John Tanner

Mr. TANNER

Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. TANNER

Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as she may consume to the author of the resolution, the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).

Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TANNER

Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 740) condemning in the strongest terms the attacks on African Union peacekeepers that occurred in Haskanita, Darfur, Sudan, on September 29, 2007, as amended.

Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me thank Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee for introducing this resolution, which condemns the recent vicious and deadly assault on African Union forces. On September 29, 2007, an estimated 1,000 members of a heavily armed group of Darfur rebels overran a small African Union base in Haskanita in Darfur. Ten peacekeepers were brutally killed, seven wounded, and 50 others are missing. Seven of those killed were Nigerian soldiers. The other three were unarmed military observers and civilian police officers from Mali, Senegal, and Botswana. With consideration of this resolution today, the U.S. