number of notable departures from the House-passed version. With the August bill set to expire in 3 days, it's necessary for us to seek a temporary extension in order to ensure this House has a role in crafting its revision. The impending deadlines necessitate an extension, and I'm proud to support that very modest extension.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, it is with a mixture of anger and sadness that I rise today to honor the 1-year anniversary of the murder of Hrant Dink, the courageous Armenian-Turkish journalist, who was murdered by a Turkish extremist. Mr. Dink founded the bilingual newspaper Agos in 1996, giving a voice to Turkey's Armenians. He acted on his beliefs of building community and acknowledging the past, for which he was persecuted, prosecuted and eventually forced to pay the ultimate price. Clearly, however, his life's work was not in vain; at his funeral, approximately 100,000 people marched behind his coffin, chanting, ``We are all Dink. We are all Armenians.'' Before Mr. Dink's untimely death last January, the Turkish government constantly tried to limit his freedom of speech. It confiscated copies of Agos on many occasions and on the flimsiest of pretenses. In 2004, Mr. Dink wrote an article stating that Turkey's first woman pilot was an Armenian orphan adopted after 1915. The government convicted him of insulting ``Turkishness'' under Article 301 of the Penal Code, a law specifically designed to prevent discussion of the Armenian Genocide. He received a 6-month suspended sentence. This was just one of several such prosecutions against Mr. Dink. Mr. Dink's courage to confront the historical facts of the Armenian Genocide cost him his life. He continually received threatening telephone calls, e-mails, and letters. He reported this terrorization to the police, but they failed to protect him. On January 19, 2007, an extreme nationalist teenager shot Mr. Dink three times outside the Agos offices in Istanbul, killing him. Court hearings continue, but Mr. Dink's family stated that the investigation of his murder was conducted in secrecy and is incomplete. Turkish prosecutions under Article 301 increased in 2007 and continued to affect Mr. Dink's family. Arat Dink, his son, published an interview in which Mr. Dink said that the 1915 to 1917 Armenian massacres constituted genocide. Last October Arat Dink received a 1- year suspended sentence for publishing this interview. Punishing Mr. Dink's son for publishing his murdered father's words is a travesty and exposes the lengths to which Ankara will go to hide the truth about the Armenian Genocide. Mr. Dink's death was devastating to the democratic principle of a free and unfettered press and to the efforts of a handful of Turkish intellectuals who have been fighting to expose the crimes of Turkey's Ottoman predecessor. Denying the Armenian Genocide harms Turkey and imperils the future of this important nation. As the world marks the anniversary of Dink's murder, I reiterate my call for Turkey to honor the memory of Hrant Dink by repealing Article 301, and to acknowledge the truth of the Armenian Genocide. Together with his family and colleagues, the Armenian community in Turkey, and his admirers around the world, we remember Hrant Dink, heroic defender of speech and human rights, on the 1-year anniversary of his murder.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3998, ``America's Historical and Natural Legacy Study Act.'' At the outset, I want to thank Chairman Rahall and Chairman Grijalva for bringing this bill to the floor and for their work in crafting a broad package of studies that will help us to preserve our natural and historical heritage. In particular, I am pleased that the Chairmen included a study of the Rim of the Valley Corridor in southern California. This bill is an important milestone in my 7-year effort to direct the Department of the Interior to study alternatives for protecting the mountains and canyons in southern California that are part of the Rim of the Valley Corridor, as designated by the State of California. This environmentally sensitive area is located in one of the most densely populated areas in the United States. The greater southern California metropolitan region has the Nation's second-largest urban concentration; about 1 in every 10 Americans lives in this region. At the same time, this area has one of the lowest ratios of park-and- recreation-lands per thousand-population of any area in the country. So this rapidly growing urban region is extremely underserved in terms of open space needs. Unless action is taken soon, this situation will only worsen as the region continues to grow. The Rim of the Valley Corridor is an ecologically significant, contiguous region that consists of parts of the Santa Monica Mountains, Santa Susanna Mountains, San Gabriel Mountains, Verdugo Mountains, San Rafael Hills, and adjacent connector areas to the Los Padres and San Bernadino National Forests. This corridor system is an example of the world's most endangered habitat area, the Mediterranean chaparral ecosystem. Parts of the Rim of the Valley Corridor are already managed within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and the Angeles National Forest. Yet, with increasing development and population pressures, the future of the Corridor is threatened. It is in danger of becoming reduced to isolated pockets of open space, irreversibly destroying its connectivity. The contiguous nature of these open spaces is potentially critical to help preserve the integrity of its ecosystems. The State of California has adopted the Rim of the Valley Master Plan, and local governments within the Rim of the Valley Corridor have made significant progress toward protecting the unique natural and recreational resources of the area. However, these efforts have been hampered by a lack of financial resources, technical assistance, and resource management expertise that can only be provided by the Federal Government. Since Congress set aside the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Areas in 1978, federal, state and local authorities have worked in remarkable cooperation to manage what is the world's largest urban park. Now, nearly three decades later and in the face of tremendous projected population growth and development pressures, Congress, by passing this bill, again will have the opportunity to study ways to help safeguard and supplement the existing state and local parks, open space and recreational opportunities in southern California. I hope that the Congress will seize the opportunity to order the Department of Interior to study of alternatives for protecting some of the most beautiful land in southern California for future generations of Americans to enjoy. The Rim of the Valley is a special place and we owe it to our children to develop a long-range plan that will balance preservation, recreation, and the needs and rights of those living in and around the area to be studied. Again, Chairman Rahall and Chairman Grijalva, thank you for your support for the Rim of the Valley Corridor study and for all of your work to preserve America's natural splendor.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1759, the Managing Arson Through Criminal History Act, or the MATCH Act. This is legislation that my colleague, Congresswoman Mary Bono, and I introduced earlier this year to create a national registry of arsonists that would give law enforcement officers an important tool to track arsonists and share information across jurisdictions. I want to thank Mrs. Bono for her leadership on this issue. I also want to thank the chairman of our committee for moving this bill through the committee and the majority leader for bringing it before us today. In October of this year, the Nation saw the destruction caused by fires in southern California. Over 1,500 homes were destroyed, half a million acres of land burned, seven people died, and more than 85 were injured, including 61 firefighters. These brave heroes put their lives on the line every day to protect people, homes and wildlife. The MATCH Act would create a national registry and require convicted arsonists to report where they live, work, and go to school. And the database would include photographs, fingerprints, vehicle information and other information on the arsonist. The length of time that an arsonist would be required to register is based on how many acts of arson they have committed: 5 years for one offense, 10 years for two, and lifetime for a serial arsonist who has committed three or more offenses. The information would only be made available to law enforcement agencies, not the general public. Most important, when a convicted arsonist updates his or her information with a change of residence, notification would be sent to the appropriate law enforcement agencies. When arson has occurred, it's critical to find and find quickly the individual involved to prevent future acts of arson and to prosecute the one responsible. Frequently arsonists use the same trademark tools, such as a unique incendiary device, a manner of starting a fire, or similar targets, such as houses of worship or even auto dealerships. In a case where the arsonist may have come from one place or a State to commit the act of arson, the information in the database will give law enforcement an important tool to identify convicted arsonists that may be connected to the very similar act of arson. Most importantly, the registration can also prevent future acts of arson by requiring convicted arsonists to update their information when they move or change jobs or schools. In addition to putting law enforcement on notice, this also lets the convicted arsonists know they can't hide from law enforcement for the purpose of committing another act of arson. When I was a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's office in Los Angeles, I worked on an arson investigation that really brings to mind for me the merit of this bill. That case demonstrates how an arsonist registry would be of great benefit. This was a situation where someone was setting a string of fires in the San Bernardino forest. The individual used a unique incendiary device that he could throw in the brush and drive far away before the brush would be ignited. They couldn't catch the culprit in the act and eventually succeeded in tracking him down through the use of video surveillance and a complex investigation. The suspect was arrested and interviewed and admitted to setting fires in the taped interview. However, the tape recording malfunctioned and the confession was lost along with most of the case. As we pursued the investigation, we found a probation officer of the suspect from many years earlier who found his records in his basement storage. The file on the suspect detailed that many years earlier he had set fires using the same incendiary device. When confronted with the evidence, the suspect pled guilty. If we had a national arsonist registry at the time, we would have known of convicted arsonists who lived in the region. We would have known their modus operandi. We may have been able to stop him before he committed several later fires. Keeping your records in the basement is not a successful law enforcement strategy; the national arsonist registry created through the MATCH Act is. Again, I want to compliment my colleague Mary Bono. Thank you very much for your leadership on this. It's very important to all Californians. And, Mr. Chairman, we are very grateful for your moving this bill through committee so quickly in such a bipartisan spirit.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. I thank the chairman for yielding and for his leadership. Over the last 2 years, I have worked with my Republican colleague Jeff Flake of Arizona to ensure that the government has all the tools necessary to pursue al Qaeda and all the other terrorists who would seek to harm our country while ensuring that the requirement of court approval of surveillance of Americans on American soil is met. I am pleased that the committee has included many of the items we proposed, including reiterating FISA's exclusivity, providing robust oversight reporting, requiring FISA Court involvement when U.S. persons are involved, and clarifying that the interception of foreign-to- foreign communications does not require a court order. To address a concern raised by Mr. Flake, our language makes clear that a court order would not be required for electronic surveillance directed at the acquisition of communications between persons that are not known to be U.S. persons and are reasonably believed to be located outside the U.S., without respect to whether the communication passes through the U.S. or the surveillance device is located in the U.S. We have also placed additional safeguards to ensure this section is not abused and used to acquire communications of U.S. persons. I am pleased to yield the balance of my time to my colleague.