Adam Schiff

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3128, the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2006. Three years ago, the United Nations Security Council declared ``its grave concern at the widespread human rights violations'' in Darfur and ``expressed its determination to do everything possible to halt a humanitarian catastrophe.'' Since then, at least 300,000 people are estimated to have died in Darfur. Currently, more than 3.5 million Darfurians depend on international aid for survival and another 2 million have been driven from their homes. In 2004, pressure from Congress and American citizens prompted the Bush Administration to become the first government to recognize the mass killing in Darfur as a genocide. Since then, the U.S. has played an important role by pressing for an international response to the crisis in Darfur at the UN, supporting the deployment and expansion of the African Union Mission In Sudan (AMIS), and providing critical humanitarian aid. Unfortunately, the U.S. and the international community have yet to muster the will or cooperative action necessary to adequately protect civilians, end the killing, and broker lasting peace. Last week the UN Security Council issued a resolution reaffirming ``that the situation in the Sudan continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security.'' In Darfur large scale attacks on villages have been replaced by rampant banditry, a campaign of sexual violence, and the practical entrapment of civilians in camps. Government backed militias have not been reined in and rebel groups are contributing to violence on the ground. Civilians continue to be attacked, women and girls raped, humanitarian workers harassed, and critical aid supplies disrupted. For people of Darfur, the situation remains one of daily violence and insecurity, desperate living conditions, and the persistent threat of hunger and disease. Sixty years ago, in the wake of the Holocaust, the international community vowed, ``Never again.'' Ten years ago, confronted with the death toll of the Rwandan genocide, leaders of the same nations again declared, ``Never again.'' Today, tens of thousands of women, men, and children have been murdered and hundreds of thousands continue to suffer in Darfur. The Darfur Peace and Accountability Act reminds the Administration and the international community that the genocide in Darfur demands urgent attention and action, and calls upon the President to use both economic and political leverage to elicit cooperation from the Sudanese government. Passing the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act is a small, but important demonstration of this nation's commitment to human rights. I hope that passage of this important legislation will spur more concerted national and international efforts to bring security and stability to the people of Darfur.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 736, a resolution to Condemn Afghan Attempts to Prosecute Converts. I share my colleagues' deep concern regarding the case of Mr. Abdul Rahman and the questions it raises regarding Afghanistan's commitment to religious freedom and human rights. I have sent a letter to Afghan President Hamid Karzai, and I submit it for the Record. Dear President Karzai: I am writing to you concerning the case of Abdul Rahman, whose conversion to Christianity could have cost him his life under traditional Sharia law. Along with many in the U.S. as well as in Britain, Germany, Italy, and Australia, I am relieved that Mr. Rahman will not be tried for exercising a right that is guaranteed to him by national and international law. I recognize that you face strong domestic opposition to this decision, but I urge the Afghan government to stand by it and to use this opportunity to demonstrate your Government's commitment to tolerance, the rule of law, and the democratic ideals that are just beginning to take root in Afghanistan. Afghanistan's Constitution stipulates that Afghanistan shall abide by the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that ``everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief.'' Additionally, although Afghanistan is an Islamic state, its Constitution expressly grants followers of other religions the right to freely exercise ``their faith and perform their religious rites within the limits and the provisions of law.'' The case of Abdul Rahman highlights the need to define these limits. Your steady and principled leadership during the uncertain post-war period earned you the admiration and trust of the citizens of Afghanistan, who chose you to defend their hard- won freedoms and rights as their first democratically-elected President. Similarly, the international community has supported your reform efforts and we congratulate you on the major social, political, economic and security improvements in Afghanistan since the defeat of the Taliban. The strength and legitimacy of your democratically-elected Government will ultimately depend upon that government's ability and willingness to protect and promote the fundamental human rights of all Afghani citizens. While it may be permitted under Islamic Sharia law, the threatened execution of Mr. Rahman would have violated the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Afghan Constitution. We are grateful this man's life has been spared, and we hope that your government will take this opportunity to clarify the supremacy of Afghanistan's constitution within your country's legal framework.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the Peace Corps. On the heels of his historic Inaugural Address, President Kennedy signed an Executive Order on March 1, 1961 to establish the Peace Corps in order to promote world peace and friendship. Over the past 45 years, the Peace Corps has deployed over 182,000 volunteers to more than 138 nations to work on various important issues. At the beginning of the 21st century, the Peace Corps' mission remains as relevant as ever with 7,810 volunteers working in 75 countries to address some of the globe's most pressing challenges, such as the HIV/AIDS pandemic. In addition, the Peace Corps has swiftly responded to recent natural disasters. I recently visited East Timor--the world's newest democracy and one of the poorest nations in Asia--as part of my work on the House Democracy Assistance Commission. While we were there, we met several Peace Corps volunteers and learned about the wonderful work they were doing to improve the lives of the people of that new nation. I could not have been more impressed with their dedication, compassion, and commitment to service. I would like to recognize past and present Peace Corps volunteers who have made invaluable contributions in all corners of the globe over the past 45 years. I am proud to say that 12 of my constituents are currently serving overseas as Peace Corps volunteers. They are: Khaled Alquaddoomi, Wendy Chien, Jennifer Chow, Nicole Gabriel, Kelly Golden, Karen Hamilton, Ibrahim Kalla, Alice Luck, Keenton Luong, Kristina Ortiz, Lassana Toure, and Katherine Wang. Let us commend these dedicated young Americans--and all of those who have served--for their efforts in such a noble task, defined by President Kennedy as ``bringing to man that decent way of life which is the foundation of freedom and a condition of peace.''

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Ross) for yielding to me. Once more I thank him for leading these Blue Dog hours each week and for the tremendous job he does in trying to balance our budget here in the Nation's Capital, as well as look out for those constituents back in Arkansas. I wanted to join the gentleman from Arkansas and raise a number of concerns with the way that we are handling the Nation's budget, talk about some of the reforms that the Blue Dogs have been advocating. Let me just start out by talking about the budget picture. The chart that you have put up, Mr. Ross, really tells the story of the trillions of dollars' worth of debt we have acquired, the fact that for every man, woman and child in the country, we now owe $28,000. I was out in my district last week talking to a group of school kids. They were asking me, what would I like to see different about the way the country is run. I said, well, for one thing, I would like to see us balance our budget. Right now, we are spending your money, I told this young man. We are spending so much of your money, that when you graduate from college, if you graduated tomorrow, in addition to your student loans, you would owe the country $28,000. By the time you actually graduate from college, it will probably be, on the present course, much more than that. Now, why is it that we have this debt? Well, the bottom line is, we are spending money faster than it is coming in, and you can't vote. We are spending your money, because you cannot object. That just is not right. Now, how did we get to this situation? I think we got here through some very creative accounting. It used to be that when we calculated our debt, we looked at a 10-year window. But the 10-year picture got so bleak, we decided that, no, we will start looking at, instead, a 5-year window. We won't look at what happens beyond 5 years because the debt just grows so large. In fact, what we started to do is we started to craft some of the revenue and tax measures here so that they would balloon in the outyears, so the impact on the budget would take place in the outyears, so that if we only looked at the narrow 5-year window, we didn't see how bad the picture got when the full effect of our policies took place 5 to 10 or 15 years from now. But we did more than that. When the administration, for example, says that their plan will balance or cut the debt in half over the next 5 years, they are taking great poetic license with certain assumptions about what will happen in the next several years. For example, the administration's budget, the one they say that will get us to cut the deficit in half in the next 5 years, ignores the costs of the Iraq war after the end of this year. That makes an assumption I think we would all like to make that there won't be any further war costs after December 31, but that is not