Joe Sestak

Mr. SESTAK

Mr. SESTAK. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Woman's Club of Newtown Square's 60th anniversary. Founded in 1947, the Woman's Club of Newtown Square is part of the General Federation of Women's Clubs, a world-wide organization that donates millions of volunteer hours to their respective communities every year. The 110 members of the Woman's Club of Newtown Square selflessly volunteer countless hours in service to their community. The services and donations of the club are given to: the Coatesville Veterans Medical Center, the Newtown Public Library, the Newtown Square Fire Department, Operation Smile, area arboretums and gardens, fine arts awards, and the Hugh O'Brian Youth Award. The Woman's Club of Newtown Square gives donations to: the Marple Newtown Senior High School Student of the Month, middle school awards, three high school scholarships, fifth grade essay awards, and the Youth Recreation Center. I ask that everyone please join me in recognizing the Woman's Club of Newtown Square for their contributions and commitment to enriching the community of Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, for the last 60 years.

Mr. SESTAK

Mr. SESTAK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mrs. Carol A. Wiley and Mr. Ronald Scott Young for their years of service to the community. These two outstanding citizens were recognized this past weekend at the annual Freedom Fund dinner for their commitment to the Darby area NAACP branch. Carol is a lifetime member of the Darby area NAACP branch, and has served for over 10 years as branch treasurer and co-coordinator of the annual Freedom Fund banquet. She also volunteers with the Sharon Hill School, and was a group leader for a 4-H program in Darby Township/ Sharon Hill. In addition, Carol is a lifetime member of the Mt. Zion C.M.E. Church of Darby Township, where she serves on the Usher Board and often coordinates the annual fashion show. Carol grew up in Darby Township, PA, with her dad, Richard A. Stewart, an electrician, and her mother, Clemie, a homemaker. The youngest of three children, Carol was educated in the Southeast Delco School District and attended Darby Township High School. Carol graduated from Apex Beauty School and is an experienced beautician. During the last year, she has been sharing her love for cooking with Conversation's Catering, a new catering company located in Sharon Hill, PA. Carol is married to Alex, and is the mother of four children: Sheila A. Carter, Donna Dailey, Charles Roberts and Andre Harrison. She is also blessed with seven grandchildren. Mr. Ronald Scott Young joined the Darby area branch in 1988, and he initially served as 1st vice president, and later assumed the duties of secretary. He has been a valuable asset to the branch, recruiting new members, raising money, and working to complete whatever task is at hand. Ron's contributions to the community include serving as Cub Scout Master for Pack 189 for the past 45 years, and as treasurer at Southwest Community Enrichment Center of southwest Philadelphia. He is also an active member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in southwest Philadelphia, where he serves on the Senior Choir and monitors the summer cleaning project. As a result of his involvement, Mt. Zion holds a life membership with the Darby area NAACP branch. Ron's devoted family includes wife Lucille, sons Scott and Drake, daughters Donna and Nicole, granddaughter Tempest and grandson Ryan. Through their contributions to the community, Carol and Ron have shown their commitment to the NAACP's mission of ensuring the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Carol and Ron for their years of service, and to thank them for their hard work for the NAACP.

Mr. SESTAK

Mr. SESTAK. Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Wilbur C. Henderson, the founder, chairman, president, and CEO of Henderson Group, Inc and the recipient of Delaware County Chamber of Commerce's Lifetime Achievement Award, 2002. Mr. Henderson houses commercial, industrial, office, professional, and retail operations in his buildings throughout Delaware County. He pioneered a new vision providing park-like settings to businesses in Chadds Ford, Darby Township, Folcroft, Media, Nether Providence, Sharon Hill, and Tinicum Township. Moreover, Mr. Henderson defended his country during World War II, including the Battle of the Bulge, as a distinguished member of the 82nd Airborne Division, 508th Parachute Infantry. Currently, this American hero is a retired lieutenant colonel of the U.S. Army Reserve. If Mr. Henderson's military and business accomplishments were not enough, he is currently active in his community as chairman of the Borough of Folcroft Planning Commission, senior deacon of the Folcroft Union Church, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Florida Institute of Technology. Likewise, Mr. Henderson was formerly a member of the Board of Trustees of Drexel University, a member of the Delaware County Government Study Commission, a member of the Greater Philadelphia First Corporation, a bank director with Fidelity and Elmwood Federal Savings and Loan Association, and, last but not least, the chairman of the board of the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Henderson was recognized as one of Drexel's most outstanding 100 graduates and received numerous other awards and honors during his 60- year career. Wilbur C. Henderson may have many accomplishments, but he is not nearly done. This entrepreneur has future plans to expand his programs in Delaware County and Florida. Madam Speaker, I ask you to join me in honoring Wilbur C. Henderson. He is the living epitome of the American dream. Through his hard work, Mr. Henderson has defined Delaware County's industry for six decades, defended our country during WWII, and exhibited altruism as a volunteer in a myriad of community activities.