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Gevork Arzoumanian, a resident of Glendale, California and a survivor of the Armenian Genocide. Mr. Arzoumanian was born in 1907 in the village of Sulduz, modern day Naghadeh, northwest Iran, bordering the Republic of Turkey. The children's cries and the groans of the elderly still haunt Gevork today, 92 years after the atrocities. His lips quiver and his hands shake when he retells those bitter memories to his grandchildren. Once the Ottoman forces had begun their massacres and deportation of the area's Christian Armenians and Assyrians, Gevork's family marched toward the village of Rezaiye (Orumieh province) leaving behind their home and cotton farm. Along the way, Gevork witnessed the murders of his father (Arzooman), mother (Arpik), sisters (Asdghik and Satenik) and brother (Ashod). As a young boy, Gevork also witnessed the pillage of people's houses, the stealing of young girls and the horrible game of Ottoman Turkish soldiers throwing infants in the air and catching them with their swords. Those who survived the brutality ended up in the city of Hamadan, Iran and were divided into two groups; one would be headed to Beirut and the other to Tehran. Gevork was in the latter. He was taken to the St. George Church, temporarily cared for by an Armenian couple, who later sent him to the city of Babol by the Caspian Sea, where he was cared for by Mr. Garegin and Verjin Harotoonian. He later became a truck driver. Mr. Arzoumanian has lived through an incredibly difficult period in history. Nevertheless, he worked hard and persevered. In 1940, Gevork married Laura and had two children, a daughter, Marda and a son, Norik. Gevork is thankful that after all that happened to the Armenians at the turn of the 20th century, Armenia is now an independent country. I am proud to honor Gevork Arzoumanian of California's 29th Congressional District and I ask all Members of Congress to join me in paying tribute to this inspiring individual and honor all victims of the Armenian Genocide.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Representative Michael T. McCaul be removed as a cosponsor of H. Con. Res. 228. Mr. McCaul was listed as a cosponsor due to a clerical error.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay special recognition to the Glendale Public Library upon the celebration of its One Hundredth Anniversary. Services at the Glendale Public Library were first provided in 1906 when the members of the Tuesday Afternoon Club, a social and philanthropic organization, raised money through a series of lectures to fund a library collection. The library opened in a renovated poolroom with seventy books, and became a municipal library the next year. The Central Library building opened in 1914 with the help of a grant from the Andrew Carnegie Corporation. By 1923, the City's 35,000 residents were borrowing about 150,000 books a year. The Casa Verdugo Branch was established in 1926 as the library system's second neighborhood library and in that same year the Central Library building was enlarged to twice its original size. Throughout its one hundred year tenure, the growing Glendale Public Library has been committed to serving the community from the Library's collections of almost 700,000 books, over 25,000 music CDs and almost 14,000 movies. The library offers a large collection of non-English materials, particularly in Armenian, in order to better serve Glendale's diverse community. Among its wide array of services, the library comprises a Genocide Memorial Collection, which it hopes will encourage research in this field. The Glendale community has also greatly benefited from the technological advances at the Glendale Public Library. The addition of wireless Internet and the ability to download literally thousands of magazine and newspaper articles make the Library and its Web site--open 24 hours, seven days a week-- valuable community resources I ask all Members to join me today in honoring the Glendale Public Library upon the celebration of its One Hundredth Anniversary. The entire community joins me in thanking the Glendale Public Library for the outstanding services that it has provided for California's 29th Congressional District.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Typecraft Wood & Jones, a family-owned business, which is celebrating the one-hundredth anniversary of Wood & Jones Printers and the sixtieth anniversary of Typecraft, Inc. Wood & Jones Printers was founded in 1907 in Pasadena, California by Bert Wood, a pressman from New England and Fred Jones, a typographer from Canada. Bert's son, Richard Wood, introduced offset lithography to the business in the 1940s. Chris Wood, Bert's grandson, introduced phototypesetting and added a drive-through photocopy division to the business in the 1980s. Richard operated and expanded the business in partnership with Bert's nephew, David Wood into the 1980s, and in 1987, Hanna Wood, granddaughter of Bert, assumed responsibility for the business. Typecraft, Inc. was formed in 1947 by Emer Bates, and Len Jasmin, former publisher and former manager of the Pasadena Independent Newspaper. In the 1960s, Harry Montgomery joined Typecraft, Inc., partnering with Len Jasmin. J.J. Gish, whose father Jerry Gish was a 50-year employee of Typecraft, Inc., purchased Wood & Jones Printers in 1994 and became partners with Harry Montgomery, Emer Bates' son-in-law in 2000. Typecraft, Inc. and Wood & Jones Printers were merged at that time into one company. Both Typecraft, Inc. and Wood & Jones Printers separately and together have kept abreast of the latest technologies, creating quality printed materials for businesses, non-profit organizations, schools, museums, and fine art museums. Typecraft Wood & Jones is the annual print sponsor for AIGS Los Angeles, the Professional Association for Design. Over the last century, Typecraft Wood & Jones has supported a variety of worthwhile local organizations and institutions such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of Pasadena, Boy Scouts of America, the Pasadena Library Foundation, Aids Service Center, Huntington Memorial Hospital, Zonta Club, John Marshall Fundamental School and the Pasadena Senior Center. In addition, Typecraft Wood & Jones also contributes to the Pasadena Art Alliance, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Pasadena Playhouse, Armory Center for the Arts and Pasadena City College School of Fine Arts. It is my great honor to recognize Typecraft Wood & Jones upon the combined one-hundred sixty years of dedicated service to the community of greater Pasadena. I ask all members to join me in commending their efforts.