a realistic assumption. Even if the last troops have come home by then, there are still billions and billions of dollars to repair, to maintain, to replace the equipment that has been degraded in Iraq. More than that, we have to prudently expect that the expenses of the Iraq war are not going to come to an end on December 31. Even if all the troops came home, those expenses would not come to an end then. What other fictions are we using in the budget process? Well, we are assuming that nothing is done about the alternative minimum tax. This tax that was started in the 1970s and was designed to apply to only a few families in the country was never indexed for inflation. The basic theme behind that, or the theory of that, wasn't a bad theory, it was that several of the largest, wealthiest families in the country shouldn't escape any form of tax because they used a clever combination of tax loopholes. There ought to be some alternative minimum calculation. What was designed to and did apply only to a handful of families in the 1970s, because it was never indexed for inflation, now is applying to millions of people. This cannot be left unchecked. If the AMT is not fixed, then all of the tax cuts that were given in the last several years will be completely wiped up and replaced with a very large middle-class tax increase. Now, the administration knows this is a problem that has to be dealt with, but it is very expensive to fix this problem. It is going to require that we deal, very frankly, with some of the different budget priorities that we haven't been willing to deal with. But by ignoring the impending AMT problem, by ignoring the ongoing costs of the war in Iraq, by narrowing the budget window that we are looking at from 10 years to 5 years, by engaging in these kinds of smoke and mirrors, by taking certain costs off the books, we can present to the country a budget picture which is not reflective of reality. It doesn't show what dire fiscal straits we are really in. It is one of the reasons why I am so grateful for the work you are doing, Mr. Ross, to point out to the country just how bad it has got in terms of our fiscal picture to promote the Blue Dog's 12-point plan, part of which is very simple, that is, when you are in a hole the way we are, stop digging. That is part of our PAYGO proposal that says that we want to stop the hemorrhaging, that when we agree to new spending on this House floor, we should find a way to offset that cost so that we do it in a revenue- neutral way. When we agree on new tax cuts, we should find a way to do that in a revenue-neutral way, either by cutting spending or raising revenues somewhere else. PAYGO, pay-as-you-go, basically says there is no free lunch, and, indeed, there isn't, as you can see by the fact that every man, woman and child in this country now owes $28,000. From 2001 to 2003, just a couple-year period, the total government spending soared by 16 percent. We are trying to put a lid on those kinds of increases. We are trying to urge that the Federal Government simply use accounting practices that the biggest and the best firms in the country have to use. The GAO did a study that showed that 16 of 23 major Federal agencies can't do a simple audit of their own books. Can you imagine, Mr. Ross, if one of the companies back in your district or mine did their accounting, if they were a public company, they did their accounting the way that the Federal Government does, how long it would be before they were indicted before a Federal grand jury? It wouldn't be long at all. Now, why is it that we can require transparency and accountability and honest bookkeeping among our private firms in the interests of their shareholders, in the interests of their employees, but we don't seem to require it of the country itself? We haven't set aside funds for a rainy day. It is something that most businesses do, it is something that most families do, so that when these tragedies occur, when we have natural disasters, when we have man-made disasters, we have some reserve to go back to. It makes infinite sense. The economy is a cyclical phenomenon. We ought to have something stored away for a rainy day for when we are in a down part of the cycle. That is only prudent planning. That is part of the Blue Dog plan. We shouldn't hide the votes on this House floor when we are going to raise the debt. Most Americans are unaware of the fact that the national debt is a little bit like a credit card debt. When we want to raise the national debt, that is when we want to authorize the administration to borrow more money. We have to vote to authorize it the same away that when people want to borrow more on their credit card they have to contact the credit card company and ask them to raise the limit. How do we do that around here? Well, do we have an up or down vote where we can force people to go on the record and vote either to raise the national debt or against raising the national debt? No, we do more of that smoke and mirrors. We make it a procedural vote on top of a procedural vote on top of a procedural vote. Unless you are a sleuth, there is no way to find out that we have, in fact, voted to raise the debt on all Americans. We shouldn't hide those votes. We should be open about those votes. We should be held accountable for those votes; and maybe, maybe, if each and every Member had to come to this House floor and defend a vote to raise the debt, we could compel the adoption of sound fiscal practices like pay-as-you-go. I would love to see that. I would love to be able to join my Blue Dog colleagues and offer an amendment to a motion to raise the national debt that says, all right, we will agree to a short-term increase in the national debt provided that we adopt pay-as-you-go rules, provided that we come back here in a short period of time, we see what action the administration, the Congress are taking, that we don't raise the national debt by great leaps and bounds that let us off the hook for a year at a time, but, rather, give us only a short leash to get our fiscal house in order to show that we are diligently working on it. These are some of the reforms the Blue Dogs are advocating. They were good public policy. They would enjoy, I believe, bipartisan support if we had the chance to actually vote on these proposals. And I want to compliment my colleague for all of his leadership on this issue.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, last Saturday, March 25th, the people of Greece celebrated the 185th anniversary of their independence from the Ottoman Empire. As the brilliant Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote in the preface to Hellas in 1821, ``We are all Greeks. Our laws, our literature, our religion, our arts, have their root in Greece.'' Nowhere is this more true than in America, a country crafted to embody the vision and ideals of the ancient Greeks, and home to more than three million citizens of Greek decent. The building in which we now stand, along with many prominent structures in our Nation's Capital, draws heavily on the architecture of ancient Greece, and is a fitting tribute to the civilization that provided the model for our own democratic experiment. America's founders were deeply inspired by the heroic individualism of Homer's epic poetry, the search for truth embodied by Socrates, and the passion for justice that guided Greek political theory. The American Revolution was driven by the Greek idea that the authority to govern derives directly from the people, and this successful assertion of autonomy in turn inspired Greece to declare its independence on March 25, 1821, after nearly 400 years of rule by the Ottomans. Weeks later, the Messinian Congress sent a letter to then Secretary of State John Quincy Adams asking for moral support, asserting: ``Your virtues, Americans, are close to ours, although a broad sea separates us.'' In response, stirring speeches by President James Monroe and Daniel Webster led the Congress to send funds and supplies to aid the Greeks and motivated many Americans to fight alongside the Greeks in their struggle for freedom. Today, history, mutual respect, and shared values continue to strengthen the alliance between Greece and the United States. After fighting side-by-side in every major war of the 20th century, we are now united in the war against terror that poses a threat to liberty and justice everywhere. Together we have stood up to the forces of oppression in conflicts from World War II to the Persian Gulf, we have joined as strategic partners in NATO, and are working to build peace, stability, and democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq. Unfortunately, not all Greeks are celebrating their independence this week. In one of the most militarized regions in the world, members of the Greek Cypriot community continue to live under conditions of oppression, harassment, and deprivation imposed by some 35,000 Turkish soldiers. I am disturbed that Turkey continues to defy the international community and the U.N. resolutions with its policies towards Cyprus. If a solution to Cyprus can be finalized it would reshape the eastern Mediterranean and could lead to an improvement in relations between Greece and Turkey. I am saddened by the persistence of tensions between these two neighbors, both of which are strong friends of the United States and vital partners in NATO and the war on terror. I hope that a negotiated agreement will soon be reached, so that Greeks everywhere can realize the inherently human desire for freedom. I also support the reunification of the remains of one of the most magnificent and best-known monuments in the world: the Parthenon. I welcome the announcement last month that the British and Greek governments have engaged the Director General of UNESCO to lead a cooperative approach to resolving the issue of the Parthenon Marbles. I congratulate both parties for the shift in focus from contentious restitution to cooperative reunification and look forward to the opening of the New Acropolis Museum, where all the Sculptures will be displayed as close to their original position as possible. The United States' kinship with the Greek people was reflected in the enthusiasm with which America embraced modern Greece's fight for independence 179 years ago. Similarly, the American ideal of freedom has drawn generations of Greek men and women to America's shores. Today we celebrate and give thanks for the contributions Greek Americans and their devotion to family, faith, community, and country that has enriched our Nation. Through decades of challenge and change, the shared admiration, cooperation, and friendship between Greece and the United States has endured and deepened, and together we have proved the fundamental truth of the Greek proverb, ``The passion for freedom never dies.'' Today we reaffirm that sentiment and our commitment to promoting liberty, democracy, and justice in America, in Greece, and around the world. Mr. Speaker, it is with great joy and admiration that I wish the people of Greece a happy Independence Day and continued freedom and prosperity.