Mr. SESTAK

Mr. SESTAK. Madam Speaker, in the wake of the 9/11 attacks against the United States, I was sent on the ground for a short period of time to Afghanistan. As a Navy admiral, I saw what needed to be accomplished. Eighteen months later, I returned on the ground and saw what had not been done because we tragically changed the focus of our attention and our resources to Iraq. Now, Afghanistan has become once again prey to terrorists and the Taliban have moved back into the southern ungoverned regions and the provinces. Because of this failure to have our legal or political or security structures there that we were trying to support be established, we were unable to have economic activity, the education take root so that we would be able to harness the efforts to have livelihoods established and an infrastructure in place, to overcome what General Eikenberry, our U.S. commander who was the NATO commander earlier last year said, ``Where the road ends, the Taliban begin.'' Secretary of Defense Gates has recently said that we will place 3,000 troops into Afghanistan because of the possible spring offensive of the Taliban. That is too little and way too late. We have to be able to bring the infrastructure into those ungoverned regions so the Taliban once again cannot provide a safe haven for al Qaeda, that is presently in a safe haven because of this tragic misadventure in Iraq, within Pakistan. But more to my point today, I do not understand the criticism of a very good Secretary of Defense, Secretary Gates, that the United States wants to point at NATO and say you have not met your commitment in Afghanistan when, in fact, potentially a little known fact is that the United States itself has not met its own requirement for trainers and mentors of the Afghanistan National Army and the Afghanistan National Police. In fact, we are 63 percent short of our goal. That's 2,400 troops. It all began in Afghanistan. And if we are to look back there 2 years from now and another tragedy would have been planned by the al Qaeda in another safe haven, whether Pakistan or Afghanistan, how can we say, as a senior commander said, ``In Iraq we do what we must; in Afghanistan we do what we can?'' The right strategic template is as Winston Churchill said, ``Sometimes it's not enough to do your best; sometimes you have to do what is required.'' It is required to ensure that the education, the economic activity, the wells, the reconstruction can be accomplished, but you can only do that in a secure enough environment. That, again, is one of the tragedies of this misadventure of Iraq.

Mr. SESTAK

Mr. SESTAK. Madam Speaker, I rise with great respect for Mr. Skelton, but I did want to express my real hesitation and my real concern over what is occurring. When I have gone and sat through this with lawyers, a lien is not a hold, and we are actually not freezing these assets. My concern is this, that here men and women who have worn the cloth of this Nation and have actually been tortured, successfully won a judgment, are now precluded by a President because the Iraqi Government, to whom we are providing $12 billion a month in terms of our natural resources, has threatened to pull out of the United States' trillion dollars of markets $25 billion. I don't think this is right. There are a lot of good things in this bill that need to pass, the pay raise to the readiness. But I honestly believe the President has not taken care of those who sacrificed the most for this Nation, and I would like us to look upon ourselves as to what we are doing here today.

Mr. SESTAK

Mr. SESTAK. Madam Speaker, tomorrow the House will vote on whether to override the veto of President Bush on the Defense authorization bill. He vetoed this bill because, within it, it permitted a servicemember who had been tortured in the first Gulf War to not only successfully sue the Iraqi Government, but having won that case, to be able to be given what the court awarded him or her. I am concerned and fear that tomorrow this House will vote to recommit to send that bill back to the House Armed Services Committee and to put a waiver in that bill which will permit President Bush to be able to overrule a court that has now awarded, as it has, a servicemember, having been tortured, the judgment that that court gave of Iraqi monies that are held here in the United States. The reason for that is the Iraqi Government has threatened to pull out of the United States $25 billion that it has invested over here. Every month we put almost $12 billion into Iraq in addition to those that wear the cloth of this Nation. This is a good bill in many ways, providing a pay raise of 3.5 percent that is needed for the men and women that serve our Nation, but I do not understand how this President nor how this Congress could ever permit a man or a woman who has worn the cloth of this Nation in a war to have sued successfully, having been tortured, as law permits, to now not be permitted to gain the judgment that a court has given him or her merely because the Iraqi Government, obligated under international law for anything that prior governments in Iraq or any country that another successive government has succeeded to be responsible for merely because that government has threatened to take out of this country $25 billion. We should vote to try to override this veto with the many good things in this bill. Many of us talk about taking care of our men and women. How can those who have not only come close to giving the ultimate sacrifice by torture, and who have continued to serve this Nation as they have come home, not be successful in being given what the court has provided them in their judgment?