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Orange Grove Monthly Meeting of Religious Society of Friends in Pasadena, CA. The Orange Grove Monthly Meeting of Friends was founded in 1907 by a group of 20 Eastern Quakers who had moved to Pasadena. Quakers have played leading roles in working for peace and an end to war, promoting racial and gender equality, and supporting environmental and other social justice causes. After World War I, the Meeting members supported the American Friends Service Committee, AFSC, which engaged in post-war relief efforts in Western Europe and Russia, and also helped establish AFSC's Pacific Coast branch. During World War II, the Meeting house served as a hostel for Japanese-Americans being sent to internment camps, and aid was sent to those already interned. The Meeting members provided hospitality and financial support to area conscientious objectors and their families, and after the end of the war, hosted families displaced by the war and its aftermath. Meeting members have frequently led the way in civil rights and social justice movements. Meeting members took part in efforts to desegregate the Pasadena school system, participated in freedom rides in the South and attended the Selma, AL, protests. The Orange Grove Monthly Meeting of Friends founded educational institutions that provide a nurturing educational environment for children. Pacific Ackworth Friends School (1942) and Pacific Oaks School (1945) were established by Meeting parents. In 1961, Mara Moser, an Orange Grove Friends member, established Mothers' Club to support families of men in prison. Mothers' Club later evolved into a child development and family center serving low-income families. Members of the Orange Grove Monthly Meeting of Friends are active participants in the community. Meeting members routinely provide dinner for the homeless at Union Station in Pasadena, participate in many prison visitation programs and allow the meeting house to be used by local groups for activities such as a tutoring program for elementary school children. It is my pleasure to recognize the Orange Grove Friends Meeting of Pasadena on its 100th anniversary of active participation in the life of our community. I ask all members to join me in extending a hearty congratulations.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, today I would like to take a moment to honor the memory of a good friend and a community leader, Rabbi Carole Meyers. Rabbi Meyers died at the age of 50 on Thursday, July 26, after a brief battle with bone cancer. She served as Rabbi of Temple Sinai in Glendale, CA, from 1986 to 2001. Over the 15 years Rabbi Meyers served at Glendale's Temple Sinai the congregation nearly doubled in size, boosting its education programs for both children and adults. Rabbi Meyers significantly raised the profile of the temple through her extensive work in the community. Rabbi Meyers was involved with Habitat for Humanity and the Glendale Community Foundation. She served on the Mayor's Task Force on Hate Crimes, helping to craft a citywide response plan to fight hate crimes. Rabbi Meyers also trained as a chaplain for the Glendale Police Department and helped to create an annual AIDS Awareness Prayer Service with other Glendale religious leaders. After retiring in 2001 to spend more time with her family, Rabbi Meyers remained active in our community serving on the board of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, developing curriculum for Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles, and presiding at marriages and bar and bat mitzvahs. In 2001, shortly after the tragic events of 9/11, Rabbi Meyers had the distinction of delivering the opening prayer in the House of Representatives. In such a sad and somber time Rabbi Meyers's prayer was uplifting and life-affirming. Her words helped console our nation. And her words that day still ring true today as we try to find answers to her untimely death. On this floor in November 2001, Rabbi Meyers prayed, It takes courage to pray meaningfully in the wake of events shaping our lives. It is not that we do not turn to God, we do. We come with our praise and with our entreaties, but we strain to hear an answer, to sense God's presence radiating back to us, over the abyss that grief and fear have created. Shall we this morning, just for a moment, stop speaking to God, asking God, about God, entreating God, and instead make an effort to find once again that experience of God's presence that grounds our faith. Come with me to that place. Perhaps it was when you witnessed the birth of your child, new life so precious and pure, perhaps when you saw your soul reflected back at you in the eyes of someone whose love was infinite. Perhaps in the tangle of pain and darkness when somehow there was a presence to call, to let you know you would move forward. Perhaps when a piece of music shook you to your core, bringing an exquisite awareness of the depth of human experience. Perhaps when you truly saw the miracle of nature surrounding us, the sun rising and setting, day after day of nature in its magnificent order, there was a moment when you knew that an Other exists before whom we stand in awe and whose greatness we strive to reflect in the actions of our lives. Eternal God, be with us as we move through this time of uncertainty. Help us know that we can lend Your presence and use our lives to reflect it. Then we will have the faith to bring light and joy, peace and comfort, justice and goodness to this magnificent world God has created. Amen.