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the ``Federal Judicial Fairness Act of 2006''--bipartIsan legislation to correct the current inequity in our compensation system for federal judges. I am pleased that Representative Judy Biggert has joined me in this effort, as we both serve as Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on the Judicial Branch. Mr. Speaker, the federal judiciary is an integral part of our democracy, providing an important check to the other branches and protecting the rights of the American people. However, if certain steps are not taken, we risk compromising the quality of our judiciary. The salary of federal judges has decreased by almost 40 percent since 1969 compared with the private sector. Consequently, judges have been leaving the federal bench in increasing numbers, many before reaching retirement age, and a large proportion leaving to work for private law firms. Members of Congress, for a variety of reasons, have determined that it would not be appropriate to give themselves pay raises on an annual basis. Since judicial salary increases for justices and judges are linked with the salaries of Members of Congress, federal judges have also been denied a cost-of-living adjustment in the 5 of the last 13 years that Congress voted to deny themselves one. Several reports over the last few years have specifically recommended that salary adjustments for Members and judicial officials be determined separately. In 2003, a report by the National Commission on the Public Service (the Volcker Commission), cited ``the compelling need to recruit and retain the best people possible'' to serve on the federal judiciary and urged Congress to move on ``an immediate and substantial increase in judicial salaries,'' since ``the lag in judicial salaries has gone on too long, and the potential for the diminished quality in American jurisprudence is now too large.'' The late Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, William Rehnquist, also frequently stated that inadequate compensation seriously compromises the judicial independence fostered by life tenure and risks affecting judicial performance. His views were recently echoed by new Chief Justice Roberts in his Year-End Report where he stated the following: ``There will always be a substantial difference in pay between successful government and private sector lawyers. But if that difference remains too large--as it is today--the judiciary will over time cease to be made up of a diverse group of the Nation's very best lawyers. Instead, it will come to be staffed by a combination of the independently wealthy and those following a career path before becoming a judge different from the practicing bar at large. Such a development would dramatically alter the nature of the federal judiciary.'' The ``Federal Judicial Fairness Act of 2006'' will address this issue and restore equity. Specifically, the bill provides for the following: 1. Termination of Linkage to Congressional Pay--the bill terminates the linkage of congressional pay increase to judicial pay increases, so that Congress's decision to deny itself pay raises will not also place that burden on Federal judges. 2. Partial Catch-Up Increase in Judicial Compensation--the bill increases the salaries of all Federal judges by 16.5 percent, to partially make up for the decline in real pay for judges over the last three decades. In 2003, both President Bush and the late Chief Justice Rehnquist agreed that a pay adjustment of at least 16.5 percent was needed. 3. Annual Cost-of-Living Adjustments--the bill would provide Federal judges with annual cost-of-living adjustments based on the Employee Cost Index, the index already used by the Federal Government to keep Federal salaries in line with inflation. This important legislation has been introduced in the Senate by Senators Feinstein, Leahy, and Kerry. Mr. Speaker, if Congress does not provide reasonable compensation adjustments nor address the growing pay disparity between judges and other members of the legal profession, the quality of our judiciary will be compromised.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Amedee Richards, Jr., a treasured member of the South Pasadena community who died Thursday at the age of 84. He was a great man who served for many years as mayor, councilman, and as a small business owner, and he will long be remembered for his influential leadership and the preservation of South Pasadena. Dick Richards was one of the first people I sought out years ago to get his advice on issues important to the city. He and I shared a background in law enforcement. He was an FBI agent, and I was a Federal prosecutor and we instantly hit it off. Over the years, I continued to turn to him and always valued his thoughtful counsel. He led many communities endeavors, founding the South Pasadena Relay For Life, serving as President of the Mission West Association, and later, as a founding member of the New South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce. With his wife, Clara, he also opened Family Fair, a gift and candy store, as well as Buster's Ice Cream and Coffee Shop, which both immediately became South Pasadena landmarks. He also helped to start the weekly Farmers' Market in the Mission West District. I want to express my sincere condolences to the entire family. Sadly, that tremendous family lost another member in the last few days. Dick's eldest son, Amedee III, passed away on Monday morning. My heart goes out to the entire Richards family, Dick's wife, Clara, two sons, six daughters and 15 grandchildren. Dick called South Pasadena a kind of oasis. In this time of immense grief, I hope our community is comforted in knowing that Dick's legacy as a devoted public servant will live on in the vibrant oasis that he helped to create in South Pasadena. I rise today to honor Amedee ``Dick'' Richards Jr., a treasured member of the South Pasadena community, who died Thursday at the age of 84. He was a great man who served for many years--as mayor, councilman, and as a small business owner--and will long be remembered for his influential leadership in the preservation of South Pasadena. Dick Richards was one of the first people I sought out years ago for advice on issues important to the city. He and I shared a background in law enforcement (he was an FBI agent, and I was a federal prosecutor) and we instantly hit it off. Over the years, I continued to turn to him and always valued his thoughtful counsel. His work, his family, and indeed his life are tremendous examples of what makes South Pasadena such a strong community. He led many community endeavors, founding the South Pasadena Relay for Life (an annual fundraiser for the American Cancer Society), serving as President of the Mission West Association, and later as a founding member of the New South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce. With his wife Clara, he also opened Family Fair, a gift and candy store, as well as Buster's Ice Cream and Coffee Shop, which both immediately became instant South Pasadena landmarks. He also helped to start the weekly Farmers' Market in the Mission West District in 1999. Dick was a man respected and admired by his colleagues and peers. Serving on the South Pasadena City Council from 1989 to 1997, he was admired for both his integrity and courage, always voting his conscience. Dick called South Pasadena a ``kind of an oasis'' and sought to preserve the small town characteristics that made it unique. Those who worked with him considered themselves fortunate, and as current Mayor Odom Stamps has acknowledged, Dick has ``huge shoes that no one person will even remotely fill.'' He was born in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1922 and graduated from Boston University in 1943. He then entered the Naval Reserve, serving during World War II in the Pacific theater as an ensign on a mine- sweeper. After WWII, he joined the FBI working specifically on Mafia cases and investigating the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. He retired from the FBI in 1977, founding Family Fair that same year. I want to express my sincere condolences to his entire family. And sadly, this tremendous family lost another member in the last few days. Dick's eldest son, Amedee III, passed away on Monday morning. My heart goes out to the entire Richards family, Dick's wife Clara, 2 sons, 6 daughters, and 15 grandchildren. In this time of immense grief, I hope that our community is comforted in knowing that Dick's legacy as a devoted public servant will live on in the vibrant ``oasis'' that he created in South Pasadena.