Mr. SESTAK

Mr. SESTAK. Madam Speaker, when I heard that the President vetoed this bill today, I asked to speak. After about three-and-a-half decades in the U.S. military, I owe both Republicans and Democrats a lot. About 2, 2\1/2\ years, little over 2 years ago, my daughter, 4 years old, was struck with a malignant brain tumor. I'd never had a personal challenge in my entire life, having only gotten married 9 years ago. I'd had a lot of professional ones, but after three brain operations, chemotherapy and radiation, she's here today. I thank you all for that because I had the best health care plan in America. We took a pathology slice at Johns Hopkins, Mass General's Hospital. We took it everywhere. We took it to the ends of the Earth, and you gave me that health care plan. But I will never forget living in Children's Hospital oncology ward down the street, and there was a young 2\1/2\-year-old boy the day my daughter started chemotherapy after her brain operations, and for 6 hours my wife and I could not help but overhear, because you all have been in those hospital rooms, social workers come and go to talk to the parents of the young 2\1/2\-year-old boy from Washington, DC, who had been diagnosed with acute leukemia that morning, to see whether that young boy could stay and have the same opportunity my daughter had because of you. So this is the reason I got into the race for Congress a little less than 2 years ago. I owed you. I owed this Nation. You gave me an opportunity to have my daughter be here today. I didn't get in for Iraq. I got in for this bill. While it may not be perfect, neither was TRICARE, and I would just ask everyone to truly think about the opportunity to give our children, every child, this young boy, the same opportunity you gave me and my daughter.

Mr. SESTAK

Mr. SESTAK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge an important and emotional ceremony that will take place at the United States Naval Academy's Hubbard Hall on this Saturday, November 17, 2007. Hubbard Hall is home to Navy's crew teams, and there, a rowing shell will be dedicated in memory of an extraordinary graduate of the USNA Class of 1995, LCDR Erik Samsel Kristensen. While leading a rescue effort in support of U.S. Navy SEALS under heavy enemy fire, Lieutenant Commander Kristensen was killed in action in Asadabad, Afghanistan on June 28, 2005. In that engagement, our Nation, our Navy, and the Kristensen family lost a young warrior son who exemplified the honor, courage and commitment that is the very soul of our Navy and the Naval Academy. In the time since Lieutenant Commander Kristensen's sacrifice, he has been accorded honors richly deserved. However, in organizing the effort to name a racing shell in his memory, his classmate and shipmate, Mr. Brooks McFeely, found a unique and lasting medium to communicate the courage, determination and selflessness that characterized his great friend's life. Over the years Hubbard Hall has been a crucible of leadership development under the guidance of coaching legends including Rusty Callow, Carl Ullrich, and Rick Clothier. Home to Olympians, scholars, and most importantly, warriors, Hubbard Hall has a rich tradition of honing the work ethic, competitive spirit and teamwork essential to victory in peace and war. Madam Speaker, it is essential that we honor Lieutenant Commander Erik Kristensen, a leader who epitomized the Navy rower as described by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. ``Is life less than a boat race? If a man will give the blood in his body to win the one, will he spend all the might of his soul to prevail in the other?'' To the men and women at Hubbard Hall who follow the example of LCDR Erik Kristensen, that will always be a rhetorical question. In honor of a great man and his family, the people of the United States of America wish Godspeed and great victories to the shell `Kristensen' and the midshipmen fortunate to row in that testament to honor and courage.