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Religious Society of Friends upon the 100th anniversary of the Orange Grove Monthly Meeting of Friends in Pasadena, California. The Orange Grove Monthly Meeting of Friends was founded in 1907 by a group of twenty Eastern Quakers who had moved to Pasadena. Quakers have played leading roles in working for peace and an end to war, promoting racial and gender equality, and supporting environmental and other social justice causes. After World War I, the Meeting members supported the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), which engaged in post war relief efforts in Western Europe and Russia, and also helped establish AFSC's Pacific Coast branch. During World War II, the Meeting house served as a hostel for Japanese-Americans being sent to internment camps, and aid was sent to those already interned. The Meeting members provided hospitality and financial support to area conscientious objectors and their families, and after the end of the war, hosted families displaced by the war and its aftermath. Meeting members have frequently led the way in civil rights and social justice movements. Meeting members took part in efforts to desegregate the Pasadena school system, participated in freedom rides in the South and attended the Selma, Alabama protests. The Orange Grove Monthly Meeting of Friends founded educational institutions that provide a nurturing educational environment for children. Pacific Ackworth Friends School (1942) and Pacific Oaks School (1945) were established by Meeting parents. In 1961, Mara Moser, an Orange Grove Friends member, established Mothers' Club to support families of men in prison. Mothers' Club later evolved into a child development and family center serving low-income families. Members of the Orange Grove Monthly Meeting of Friends are active participants in the community. Meeting members routinely provide dinner for the homeless at Union Station in Pasadena, participate in many prison visitation programs and allow the Meeting house to be used by local groups for activities such as a tutoring program for elementary school children. It is my pleasure to honor the Orange Grove Friends Meeting of Pasadena on its 100th anniversary of dedicated service to the community. I ask all Members to join me in commending their efforts.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Pasadena Symphony, which will be celebrating its 80th anniversary on October 13, 2007--the beginning of the 2007-2008 season. Since 1928, the Pasadena Symphony has demonstrated musical talent, stable leadership, and remarkable service to the community. In 1922, Will Rounds, Director of Instrumental Music in the Pasadena public school system and former member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, initiated a movement for a local civic orchestra. The Pasadena Civic Orchestra Association was officially developed in 1928 by a group of civic-minded citizens and Reginald Bland, the orchestra's first director. Originally formed to promote free music of all forms to the public and to provide young aspiring musicians an opportunity to train through practical experience, the orchestra has transformed from a group of volunteer and student musicians into a nationally-recognized orchestra that has won worldwide acclaim. Much of the symphony's success can be attributed to its stable leadership. Since its founding, the orchestra has had only four music directors. In 1936, Dr. Richard Lert began his 36 year tenure as director and established a scholarship fund for students who performed in the orchestra. With Dr. Lert at the helm, the orchestra's name was changed to the Pasadena Symphony Association in 1954; in 1955, the symphony became a founding member of the Los Angeles Symphony League and was recognized with Metropolitan Status by the American Symphony Orchestra League in 1968. The Women's Committee, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, was formed in 1957 to assist with fundraising. From 1972 to 1984 the orchestra's reputation continued to grow under the leadership of Daniel Lewis. The orchestra received several national awards, including five American Society of Composers and Publishers awards for adventuresome programming. Mr. Lewis also oversaw the founding of the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra which is considered one of the best youth orchestras in the world. Since 1984, Jorge Mester has brilliantly led the Pasadena Symphony Association, expanding the number of concerts per season and recording its first compact disc in 1994. Beyond its musical achievements, the association admirably serves the community through educational outreach. Committed to making music accessible to the public, the symphony runs an admission-free Musical Circus for families with young children and offers Concerts and Lessons to Enrich Families (C.L.E.F.). Believing that music belongs in the classroom as well as the concert hall, the symphony partnered with Pasadena's public elementary schools to found Tempo!, a curriculum based program that has been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts. Through the Mentor Program, in which middle and high school musicians can meet with Pasadena Symphony Association professionals and the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra, the symphony fosters our next generation of musicians. It is my great pleasure to honor the Pasadena Symphony Association on its 80th anniversary. I ask all members to join me in commending their efforts.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay special recognition to St. Robert Bellarmine Church upon the celebration of its 100th anniversary. The church was founded as Holy Trinity Parish in 1907 by Father Edward Wright. In 1939, the church was remodeled and given its present name. The choice of 17th century Italian cardinal St. Robert Bellarmine as patron saint reflects the church's modern-day identity as a spiritual, educational and charitable institution. St. Robert Bellarmine embodied an ideal blend of spirituality, intellect, public service and charity. He would certainly be proud of Burbank's St. Robert Bellarmine Church, which throughout its 100 years has demonstrated a passionate commitment to these same ideals. Today, St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church serves the spiritual, educational, and charitable needs of its community. Its elementary school, as well as Bellarmine Jefferson High School, offers a Christ- centered learning environment