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, last week was one of extraordinary triumph for the Nation's space program. On Thursday, NASA announced that the Cassini spacecraft may have found evidence of liquid water reservoirs that erupt in Yellowstone-Like geysers on Saturn's moon Enceladus. This stunning announcement was followed the next day by the successful orbital insertion of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter around the Red Planet. I stand before the House today to celebrate these incredible technological achievements and wondrous scientific discoveries, but most of all, to honor those who made it possible, the men and women of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. JPL, which is managed for NASA by the California Institute of Technology, has designed, built and controlled many of America's most successful unmanned space craft. JPL has pioneered our exploration of space from Explorer 1, America's first satellite, to Ranger and Surveyor craft that paved the way for Apollo to the Voyager spacecraft that explore the outer planets and are still continuing to send back data even as they leave our solar system. JPL missions have increased our comprehension beyond anything even contemplated half a century ago. Every American space probe that has visited another body our solar system was managed by JPL. Through the wonders of technology, we have circled Jupiter with Galileo, sampled a comet with Stardust and rolled across the surface of Mars with spirit and opportunity. Cassini, which has been orbiting Saturn for just over 18 months, has transmitted stunning photographs and invaluable data on Saturn and its moons, while the Mar's Reconnaissance Orbiter, which will begin its science mission later this year, is expected to transmit more information about Mars than all of our previous Mars missions combined. JPL's spectacular missions have not only brought us incalculable scientific data; they have also sustained American's interest in space flight, especially the Mars missions. Now, as NASA prepares to accelerate the development of the Crew Exploration Vehicle and moves forward with plans to return humans to the Moon, the space agency and Congress must take care to continue to provide adequate resources to support the robotic exploration of space that is JPL's specialty. Over the past months, NASA has worked to put into place a comprehensive program aimed at realizing the President's goal of landing an American on Mars. This is an ambitious and worthy goal, but the technological and physiological challenges, not to mention the cost, mean that it may be decades before an American walks on the Martian surface. In the interim, we can continue to explore the Red Planet and our neighbors with relatively inexpensive probes that are better equipped than humans to survive the extreme hardship of long-duration space travel. Madam Speaker, as we consider the future of our space program, I urge NASA and my colleagues not to deprive JPL, one of the crown jewels of American science and technology, of adequate resources. The Mars program is one of the centerpieces of JPL's focus and the lab has several exciting missions planned for the next couple decades. But even as JPL unlocks the secrets of our planetary neighbors, it is poised to begin an ambitious search for habitable worlds around the stars, a search that will help to answer one of humankind's oldest questions: Are we alone in the universe? SIM PlanetQuest scheduled for launch in the middle of the next decade will precisely determine the distances to stars throughout our galaxy and will probe nearby stars for Earth-sized planets. SIM will open a window to a new world of discoveries. The Mars program and SIM PlanetQuest are ambitious and resource- intensive missions with long lead times. JPL has also been a leading NASA center for the Explorer that in the past has offered opportunities to carry out small and medium-sized missions that can be developed and launched in a short timeframe. The Explorer program engages academia, industry, NASA centers and government labs in strong partnerships that provide young engineers, scientists, and managers the opportunity to develop and gain valuable experience on missions from inception to launch. Unfortunately, as a result of budget cuts over the last few years, this important program is quietly being phased out. But I believe that we must consider the significant and damaging effect this will have on NASA's scientific and technological program. I am especially concerned about the recent decision to terminate the NuSTAR mission before its interim confirmation review. This action will have permanent damaging consequences as it is causing the scientific community as well as industry to question the reliability of NASA as a partner and the wisdom of investing internal resources in the proposal development process. The termination calls NASA's commitment to the peer review selection process into serious question and illustrates, in my view, a lack of appreciation of the serious investment made by the team at NASA to date. While I understand that NASA is facing difficult budgetary decisions, the priorities must be set, it would be a severe blow to NASA science to allow such a low-cost, productive, and unique program like Explorers to be so severely cut. In particular the unprecedented action taken with NuSTAR will have lasting consequences for all future competed missions. Madam Speaker, the decisions we make this year will have profound implications for the future of America's space program. Even as we celebrate JPL's most recent successes, I urge NASA and my colleagues to work to ensure JPL's leadership in exploring our solar system and the Universe beyond.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Sandra E. Thomas, of Altadena, California. Each year in March, in recognition of Women's History Month, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our Nation's women. Dr. Sandra E. Thomas is a powerful and fearless leader whose personal service motto is ``Brighter Hope, With a New Vision.'' Highly visible in the community as a civil rights advocate, she has a way of saying what must be said without offending those around her--she always has a smile and a kind word for all who pass her way. Born in Kansas City, Kansas, Dr. Thomas received her Bachelor of Arts and a Masters Degree from the University of Kansas and her Ph.D from Columbia University. After retiring as an engineer at Pacific Bell-SBC, she began a pilot program geared to attracting at-risk high school students to the field of engineering. For 28 years, Sandra served as a youth counselor at the Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church, where her husband, Reverend A.D. Thomas, is Pastor Emeritus. She is currently an instructor and consultant for young adults. A foster mom for over 2 decades, Sandra was named ``Outstanding Mother of the Year'' at Altadena Elementary School in 1977 and Pasadena High School's ``Mother of the Year'' in 1979. Dr. Thomas, a Life Member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), has been affiliated with the organization for 55 years, and serves simultaneously at all levels of the NAACP organization. She is currently an NAACP National Trainer, a Regional Officer, a California State Director and the President of the Altadena Branch of the NAACP, where she has been successful in implementing many positive changes in the Altadena-Pasadena community. In addition to her NAACP activities, Sandra is an Altadena Town Council member, the founder and CEO of the ``Quality of Life Community Center,'' Chairperson of the Pasadena/Altadena African-American Leaders Community Coalition, a member of the Pasadena Junior League, the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, Leadership Pasadena, the Pasadena Unified School District Non-Violence Team, and the Altadena Community Center Board of Directors. Dr. Thomas and her husband, long-time Altadena residents, have 3 children, Michael, Vincent, Rosalyn and 6 grandchildren. I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring an extraordinary woman of California's 29th Congressional District, Dr. Sandra E. Thomas.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Helen Hancock, of Alhambra, California. Each year in March, in recognition of Women's History Month, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our nation's women. Helen Hancock was born in Indiana in 1922. She attended Nursing School at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio as well as Redlands University in California. After completing her schooling, she served 2 years in the Army Nurse Corps during World War II. Ms. Hancock moved to California in 1953 and began working at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena. In 1959, she moved to Alhambra, California. Less than a year after her retirement in 1988 from a 35-year career in nursing administration at Huntington Hospital, and 8 years as a Member of the State Board of Registered Nursing, Helen Hancock plunged into community volunteer work. Since then she has used her extensive nursing and administrative knowledge and skills to make a significant difference in the health and well being of countless seniors and their families. As a senior herself, Ms. Hancock desired to help other senior citizens enjoy their retirement years and began volunteering at Huntington Senior Care Network (HSCN); a Huntington Hospital community- based program that helps seniors maintain their independence. Her interview skills have added to the success of a National Council on Aging project of HSCN to enhance the health of frail seniors through increased physical activity. Helen has been a tireless advocate for seniors as a long-term care ombudsman for the Department of Aging for nearly 15 years. For nearly 25 years, she has been a resource for caregivers of Alzheimer's patients at a weekly support group, and she continues to promote Alzheimer's disease education, as well as senior services and elder abuse education, through membership in several community coalitions. Helen is a faith community nurse coordinator for All Souls Catholic Church, as part of a program sponsored by Methodist Hospital of Southern California and All Souls Catholic Church, to improve the health of the community. She and her team conduct events that include blood pressure screenings, blood donor drives and health education presentations to reach members of their parish. Last year, Helen was among 26 older adults honored as Outstanding California Senior Volunteer leaders by the University of California Berkeley School of Public Health. I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring a remarkable woman of California's 29th Congressional District, Helen Hancock.