Mr. SESTAK

Mr. SESTAK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the United States Naval Academy's midshipman theater company, the Masqueraders, on the occasion of their centennial year. The Masqueraders, sponsored by the Naval Academy English Department, support the moral and mental development of midshipmen by bringing works of literature to the stage. By engaging the Brigade of Midshipmen with complex moral issues and portrayals of human nature, the Masqueraders have helped prepare generations of future officers for the challenges of military leadership. While midshipmen produced theater pieces in the nineteenth century, the Masqueraders formally organized in 1907 with the approval of the Commandant of Midshipmen. That year, under the leadership of Midshipmen First Class Kirkwood H. Donavin, William B. Piersol, and Frank W. Townsend, the Masqueraders began an unbroken series of annual performances that have educated midshipmen up to the present day. Productions have ranged from Greek tragedies and comedies to classics of the modern stage. Highlights of the group's century of service include a 1974 American College Theater Festival production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, invited to play at the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theater and honored by the Chief of Naval Operations, and a critically acclaimed 1983 compilation of Shakespeare history plays. Madam Speaker, we should especially acknowledge Professors Michael Jasperson, David White, and Anne Marie Drew, for their vision and dedication as Masqueraders directors from 1960 to 2001. We should also recognize the current director, Professor Christy Stanlake; co- presidents, Midshipmen First Class Joy Dewey and David Smestuen; and Officer Representative, Commander Mark Larabee. Finally, we should acknowledge the key support provided by the English Department Chair, Professor Allyson Booth, and the Director of the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, Colonel David Mollahan. Madam Speaker, it is fitting that we honor the Masqueraders for their century of commitment to the power of theater to prepare midshipmen for leadership in peace and war. In honor of Masqueraders' support of the mission of the Naval Academy, the people of the United States of America wish them all success for another hundred years of service to the Brigade of Midshipmen, our Navy and Marine Corps, and our country.

Mr. SESTAK

Mr. SESTAK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the planting and dedication of a memorial tree at Delaware County Community College in Media, Pennsylvania. This tree was given in grateful appreciation to Delaware County Community College students who have and will serve as members of the United States Armed Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since its founding in 1967, countless students from Delaware County Community College have answered the call to duty. These brave young men and women have proudly served our Nation in every conflict fought during the college's 40-year existence, including in the current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. To date, over 100 members of the student body, and at least 300 people who are part of the DCCC community, have served in Afghanistan or Iraq. In addition, many students who are in Reserve or National Guard units expect to be called to active duty in the near future. The tree planted today honors those who have served. This tree will speak to future generations. It will be a living tribute to those who pass through the College now and in the future that our students, when called upon, proudly responded. The accompanying plaque will be a permanent reminder of the courage and character these students have shown through the service given and sacrifices made for their country. I would like to acknowledge Dr. Jerry Parker, president of Delaware County College, and Professor Labron K. Shuman for their commitment to the conception, development, and establishment of this remembrance. Their desire to honor the students who have fought for freedom embodies the spirit of true patriotism. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the students, faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni of Delaware County Community College who have contributed to the creation of this memorial, and in honoring the veterans to whom the memorial is admirably dedicated.

Mr. SESTAK

Mr. SESTAK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the groundbreaking of Temple Brith Achim's new Life Long Learning Center. Temple Brith Achim, a reform synagogue affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism, began in 1971 as a small group of families who dreamed of building a place to worship, celebrate, mourn, teach, learn and grow. In the 36 years since this ``covenant of brothers'' was formed, Temple Brith Achim has flourished into a community of more than 280 families. This past April, as part of its 36th Anniversary celebration, Temple Brith Achim honored its founders and builders for their contributions, and reflected upon the congregation's strong tradition of community sharing and caring. Temple Brith Achim continues to provide a welcoming atmosphere rich with religious and cultural traditions, beliefs, and rituals. Beyond worship, members of the congregation engage in charitable community outreach activities, employing social activism to improve local, national and global communities. This weekend, the community marked the beginning of a new phase in the Temple's life with a ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Center for Life Long Learning and for modernization of its existing facility. These improvements and additions will further the Temple's commitment to educating and instilling Jewish values in both its younger congregation and its adult congregants through its Religious School and Adult Education. Madam Speaker, I ask you to join me in recognizing this important milestone, and in congratulating the members of Temple Brith Achim for their continuing contributions to society. Their spirit of community and giving serves as an example to us all.