with a challenging curriculum that educates students both academically and morally, preparing them for a lifetime of service to both God and their communities. In addition, St. Robert Bellarmine sponsors and facilitates service- oriented groups that serve the homeless, the sick, and others in need in the Burbank community and beyond by actively engaging in food drives and raising charitable funds. Many leaders of St. Robert Bellarmine have used their leadership as a means for serving the community. Monsignor Martin Cody Keating, for example, served the church for 37 years after his work as an Army chaplain in World War I. During his priesthood, he worked as an advocate for labor and war veterans' issues. The current Priests and staff continue this legacy of public service today. I ask all Members to join me today in honoring St. Robert Bellarmine Church upon the celebration of its 100th anniversary. The entire community joins me in thanking the parishioners of St. Robert Bellarmine Church for their religious, educational, and charitable contributions to California's 29th Congressional District.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act. This is a landmark measure which touches on many aspects of our national health care system. It forestalls a potentially devastating cut to physician payments through Medicare that would imperil our senior's access to their doctors. It also expands assistance to our lowest income seniors so they get the help they need to afford life-saving medication. But most important, the bill we are debating today will extend the life changing benefit of health insurance to five million more American children. That means five million parents who won't have to bring their child to the emergency room because they're running a fever. Five million parents who can take their child to a dentist if their teeth hurt. Five million parents who can take care of their children in a way we all take for granted--that when they're sick, they can go to the doctor. SCHIP has been an incredible success story, extending the benefits of health care to six million children, about 750,000 in California alone. These are children whose families have incomes that are too high to qualify for Medicaid, but who do not receive health insurance through their employment and can't afford it on their own. SCHIP is based on a simple premise: Insuring kids is the right thing to do. And it's much cheaper to insure a child, who is relatively healthy, than an adult or a senior citizen. The experience of the 10 years since SCHIP was originally created proves the wisdom of providing health insurance for children. In addition to reauthorizing the program, this bill improves SCHIP by creating new incentives to seek out millions of children around the nation who are eligible but not enrolled. It includes a group of seven best practices, developed and implemented in states, that should be followed to get kids into the program and keep them there. That's the right approach. In the past, I've called for a simplified enrollment system so that families applying for a range of means-tested benefits, such as subsidized school lunches, can automatically apply for SCHIP. We accomplish that with this bill, and it will mean that more kids who are eligible will get enrolled and stay enrolled for a benefit that they are entitled. The Committee on the Budget has certified that this legislation complies with the PAYGO rules we set earlier this year to ensure fiscal discipline. It pays for these important reforms to children's health and Medicare by an increase in the tax on cigarettes a provision that I hope will help discourage youth smoking. And it cuts back on subsidies to privately run Medicare plans. Contrary to the statements of the minority, we are not cutting one dime from Medicare. In fact, this bill today will extend the lifespan of the Medicare Trust Fund. A vote for this bill is a vote for an America that takes care of its children. In the richest Nation in the history of the world, it is simply wrong that millions of children, our most vulnerable citizens, go without basic access to health care. With a ``yes'' vote, five million more children will enjoy the benefits of a healthy future and a real chance in life. I urge a ''yes'' vote.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. There really is a lot of common ground in this debate. My friends on the minority side of the aisle want to make sure that when one foreigner is talking to another on foreign soil, that doesn't need to go through a FISA court, and we agree. The only real area of disagreement is when we make an effort to surveil a foreign suspect, and whether inadvertently or advertently we capture the conversations of Americans, should there be court supervision. If the programs expand and, in fact, we capture the conversations of thousands of Americans, should there be some court oversight of that? I think on a bipartisan basis the Members of this body feel there should be. The courts should be involved, the Congress should be involved when we are talking about the surveillance of Americans on American soil, whether they were the target or the incidental effect of that surveillance. And I also think that if we got three Members from our side of the aisle and three Members from yours and sat down with the admiral, in about an hour, we could hammer this out. We ought to do supervision when Americans are surveilled. This bill provides that, and I urge its passage.