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Ms. Pat Maguire Freeman, of San Gabriel, California. Each year in March, in recognition of Women's History Month, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our nation's women. Pat was born in San Francisco in 1940. Since her father was a career army officer, she was raised throughout the world, including the Philippines and Germany, where she attended high school. After attending the University of California Berkeley, she married Lee Freeman in 1961 and they moved to San Gabriel in 1965, where they currently reside. The Freemans have 3 children, Noel, Amber, Roger, and Dawn Myers, their foster daughter and seven grandchildren. Ms. Freeman has been active in many different community organizations. Some past activities include being an Adult Leader for Methodist Youth Fellowship, a Camp Commissioner for Methodist Camp Sturtevant, and a Brownie and Girl Scout Leader. Formerly active in several Parent Teacher Associations, PTAs, for the San Gabriel Unified School District, SGUSD, she has received SGUSD's Golden Apple Award and 3 PTA awards over the years. Pat was a Leader and Steering Committee Member of 4 separate successful School Bond Measures for SGUSD in 1993, 1994, 1998 and 2002. A member since 1996, Ms. Freeman is currently President of the San Gabriel Educational Foundation, and serves on the School Site Council for Del Mar High School. She is a San Gabriel Valley Medical Center volunteer, a member of the center's Foundation Board and Coordinator of the center's Helping Hands volunteer group. In addition, Pat serves on the San Gabriel Community Coordinating Council, leads their Holiday Basket Committee, and has held various officer positions over the years. She is a member of the San Gabriel Rotary Club, and the Women's Division of the San Gabriel Chamber of Commerce, where she received the Women's Division of the San Gabriel Chamber of Commerce's Woman of the Year Award in 1989. I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring a remarkable woman of California's 29th Congressional District, Pat Maguire Freeman.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Nancy Donahue, of Temple City, California. Each year in March, in recognition of Women's History Month, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our Nation's women. Nancy is a native Californian, born in Alhambra. She moved to Temple City with her parents when she was just 6 months old. Nancy graduated from Temple City High School where she was a majorette, song girl, Girls League President, and winner of the Daughters of the American Revolution Award for Outstanding Senior. After attending Brigham Young University, she returned to Temple City where she and her husband, Terry, have lived for over 40 years. They have one daughter, Tracy, and two grandchildren, Kody and Haylee. Ms. Donahue had a successful 22-year career in banking, working at First Western Bank & Lloyds Bank, California. After health concerns determined that she take a different path, she became a ``full-time volunteer'' at Methodist Hospital of Southern California in 1986. Nancy has been incredibly active with her volunteer work at Methodist Hospital, where she has given over 10,000 hours in service over a 20- year period. She has served on the Auxiliary Board for over 10 years, four times as the Board President, and as an ex-officio member of the Foundation Board. She acts as coordinator of the Methodist Hospital archives, correlating artifacts collected for over 100 years and works in the hospital gift shop twice a week. Nancy has been involved in the annual Holiday Homes Tour at Methodist Hospital, chairing many committees and continuing to help with fundraising efforts. In addition to her commitments at the hospital, Ms. Donahue is an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Huntington Ward, Pasadena Stake and is currently serving as Ward Librarian. Other volunteer activities include the March of Dimes, American Heart Association, Diabetes Association and the American Red Cross. Nancy is past President of Arcadia-Monrovia and Temple City Soroptimist International and a charter member of Arcadia P.E.O. Chapter XL. I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring an outstanding woman of California's 29th Congressional District, Nancy Donahue.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Seta Simonian, of Glendale, California. Each year In March, in recognition of Women's History Month, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our nation's women. Ms. Simonian's community involvement demonstrates her devotion to education and art, because she believes in promoting and preserving the treasures and the beauty of Armenian culture and heritage. Seta was born in Aleppo, Syria, and at age 11 moved to Beirut, Lebanon. Upon graduating from the American University of Beirut at the age of 22, she married Hratch Simonian. The Simonians lived and worked in Saudi Arabia for 8 years, then moved to California in 1985. Since 1987, Seta, her husband, and their two children, Karin and Sebouh, have resided in Glendale, California. Soon after moving to California, Ms. Simonian cofounded and chaired the Hamazkayin Educational and Cultural Society of Pasadena. She is a current member of Arvest and Artee Cultural Groups of Hamazkayin, and since 1994, has been the chair of the Hamazkayin Music Committee which collaborates with artists in Armenia and releases authentic CDs and classical Armenian music. She is currently an assistant for the Hamazkayin Student Forum held in Armenia every summer. Seta served as an Anchor for Horizon Armenian TV in Glendale for three years. A cofounder of the Committee of Armenian Students in the Public Schools, she is also a member of the Armenian Cultural Foundation, Armenian Educational Foundation, Armenian International Women's Association, the National Education Association, and the California and Glendale Teachers' Associations. Seta received her bachelor's degree in mathematics from the American University of Beirut, and a master's in education administration from California State University Los Angeles. She has a teaching diploma, a bilingual teaching certificate, and has completed an Armenian Studies program. A wonderful role model for her students, Seta has been a teacher for over 30 years and is currently teaching math at Wilson Middle School in Glendale. I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring an outstanding woman of California's 29th Congressional District, Seta Simonian.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Betty Wang, of South Pasadena, California. Each year in March, in recognition of Women's History Month, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our Nation's women. Betty Wang was born in China in 1947 and moved to Taiwan with her family in 1948. She came to the United States in 1969 in order to pursue higher education at the University of Illinois. Upon graduation she and her husband, Eddie Wang, worked in Chicago for a few years, and then moved to South Pasadena in 1978. After working briefly for a major insurance brokerage firm handling risk management for corporate clients, Betty retired in 1978 to take care of her son, Timothy. This also marked the beginning of her career as a ``professional volunteer.'' Betty has been involved in various community activities over the years. She began by assisting teachers in the South Pasadena Unified School District classrooms; then became involved in the Marengo Elementary School Parent Teacher Association where she volunteered in sports activities such as soccer, baseball, basketball, swimming and water polo. She was also involved with the parent organizations at Polytechnic School and was a Den Mother for the Boy Scouts of America. In addition, Ms. Wang is a long-term member of Mandarin Baptist Church in Alhambra. Ms. Wang has been active in the South Pasadena Chinese American Club for many years, as a board member since 1989 and President in 1992. Much of the South Pasadena Chinese American Club's efforts go toward helping the South Pasadena Unified School District. She served on the Board of the Friends of South Pasadena Public Library for the past 6 years and was the President during her last year. She has continued her volunteer service to the library by serving on the Community Facilities Task Force. Betty was involved in South Pasadena's City Streetscape Committee during the Gold Line Station construction. Her latest volunteer effort is to serve on the President's Council for the Chinese Garden at the Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens, where she is helping to raise funds for the construction of one of the most beautiful and unique botanical projects at the Huntington Library.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Beth Marcus, of Burbank, California. Each year in March, in recognition of Women's History Month, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our nation's women. Dr. Marcus is a family physician in La Canada Flintridge, where she has practiced for over 10 years on the medical staffs of both Verdugo Hills Hospital and Glendale Adventist Medical Center. After completing her Family Medicine residency, she went on to complete a Fellowship in Adolescent Medicine, where she worked with adolescents struggling with poverty, family estrangement, drug abuse, homelessness and other issues. Her patients cross the lifespan from infants to geriatric patients. Knowing that excellent medical care means going far beyond a diagnosis and a prescription, she has a remarkable capacity to bring compassion and empathy into the care she provides. She is an active advocate for patients, educating them and assisting them in obtaining social services and other sources of support to help them navigate the challenges of illness. Beth is a member of the California Academy of Family Medicine, was the Secretary/Treasurer of the Los Angeles Chapter from 1995-2000 and a delegate to the house of delegates during those years. She is a member of the American Medical Women's Association and the Society of Adolescent Medicine. For several years she was a volunteer at the University of Southern California teaching a course titled Introduction to Clinical Medicine. As Burbank Temple Emanu El's social action chair, Dr. Marcus has coordinated various campaigns for helping others in the Burbank, Glendale, North Hollywood area. She has arranged blood drives, collected shoes and clothing for impoverished children, gathered donations for tsunami victims and hurricane victims, filled backpacks with school supplies, assembled items for homeless women, and made sandwiches for the hungry. In addition, she volunteers in fundraising efforts for the Parent Teacher Association at Emerson Elementary School in Burbank, and is planning to implement a nutrition program at the school called Food is Elementary. In addition to her professional and civic involvement, Beth is busy as a wife and mother, raising 2 twin boys, Adin and Jonah. She and her husband of 11 years, Dr. Jeff Ring, reside in Burbank. I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring an outstanding woman of California's 29th Congressional District, Dr. Beth Marcus.