Mr. SESTAK

Mr. SESTAK. Mr. Speaker, I watched the world change during nearly four decades in the Navy, having joined up in 1970. I have been almost everywhere. Several decades ago I went to China and to the United Arab Emirates when they were not the powers they are today. The strength of our international trade is absolutely crucial to the economic prosperity and global competitiveness of our Nation. But there are consequences of globalization, and we must address them if we are to remain and have a fully skilled workforce that can continue to compete. This is why trade adjustment assistance is so important. It ensures the transition of the workforce that is negatively impacted by trade to step back and to receive the tools that prepare them to reenter the workforce at a higher, more skilled, competitive level. Good for them. Good for America. The substitute amendment removes this focus on ensuring a more wealthy economy because of a retrained workforce. It actually caps retraining funding at $8,000, less than all but one State. This, when economists state that if our competitive ability, based on an innovative, skilled workforce, does not change, China will be the number one economy by 2050 and India number two. We will be number three. As service workers have grown to be a more significant part of the economy than they were when the initial Trade Assistance Act was passed in 1962, it is vitally important that we invest in their retraining also. The substitute amendment would actually remove these workers, needed to be re-skilled for our economic future, from the bill. And at a time when health care premiums have risen as a not-so-hidden tax, 70 percent in the last 6 years, the substitute amendment does nothing to fix the flaws in the old Trade Assistance Act that precludes families from receiving the health care tax credit for which they are eligible. In short, having visited the UAE and China decades ago, and seeing them now, there is no question that a small investment in a healthy, educated and retrained workforce is needed to preclude our economy from being number three. We want the same quality of life our forefathers had when they invested in the GI bill, and this is no different. This is a small investment so we give the quality of life we had to our children.

Mr. SESTAK

Mr. SESTAK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Uttar Pradesh Association of Greater Philadelphia for bringing Diwali to Delaware County. The U.P. Association of Greater Philadelphia is a non-profit organization formed 4 years ago to connect and provide a forum for people from the State of Uttar Pradesh and the surrounding regions in India. The association brings Indian culture to the community, adding to cultural understanding and awareness throughout the region. One of the group's main events is the celebration of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. Diwali is one of the few holidays celebrated throughout India, bringing people together in the spirit of the season. The origin of Diwali is unknown, although there are various legends and customs associated with it. In Northern India, where Uttar Pradesh is located, Diwali marks the return of Lord Rama after 14 years of exile and his defeat of the demon Ravana of Lanka. This represents the triumph of good over evil and of light over darkness, a theme that is common to Diwali stories from other regions of India. The UPAGP, along with the Indianica Academy in New Jersey, reenacted the story of Lord Rama on Saturday night, and put on a spectacular cultural program that transcended religion, race, and nation. The message of light as a symbol of knowledge and goodness driving away darkness and ignorance is one we would all benefit from hearing more often. I ask that everyone join me in commending the UPAGP for bringing Diwali and its message to Upper Darby, Delaware County, and the Greater Philadelphia area, in recognizing its contribution to the community, and in acknowledging the hard work and dedication of its members.

Mr. SESTAK

Mr. SESTAK. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this bill for two goods that are within it. The first has to do with our servicemembers, those that have become disabled because of their service. This bill, for the first time, gives priority, even if it's just one company that is veteran-owned and has the service-disabled owning that company, even if there are other competitors. I think this is extremely important, particularly in this time of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. I say that because in World War II, on average, our soldiers had 182 days of combat. In between horrific battles of Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima or the Battle of the Bulge, there was dwell time in which our servicemembers had time to rest before the next onslaught. In the war in Iraq, our servicemembers go outside the wire every day into combat for 15 months. We are seeing a higher rate of post- traumatic stress disorder coming back than we have seen in any war. Some say over 30 percent. That will feed into our society. So that this bill addresses the fact that our society owes something to those who wear the cloth of this Nation, particularly in such a challenging war, I speak up in support of it. The second is women business owners. The fact that the goal has been for years that 5 percent of all Federal contracts will go to women business owners, we have only met the goal of 3.4 percent. I believe this bill goes a large step towards helping those, particularly the economically disenfranchised, to be able to have industries that are underrepresented, to now have the competition remain with women business owners. And if they are substantially underrepresented, it can then open up to those women business owners who are not economically disadvantaged. So I speak up in support of this bill both for veterans and for women.