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Chairman, this is an important bill that funds many crucial priorities for this Nation. I offer my congratulations to the gentleman from West Virginia, Mr. Mollohan, for crafting a bill that balances important investments in law enforcement and economic development with the need to maintain our Nation's scientific and technological leadership. Nowhere has Chairman Mollohan shown more foresight and wisdom than in his decision to increase our national investment in NASA, which has been at the forefront of humanity's exploration of the cosmos for the past 39 years. Earlier this year, I told NASA administrator Michael Griffin that I viewed the President's budget request for NASA as a floor and not a ceiling. That request, for $17.3 billion, was $1.4 billion below the congressionally authorized level and, in my view, shortchanged too much science on the one hand, while allowing no margin for error whatsoever in terms of human spaceflight. This budget crunch at the space agency has been brewing for several years. To start, the costs resulting from Hurricane Katrina and the Space Shuttle Return-to Flight after the Columbia tragedy were never recouped by NASA. Second, several big-ticket and vital missions have exceeded cost estimates and, third, the addition of the Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission adds an additional funding burden to NASA. At the same time, the FY 2007 Joint Resolution reduced NASA's human spaceflight program budget by $670 million, the practical effect of which will be at least a 6-month delay in the launch of the new Orion and Ares I, a delay that will increase the 4 year ``gap'' in American human spaceflight capability and increase our reliance on the Russians to launch and recover crew for the International Space Station. And, Mr. Chairman, even as we speak, the People's Republic of China is working hard to become a dominant space power--both in the civilian sector and in the military use of space. This budget crunch has brought us to a point of reckoning. Congress and this Nation are going to need to make some decisions about the value of space to our national life. I know that there is broad and deep support for NASA and its mission and I also believe that we should begin to ramp up the NASA budget to make our push back to the Moon a reality, while continuing to answer the great fundamental questions about our own planet and our place in the cosmos. It is the area of space science that most concerns me and where I think that Chairman Mollohan has been especially responsive to the needs of America's scientific community. I have a special concern for space science as my colleague from California, Mr. Dreier, and I represent the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which is the crown jewel of NASA's efforts to explore the solar system and the universe beyond. One of the most exciting endeavors that NASA is engaged in is the search for the presence of planets around neighboring stars. NASA's search for planets and life beyond our solar system is having increasing and dramatic success with over 105 planets now discovered. For years, JPL has been working on a planet hunter spacecraft and the Space Interferometry Mission program has successfully passed all its technological milestones and is thus ready for development. SIM is expected to examine 2000-3000 stars for planetary systems to fulfill a critical step in the search for Earth-like planets. This mission has been supported by Congress in the last two years and by the Academy Decadal Astrophysics reports in 1990 and 2000. To this point NASA has spent approximately $300 million on the program. Unfortunately, the President's 2008 budget request for NASA drastically scaled back funding for the program--essentially putting it on ice. Thankfully, Chairman Mollohan has restored funding for SIM and directed NASA to proceed with development. JPL has also been the epicenter of our efforts to explore Mars. The rovers Spirit and Opportunity have been exploring the Red Planet for the past 3\1/2\ years and next month the Mars Phoenix Lander will begin its journey to Mars. I am happy to report that the bill fully funds the Mars program, which allows for a new mission to be launched about every 2 years. Finally, NASA does not currently have an outer planets mission in development and I am happy that the bill provides $10 million to begin work on such a mission. Mr. Chairman, I know that many of my colleagues have expressed support today for NASA and its mission and have elaborated at length on the technological and other spinoffs from the space program. I would like to urge all of you to remember another crucial spinoff from the space program--international goodwill. The United States is not universally loved around the world at the moment. However, one area in which our prestige remains undiminished is in space exploration. The ESA, the Canadians, the Japanese, the Indians and many others want to partner with us. Our space program also continues to generate enormous interest and enthusiasm worldwide. In the first 2 months after Spirit and Opportunity landed on Mars in January 2004, JPL's rover website registered almost 9 billion hits from around the world. At a time when America needs ways to communicate with a growing and increasingly younger global audience, our space program is an important public diplomacy asset. I thank the Chairman and urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. I thank the gentleman for his defense of the Vice President and Halliburton. I'm sure the Vice President has no connection, no history with Halliburton whatsoever. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCHIFF. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Again, I would just point out that my friend hasn't shown any willingness to trim the profits of his friends in the oil industry by 0.00000005, which would amount to probably about the same $31 million we are talking about here. He is only willing to take that $30 million out of our law enforcement efforts across the board, but not out of oil industry profits. And that is the difference in philosophy, I think, between my colleague and myself. MR. ISRAEL. Mr. Chairman, during this debate we have seen all sorts of charts and heard about all sorts of numbers and saw a display of dollars. Here are the statistics that count, Mr. Chairman: The past 2 years, violent crimes in America are up 3.6 percent. Federal law enforcement grants have declined 46 percent. So, under their leadership, Mr. Chairman, Federal support for local law enforcement has already been cut 46 percent; now we are saying we should cut it another five-hundredths of a percent. FBI counterterrorism casework is up 100 percent. Meanwhile, FBI investigative resources are down 29 percent. So what we have here, Mr. Chairman, is more criminals on the streets, and an attempt to reduce investments in cops on the streets. What we have here, Mr. Chairman, is a bigger caseload of potential terrorists, and the FBI being told, ``Shave your budgets.'' That is how far some ideologues will go, Mr. Chairman. I can't imagine any American watching these proceedings, and