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Sharon Martinez, of Monterey Park, CA. Each year in March, in recognition of Women's History Month, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our Nation's women. Sharon was born, raised, and educated in Monterey Park. She received her bachelor's degree in public administration from the University of Southern California, and her master's degree in public administration in management from the University of Southern California. Inspired to help residents find jobs in the community, Ms. Martinez founded SMART Staffing Services, a woman and minority owned employment agency that specializes in clerical, bilingual and promotional staffing, originally opened in Monterey Park and now located in Alhambra. SMART Staffing Services, of which Sharon is president, now serves the greater Los Angeles area including Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura. Sharon's list of community involvement is impressive. A current councilmember and former mayor of Monterey Park, her past activities include serving as a board member of the Latin Business Association, West San Gabriel Valley YMCA, Monterey Park Art & Culture Commission, Library Board, national vice president of Young Adults of the League of the United Latin American Citizens, and former secretary of Hispanas Organized for Political Equality. An appointed member of the Los Angeles County Commission on Local Government, Sharon is currently involved in the Monterey Park/Rosemead Soroptimist International, Monterey Park Rotary, San Gabriel Valley Council of Government, Monterey Park Library Foundation, the San Gabriel Valley Animal Control Authority, Boy Scouts of America--Mission Amigos District Board, Monterey Park Chamber of Commerce, and the Monterey Park Hospital Board. Sharon's goal is to have a direct voice in improving the quality of life for our community and especially to see improvements in the employment industry. Ms. Martinez has received several awards including Assembly Member Judy Chu's 2003 Latina Business Women of the Year, Business and Professional Women's 2003 Business Woman of the Year Award, ``Woman of Promise'' Award, and ``Latina Entrepreneur of the Year'' Award. She was featured in the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of the ``20 Up & Coming Latino Women.'' I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring an extraordinary woman of Calfornia's 29th Congressional District, Sharon Martinez.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Angelita ``Angie'' Mont O'Brien, of Pasadena, CA. Each year in March, in recognition of Women's History Month, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our Nation's women. Born in Los Angeles, where her parents had emigrated from Spain, Angie attended Los Angeles and Pasadena public schools. She received a bachelor of arts from the University of California Los Angeles in 1953, a master's degree from California State University Los Angeles in 1963, and a California Elementary Teaching Credential. Angie taught in the Pasadena Unified School District, PUSD, for over 40 years. During her long career, she was an elementary school teacher, a guidance counselor, a Curriculum Resource teacher and an Opportunity Room counselor. A founding member of PUSD's Adopt-A-School District Advisory Committee, she initiated and implemented the Tutoring and Homework Assistance Program for PUSD and served on many PUSD committees. When Ms. O'Brien volunteers for an organization, she jumps in wholeheartedly, whether it's chairing a fundraising dinner, designing invitations, developing long-term plans, or helping to oversee a school bond measure. Her list of community involvement is impressive. Past activities include serving as president of the Pasadena Parent Teacher Association, PTA, Council Board of Directors, vice president of Glenn's Hope, a Pasadena Foothill Valley YWCA board member and Altadena Christian Children's Center board member. She was a Pasadena city commissioner on the Commission on the Status of Women and the Human Services Commission. Some of the current organizations she serves include as a board member of Child Care Information Services, Pasadena City College Measure ``P'' Bond Oversight Committee, Women at Work, Pasadena Beautiful, Friends of the Commission on the Status of Women, Pasadena Planned Parenthood, and Delta Kappa Gamma. Angie is the vice president of the San Rafael Library Associates and the president of the Rose Bowl Bruins Board of Directors. Angie has received many awards over the years for her service to the community, including four from the Pasadena PTA, the 1985 Pasadena Council of Women's Clubs Volunteer of the Year Award and the Pasadena YWCA Second Century Award in 1985. I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring an extraordinary woman of California's 29th Congressional District, Angelita ``Angie'' Mont O'Brien.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Foothill Family Service of Pasadena, California. During the month of March, 2006, Foothill Family Service will be celebrating its 80th Anniversary. Believing that strong communities begin with healthy families, the mission of Foothill Family Service is to strengthen and support adults, children and families so that they can lead productive lives. Foothill Family Service is committed to the prevention and treatment of child abuse, domestic violence, school failure, teen pregnancy and school violence. Foothill Family Service offers a plethora of mental health and social service programs to residents of the San Gabriel Valley, Pomona Valley, Glendale and Burbank communities. Some of the programs offered are Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment, Mental Health Treatment, Family Violence Prevention, Teen Pregnancy Prevention, Dual Diagnosing Services, Counseling, and Senior Services. ESTEEM School-Based Services is a program that provides on-site counseling and mental health services at schools in the San Gabriel Valley and in Glendale. The organization has widespread support throughout the community with many volunteers that donate thousands of hours. Last year, Foothill Family Service assisted more than 20,000 children, adults, and families, most of whom receive subsidized services and have a monthly net income of under $1 ,000. Services are provided in many languages, including English, Spanish, Armenian, Korean, Farsi, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Japanese. I am proud to recognize Foothill Family Service upon its 80th Anniversary and I ask all Members to join me in congratulating this invaluable organization for their remarkable achievements.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Helen Mary Williams. Helen Mary passed away on Tuesday, January 10, 2006. She will be missed dearly by countless members of the community which she served so thoughtfully over the past 30 years. Helen Mary was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up during the Great Depression. She attended Coe College and graduated Cum Laude in 1942 with a Bachelor's degree in Speech. While in college, she volunteered for her local radio station, becoming one of the first women in Iowa to be on the radio. She went on to become Assistant Program Director at WIND in Gary, Indiana. Later, she moved back to Chicago where she was a writer and broadcaster for CBS. In the late 1950s, Mrs. Williams decided to become a teacher and she made her way to Pasadena, California. As a science teacher at Cleveland Elementary School, Mrs. Williams founded the Junior Audubon Science Club in 1959. The Club was dedicated to teaching inner-city youth about nature. With the help of community activists and involved parents, the science club expanded and was renamed Outward Bound Adventures (OBA) and incorporated as a nonprofit environmental educational youth organization. When asked about the beginnings of OBA, Mrs. Williams said, ``It was really laughable when we started doing these trips back in 1959 and 1960. None of the leaders had done much in the way of High Sierra trips, so we goofed a bit. But we also learned. And now we found out that kids are basically kids; by that I mean, they respond well to positive reinforcement both inside and outside the classroom.'' Mrs. Williams knew that OBA was exactly the type of program that every inner-city youth should have available to them, and by 1969, Mrs. Williams and OBA had served over 20,000 urban youth. Helen Mary Williams was a visionary. She had faith that people would believe in her vision; she had faith that every child could learn and improve academic and social skills by being exposed to the wonders of the great outdoors. Mrs. Williams served on the OBA Board of Directors until her death and received many awards throughout her career. The time and energy she gave to children and their parents was remarkable. Helen Mary leaves behind more than 30,000 youth and adults whose lives have been forever changed. I ask all Members of the United States House of Representatives to join me today in honoring the life of Helen Mary Williams.