Mr. SESTAK

Mr. SESTAK. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill. I rise in support of it because this is the sole reason I ran for Congress. I owe this Congress. I owe this Nation for what it did for me. A lot of people think because I spent 31 years in the military that I got in because of Iraq. I did not. It was this bill. In my last year in the military, my 4-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, my sole daughter. She was given 3 to 9 months to live, and my entitlement from the Federal Government gave her an opportunity to be here today. But during that period of time, there was a young boy, Lance, 2\1/2\ years old, who was, as she began her chemotherapy, my daughter's roommate. And that first day he was there, we listened as the parents of that child sat with social workers for 6 hours who came and went to see if that young boy would be given the same opportunity, the same entitlement as an American citizen, my daughter, had. It is for Lance that I got in this race. I owe you because my daughter is here today because of the medicine that you voted for as a military member. I would like to see every young child in America have that one opportunity my daughter did, to have the opportunity to be a productive, healthy child and contribute to this Nation. So thank you for the opportunity to speak today and thank you, both sides, for giving me the chance for my daughter and, hopefully, Lance in the future to be all they can be. I appreciate it.

Mr. SESTAK

Mr. SESTAK. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of a bill that I do understand has expanded dental care and I do understand puts mental parity more on a par with physical disability. But I must rise today because that number of nearly 4 million children uninsured is almost too large for me to comprehend that we haven't done something before, based upon when my daughter, struck with a malignant brain tumor and given 3 to 9 months to live at age of 4, and you all provided me, as a 31-year military veteran, with the opportunity for her to live. But what I was most struck by was her roommate when she began her chemotherapy. A young 2\1/2\-year-old boy, where we listened and could not help in that small room hear social workers come and go for 6 hours as they tried to determine whether that young boy, struck with acute leukemia, whose parents did not have health care, would have the same opportunity as you gave my daughter; that this Nation gave them the time for not just quality of life but for life. I rise in support of this bill to give all children what you gave me as a member of the Armed Forces.

Mr. SESTAK

Mr. SESTAK. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of the SCHIP bill, which will provide health insurance for 4 million uninsured children, expanded dental care, and, for the first time, treating mental disabilities and mental illness on a par with physical disability. The bill also contains premium assistance subsidies, so that at least 70 percent of these children's parents remain in employer-based private health insurance plans. But I rise most because of what I saw when my 4-year-old daughter was given 3 to 9 months to live and we lived on a cancer ward in the city. And this Nation, because of my military service, gave me the best health care possible for her to have an opportunity, her roommate was a young 2\1/2\-year- old boy diagnosed with acute leukemia whose parents did not have health insurance and social workers had to discuss whether that boy would, with my daughter, have an opportunity to live into life. I rise in support of this bill for that young boy.

Mr. SESTAK

Mr. SESTAK. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill for three reasons. First is the cost. As my colleagues have previously said, we should have raised from these private agencies at least $44 million to $63 million to date. In fact, it has only been $25 million, with a sum cost of $51 million. Second is the more cost-effective way that another agency, the IRS, might do this. We know that they have collected this year alone $5.3 million from the Automated Call Service. Imagine if we had not decreased the number of IRS officers from 8,500 during the nineties down to only 5,200 today and we had put the money into them or into the Automated Call Service. That 20-to-1 return that the government gets far exceeds the 4-to-1 return of private agencies. Third, however, after 31 years in the military, it pained me to see us outsource our security operations to private agencies in Iraq. At times there is abuse, not dissimilar to what we hear today, such as seniors and those in Iraq being called. In fact, a senior couple was called 150 times, five times a day. Then we learned they had the wrong number. Mr. Speaker, I therefore rise in support of this bill because of the cost-effectiveness of the IRS and because of the abuses that can occur if it is not within a government agency.

Mr. SESTAK

Mr. SESTAK. Madam Chairman, from when I joined up during Vietnam to when I retired last year from the military, I always watched with respect how when human nature can be at its worst in a war, in actual combat, that there were still rules of law that set the boundaries beyond which individual actions would be held accountable. I also watched during those decades with interest as contractors became a more significant and important part of our military and its operations. But I viewed with concern the men and the women that we began to assign to military security operations in this latest conflict. I say that because even though I know a number of them and served with them, they were now outside those rules of law. I think that this bill is an important step within a war zone to take them back within the same standards of accountability. I speak to this because there are in the military ``forces'' and ``force.'' Our force is lethal. Our forces are comprised of individuals, and something we pride ourselves out there, which is often indistinguishable from civilians in a country we are, is that these forces, lethal on one hand, are also the GI that carries that candy bar and puts the ideals of America first and foremost. So that's why I rise in support of this bill for the accountability that it brings, and I believe this is a first good step which should have been done earlier. But I also speak in support because it takes us another step hopefully towards another action that needs to be taken. I remember speaking to the colonel after the four individuals at Blackwater were found outside Fallujah, and as they came back and had the remains, he said to me, ``If only they had called me, I could have told them that that road was not secure that day.'' And so, as war changes, it is important to bring not just better coordination but the accountability of the rule of law which have always bound our military well, that there are individual actions which cannot be outside those boundaries or they will be held accountable. I praise you much for bringing this bill here today.