then hearing the news, learning about the National Intelligence Estimate, which says that al Qaeda is proliferating and regenerating, and saying, ``Now is the time to cut the FBI budget,'' or, ``Now is the time even to reduce increased investments in the FBI.'' Al Qaeda is not cutting the rate of their increase, Mr. Chairman. Terrorists are not cutting the rate of their increases, Mr. Chairman. This is not the time to begin cutting these budgets. The other side is talking about specific reductions in the number of FBI agents on counterterrorism cases. They are talking about a specific reduction in the number of deployments of cops on the street; crime going up, Federal law enforcement grants going down. There is a correlation between the two. And now we add insult to injury by saying, let's cut it another 0.05 percent, or one-five-hundredths of a percent. I want to close, Mr. Chairman, by reminding the Chairman and the American people through the Chairman that this debate really isn't about one-five-hundredths of a percent; it is about what priorities make sense to the American people: $14 billion tax cuts to the biggest oil companies on Earth, or 2,800 cops on the street; $90 billion in tax shelters for offshore companies that register their headquarters in Bermuda to avoid paying their fair share of taxes here, or more cops on the street? The gentleman talked about a family in his district. I don't know of any family in my district that gets to sit at their table, their kitchen table with their accountant and be given the advice that they should register themselves at a P.O. box in Bermuda to avoid paying their fair share of taxes in the United States. You know what they want for their tax dollars? Cops on the street, FBI agents protecting them. That's what they want. They don't have the right to just go off to Bermuda, register themselves at a P.O. box and not pay taxes. We understand that every tax dollar has to be jealously safeguarded, and that's what we do in this bill. The difference between us is not one-five-hundredth of a percent. The difference between us is $90 billion. They would rather spend that $90 billion on those offshore companies with P.O. boxes in Bermuda. We would rather spend a fraction of that making sure that there are cops on the street, that kids are protected from meth, that women don't have to deal with domestic violence, that they can be prosecuted, that the FBI has counter- terrorist agents, that they have investigative resources. Because as I said before, all the statistics bear it out, crime is increasing. Terrorists are proliferating. They are not cutting their budgets. They are not cutting their numbers. They are not even cutting their rate of increase. And we should not turn our backs and allow them this advantage, their advantage in the name of a one-five-hundredth of a percent cut in this budget. This isn't substance. This is politics. And if it weren't so serious, it would be silly. We want cops on the street and counter-terrorist agents with the FBI. That's what the American people want. That's why every Republican on the Appropriations Committee supported this bill. And that is why, at the end of this debate, we go back to where we were at the beginning of this debate. This is a small group of Members, a fringe group of Members who say 3 percent's not enough, 2 percent's not enough, 1 percent's not enough. We're going to go to one-five-hundredth of a percent to make our case. Every single one of those amendments has been defeated on every single one of these bills because Republicans and Democrats in the mainstream know better. We understand the priorities of the American people. And that is why this amendment will face the same fate as all the other amendments before them. It will be defeated. And Mr. Chairman, let me make one other point. With all due respect to my friends, they have spent more taxpayer dollars prolonging this debate offering amendment after amendment after amendment, keeping this House in session when every single one of these amendments was defeated, than the one-five-hundredth of a percent cut that they're offering today. I would suggest to the other side that they could save taxpayers a lot more money by doing these amendments once, getting them over with, let them get defeated as they always have, and let this Congress go on with the business of the American people and putting cops on the street and investing resources in the FBI to keep them safe. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCHIFF. I am not yielding my time. My colleague had 15 minutes to try to make his point. So I don't think cutting $31 million out of the FBI makes sense. And this gets back to the question that our Chairman posed: What is the need? And are we devoting the resources that meet that need? The need that I am hearing, the need that our Homeland Security Committee is hearing, the need that the 9/11 Commission recognized is the need to make greater investments in the safety of our country. That is the need that we are recognizing in this bill. Do we need those extra FBI agents? Yes, I think we do. Do we need those extra cops on the beat? Yes, I think they do. I wish my friends in the opposition who fight so hard for our friends in the gun industry would fight half as hard for our cops to have the best that they need here in this debate on the House floor today. I think we need to make these investments in our future. I think we need to make these investments in our American family. And, I think that my colleagues in the minority here, not in the minority party, because, again, this bill enjoys the support of the bipartisan majority. But the minority viewpoint that is expressed here today, I think they need to ask: What would these families choose, if we give them the real choice, not between whether they invest in the FBI or they don't invest in the FBI, but whether they invest in the FBI by ending corporate welfare for oil companies? I think the answer would be yes. I think the answer would be absolutely. And I think the answer would be, we want to invest in the country, make it stronger, make it safer, give our children a chance to grow up in safer neighborhoods. That is the answer I think that letter writer and others around the country would give and have given, and that is why I urge this amendment to be defeated.