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Blinn House in Pasadena, California. This year, the Blinn House will celebrating its 100th Anniversary. Edmund Blinn, an Oak Park, Illinois native enjoyed Pasadena when visiting with his wife Kate and their four children. In 1905, the Blinns decided to leave Oak Park for the warm climate and beauty of Pasadena. They hired George W. Maher to design their California home in the Midwestern Prairie School Style in 1906. Maher designed the interior of the house using harmonious natural materials with a repeated theme of wisteria vines. In his design for the Blinn house, Maher used a segmental or broken-arch theme throughout the house. Tiffany inspired leaded-glass windows with a wisteria vine motif artfully border the broken-arch windows. At the turn of the last century a group of prestigious Chicago architects led the world in the advancement of new ideas in the design and construction of commercial buildings. Their work is better known as the Chicago School of Architecture. One of the architects, Louis Sullivan, embellished his building designs to incorporate simple repetitive patterns taken from nature. Young architects such as George W. Maher and Frank Lloyd Wright admired Sullivan's work, and while working in a community with other Midwestern architects founded the Prairie School of Architecture. The Prairie School architects created a uniquely American style of architecture which brought natural elements of the countryside to the cities. The Blinn House was designated a Pasadena Cultural Heritage Landmark in 1977. In 2001, it was placed on both the National Register of Historic Places and the California Register of Historical Resources. In 2002, the Blinn House Foundation was formed for the purpose of maintaining and preserving this Pasadena legacy. Home to the Women's City Club since 1945, the Blinn House continues to serve the Pasadena community as a meeting place for women's civic, cultural, and educational activities. I am proud to recognize the Blinn House upon its 100th Anniversary and I ask all Members to join me today in honoring this historic house.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of International Women's Day. More than 30 years ago, March 8 was designated by the United Nations as a day to reflect upon women's struggle for equality, justice, peace and development. In the decades since, International Women's Day has become a holiday in many countries around the world, and acts as an annual catalyst for the advancement of women. Throughout our history, the United States has been a leader in advancing women's rights and opportunity. While much work remains here and abroad, I join many of my colleagues and constituents in saluting the contributions of women around the world. Many of those contributions have been made through the recent election of women political leaders. Chile, Jamaica, Germany and Liberia have all elected women to head their governments in the past 6 months. Despite this encouraging trend, governments led by women remain an anomaly. Only 11 out of the more than 200 members of the United Nations have women leaders. Moreover, there remains persistent underrepresentation of women serving as legislators, parliamentarians, and government ministers. Globally, women hold only 16 percent of all seats, a disappointing increase of only 5 percent since 1975. The 109th U.S. Congress boasts 84 female Members, the highest number in our history, but women still make up only 6.4 percent of the membership of the House and Senate, well below the world's average. Development experts and advocates have long identified education as the key to improving women's well-being. More than 180 governments committed to achieving gender equality in education by 2005 as one of eight U.N. Millennium Development Goals, but we have a long way to go. In the developing world, 60 million girls aged 6 to 11 are not in school, which severely limits their political, physical, and social opportunities. In developed countries, an increasing number of women are pursuing higher education, but they have been unable to secure academic employment or research funding proportionate to their male colleagues. Policymakers have become increasingly concerned about a growing shortage of men on America's college campuses, but several important departments in our universities remain disproportionately the province of men, especially at the graduate level. The percentage of women earning advanced degrees in science or engineering is especially low. Only one in four master's degrees in these fast-growing fields is awarded to a woman. Even women who do earn Ph.D.s in computer science and engineering earn, on average, $9,000 less per year than men in similar positions. This income disparity is reflected throughout the workforce where women continue to face multiple impediments to their advancement. American women still earn an average of 25 percent less than their male colleagues, a wider wage gap than that in other developed countries, which affects women of all ages, races, and education levels. Unfortunately, the wage disparity is being narrowed at a rate of less than half a penny a year. In the 108th Congress, I was proud to cosponsor the Paycheck Fairness Act to combat gender-based wage discrimination by requiring that employees be educated about their rights, and permitting women to seek recourse under the Equal Pay Act. There are some positive trends. While less than one third of employers in the developing world are women, this percentage is growing, especially in the United States. Between 1997 and 2004, the number of American companies primarily owned by women grew by 23 percent, well above the 9 percent overall increase in U.S. businesses during this period. Here and abroad, though, women remain vulnerable to violence. I was proud to cosponsor the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2005, and I have been a longtime advocate of efforts to prevent and treat domestic violence, child abuse, dating violence, and sexual assault. I have consistently advocated for greater Federal funding for research and treatment programs for breast cancer, ovarian cancer, heart disease and postpartum depression. In acknowledging the challenges faced and overcome by women, I want to commend the sacrifices of America's brave women serving overseas, especially in Iraq. Women have served in every U.S. military conflict since the Revolution and have played an official role in the U.S. military for over 100 years. Today, women make up almost 15 percent of Active-Duty personnel. One in every seven U.S. soldiers in Iraq is a woman, and they are engaged in the conflict on a far greater scale than ever before, piloting helicopters, accompanying infantry on raids against insurgents, searching Iraqi women suspects for pistols and suicide belts. The contribution of American women has come at a high price. To date, 48 service women have been killed in Iraq and more than 300 have been wounded, but their service has inspired their compatriots on the front lines and here at home, as well as millions of women in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world, as symbols of women's courage and capacity. And today, we salute them and all women for their contributions.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act, and I was pleased that the House Judiciary Committee adopted two amendments that I offered and that they are part of the base bill. Street drug markets, such as open air drug dealing at the corner and at drug houses, are a serious public safety problem. Often located in poor, minority, and disadvantaged communities, they cause severe harm by easing initiation into drug use, supporting addiction, and by drawing youth into the drug trade. My first amendment, which is designated Sec. 14 of H.R. 2829, provided for demonstration programs by local partnerships to shut down illicit drug market hot-spots by deterring drug dealers or altering the dynamic of drug sales. This provision authorizes funding for demonstration programs that seek to coordinate an effective intervention using a credible, deterrent message. This would encourage criminal justice agencies to collaborate with researchers and social welfare agencies to analyze local conditions and develop strategic, problem-solving interventions. Such an approach was proven successful in High Point, NC. Upon identifying the drug market and its small group of active dealers, law enforcement carefully monitored and documented drug activity and probation/parole violations through surveillance and drug buys. Offenders with any violent criminal history were immediately arrested. Non-violent offenders, on the other hand, were confronted by law enforcement, city officials, service organizations and their families with a strong deterrent message. They were given a choice between facing immediate legal action or ceasing dealing and receiving rehabilitative services. Consequently, the drug market promptly collapsed with minimal police intervention or crime displacement. Within one year of implementation, the drug crime rate of High Point fell by 34% and the violent crime rate was cut in half. Sec. 14 of this bill authorizes $10 million for the next three years to fund demonstration programs supporting these interagency collaborations. The agencies would be responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of the strategic intervention, and the Director would be responsible for submitting to Congress a report identifying the best practices in drug market eradication. My second amendment, which is designated Sec. 15 of H.R. 2829, provided for demonstration programs by local partnerships to coerce abstinence in chronic hard-drug users under community supervision through the use of drug testing and sanctions. This provision authorizes funding for demonstration programs that seek to reduce the use of illicit drugs by chronic hard-drug users living in the community while under the supervision of the criminal justice system. Approximately 80 percent of the Nation's cocaine is consumed by a relatively small group of chronic users (approximately 4 million). Three-quarters of these users are under the supervision of the criminal justice system. By deterring these users, we would be able to reduce the nation's cocaine consumption by 60 percent--and these numbers are similar for other hard drugs, such as heroin and meth. Coerced abstinence is a highly