Mr. SESTAK

Mr. SESTAK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3625) to make permanent the waiver authority of the Secretary of Education with respect to student financial assistance during a war or other military operation or national emergency.

Mr. SESTAK. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may insert material relevant to H.R. 3625 into the Record.

Mr. SESTAK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. SESTAK asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. SESTAK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3625, an act to permanently extend waiver authority to the Secretary of Education with respect to enrollment in post-secondary institutions and student financial assistance during a period of combat or national emergency. This legislation recognizes the unique and unexpected situations that military personnel face when called to active duty to serve our country, as well as situations that many face in times of a national emergency, even here at home. The intent of this legislation is simple: to provide the Secretary of Education with the permanent authority to ensure that active duty military personnel are not financially harmed by the service that they perform. The Secretary is thereby granted the authority to take necessary actions which include, first, protecting borrowers from further financial difficulty when they are called to serve. This will ensure that when a student withdraws from college because of his or her status as an individual called up for service, Guard, Reserve or active, or, if they are affected by a disaster, that the requirement that grant overpayments be repaid would be waived, and collection activities on a defaulted education loan may be halted for the time period during which a borrower is serving. Second, minimizing administrative requirements without impacting the integrity of the Federal Student Aid program. So, for instance, certain requests that previously required written documentation may now be made orally by an affected individual or member of the borrower's family when that member may actually be, while applying for school, actually in conflict overseas. Third, adjusting the calculation used to determine students' eligibility for aid for those whose financial circumstances change because the student or his or her parents are called to serve, such as when a parent was about to give a large contribution to the son's education, is suddenly called up in the National Guard, and is unable to make that commitment. This bill, therefore, encourages financial aid administrators to choose to use professional judgment as the proper method of determining financial need that is most beneficial to an affected individual and to his or her family; for instance, taking into account the most favorable tax period for the student's or the parents' recording period in order to be assessed on that year's tax recording period, a grant or aid. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague Mr. Kline for his leadership on this legislation in past Congresses and for the flexibility that our men and women in the service have received because of you. These provisions have been critical to our men and women serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. In addition, these provisions will provide critical relief to those who answer the call to serve in the future, including responding to national emergencies and natural disasters. I am also pleased with the additional relief provided to men and women in uniform in the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, which is currently waiting for the President's signature. That piece of legislation included necessary provisions that recognize military service by allowing those called to service to serve on active duty, including National Guard and Reservists, to defer payments on their student loans not only while serving but for a period of time after leaving active duty. Because of unforeseen national emergencies, such as Hurricane Katrina, as well as our continued military engagement overseas, it is important that we pass the legislation before us and allow the Secretary of Education to continue providing this needed relief. Without prompt passage of H.R. 3625, the Secretary's authority to provide this flexibility will expire at the end of this week. It is critical not only for those currently receiving relief from unnecessary financial burden while sacrificing for our country, but also for those who will serve our country in the future, that these provisions be made permanent. I urge my colleagues to pass the resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SESTAK. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SESTAK

Mr. SESTAK. Mr. Speaker, 2 years ago, entering my 31st year in the military, my single daughter, 4-year-old Alex, was struck with a malignant brain tumor. After two brain operations and given 3 to 9 months to live, we moved into a cancer ward and began a journey that has her here today and has me in the House. The incident that brought me here was, her roommate that day as she began her chemotherapy was a young 2\1/2\-year-old boy from Washington, DC. He was diagnosed that morning with acute leukemia, and for 6 hours we could not help but overhear as social workers came and went to see if that 2\1/2\-year-old boy could stay because his parents did not have health insurance. I have been in combat. I have seen the worst of human nature. I have also seen the best of human nature. This SCHIP bill would cover 10 million uninsured Americans, that 2\1/2\-year-old boy, so that social worker does not determine whether some child is taken care of, is the best of our nature. I ask everyone to support the SCHIP bill.