effective means for targeting these users. This model is based on predictable, frequent drug testing and known, non-negotiable, immediate, graduated sanctions. For example, a system where a participant is tested every 72 hours and a dirty test led to an immediate, unpleasant sanction--for example, 8 hours in a jury box or 24 hours in jail. Participants are simultaneously offered incentives such as drug treatment or other rehabilitative services. An ongoing example of this model is being used in Hawaii, where substance abuse violations are common, with meth being the drug of choice. In October 2005, one year after the program began, program participants had an 83 percent reduction in positive test results (from 21.9% for control group to 3.8% for program participants) and an 87 percent reduction in missed appointments for testing (from 10% for control group to 1.3% for program participants). This level of effectiveness we cannot ignore. For this reason, Sec. 15 of H.R. 2829 authorizes $10 million for the next 3 years for demonstration programs that administer drug tests to individuals at least twice a week and swiftly impose a known set of graduated sanctions for non-compliance. The program must include a plan for monitoring the progress toward reducing the percentage of positive drugs and missed testing appointments, and the Director would be responsible for submitting to Congress a report identifying the best practices in reducing the use of illicit drugs by chronic hard-drug users. I commend the Office of National Drug Control Policy for publicly committing itself to the goal of reducing illegal drug use and abuse in the United States. However, I also call on the Director to increase the allocation of funds dedicated for treatment and demand reduction efforts, which have shown to be very successful in reducing drug use. To achieve this national drug control policy that efficiently reduces drug use and abuse in the United States, we need strategies that are as smart as they are tough. This requires that we remain open to evidence- based programs and respond with innovation. I commend ONDCP for the progress it has made, ask that the Director consider these recommendations and will support this legislation, H.R. 2829, to the reauthorize the Office.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1259, a resolution to honor the Tuskegee Airmen. I would also like to express my appreciation for their heroism and bravery. These men deserve the Nation's highest honor for their courage and patriotism. In July 1941, 13 young Americans began military flight training at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Tuskegee, AL. Five of those 13 young men completed training and received their Army Air Corps silver pilot wings, becoming our Nation's first African-American military fighter pilots. They would later be known as the Tuskegee Airmen. Between 1941 and 1946, 1992 pilots graduated at Tuskegee Army Air Field, with 450 of those serving during World War II in either the famed 99th Fighter Squadron or the 332nd Fighter Group. Both units, heralded for their bravery and tenacity, received more than one Presidential Unit Citation for exemplary tactical air support and aerial combat. The group also felt the price of war, losing 150 pilots while in training or on combat flights. It has been said that the Tuskegee Airmen faced two wars--one against a military force overseas and the other against racism and bigotry at home and abroad. Yet, in the face of these challenges, they accepted their country's call to service and fought heroically in great battles for freedom. I am honored to represent 3 of these courageous individuals: Mr. O. Oliver Goodall of Altadena, CA; Mr. Andrew Jack Simon of South Pasadena, CA; and Mr. LeRoy Criss of Pasadena, CA. They received their training and joined the ranks of Tuskegee Airmen in 1942 and 1943. Today, I honor Mr. Goodall, Mr. Simon, Mr. Criss, and all other Tuskegee Airmen who served our country with valor and distinction.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a cosponsor of this resolution. Iran's resumption of nuclear activities and its non- compliance with international commitments must be met by a united Congress and a united international community. For almost 3 years, the United States, the European Union, Russia, the IAEA and other parties have been working to negotiate an end to those parts of Iran's nuclear program that could allow it to produce nuclear weapons. Iran has continued to mislead the international community about its efforts. It has alternated diplomatic overtures with clandestine activity on its nuclear program. In June 2004, just a few months after making assurances to the international community, Iran was criticized by the IAEA for failing to cooperate with an inquiry of its nuclear activities. In November 2004, Iran agreed to suspend much of its uranium enrichment in a deal with the EU. However, in August 2005, Iran resumed its uranium conversion at its Isfahan plant and in January 2006, broke IAEA seals at its Natanz facility. It has since resumed enriching uranium at that facility. Experts indicate that Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in as little as 3 to 5 years. According to a report issued by the IAEA to member governments on January 31, 2006, Iran has a clandestine effort, dubbed Green Salt, which has been working on uranium processing, high explosives and a missile warhead design. The report clearly demonstrates a nexus between Iran's efforts to develop a nuclear fuel cycle and Tehran's military, thus undercutting the Iranian government's repeated denials that it seeks to develop nuclear weapons. Iran's growing nuclear capability is compounded by a series of recent statements by Iran's president, in which he declared that a fellow member of the United Nations must be wiped off the map. These remarks demonstrate a disregard for human life and undermine the central principle of the United Nations. The world community cannot stand by while an outlaw regime announces its desire to annihilate millions of people and attempts to develop the nuclear weapons to do so. The community of nations has properly condemned these threats; now we must ensure that Iran will never develop the capability to act on them. I am hopeful that all members of the United Nations Security Council will take a strong stand for international peace and security when this issue is considered by the Security Council in March. I can think of no greater priority for the Council and believe that concerted action by the Council's Permanent Members represents the best opportunity to defuse this crisis. As a gesture of appreciation from the Congress, I, along with Mr. Kirk of Illinois and Mr. Andrews of New Jersey, am circulating a letter to the other Permanent Members of the Security Council. The letter thanks them for their support in reporting Iran to the Security Council and urges them to establish consequences to continued non-compliance. I encourage my colleagues to sign the letter. I am hopeful that with a united Congress and a united international community, we can prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons which could destabilize the entire region and which could be used to carry out Iran's professed desire to wipe millions of its neighbors off the map.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this simple resolution and of its central underlying premise--that this Nation will not support a Palestinian Government that is not unambiguous in its recognition of Israel's right to exist and unequivocal in its support for a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. I also commend the distinguished chairman and the ranking member of our committee who have dedicated themselves to working for true peace in the Middle East. The Hamas victory in last month's Palestinian Legislative Council election is a major setback to the prospects for peace. Last year's withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West Bank by Israel was a positive step after several years of bitter fighting between the two communities. While much of the world was taken by surprise by the Hamas victory, we really should not have been shocked. Last summer, even as Israeli soldiers physically removed settlers from their homes, the Israeli Government, the United States Government, the European Union and others were emphatic in telling the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian people that they now bore the burden of centralizing authority in Gaza and maintaining security there. This country and our allies sought to strengthen the P.A. with aid and diplomatic support. Unfortunately, the Palestinian Authority was unable to seize the opportunity to show the Palestinian people the true benefits of peace. Polling before the election and exit polling done on election day shows clearly that Palestinian voters chose Hamas because they were fed up with the corruption of Fatah and its inability to deliver a wide range of basic social and economic benefits. Hamas may be best known to Americans as a violent terrorist organization, but within the P.A. it has also run schools, medical clinics and day care centers. The same polling that showed Palestinian disgust with Fatah also showed that a large majority of Palestinians favor a two-state solution and peace with Israel. The problem now is how do we, the United States, Israel and the rest of the international community, convince Hamas that the only way forward is to abandon its dream of driving Israel into the sea and replacing it with an Islamist Palestine. Frankly, Mr. Speaker, I do not know if this is possible, but I have become convinced after multiple refusals by Hamas spokesmen to repudiate its call for Israel's destruction, that the only way forward is to ratchet up the pressure. This resolution is, I believe, a good first step. It does not mandate specific action by the administration, but reiterates the message that this country will not support a Hamas government that will not recognize Israel. Those who cling to the dream of Israel's destruction must realize that this resolution is a warning and that continued intransigence will be met with sterner countermeasures.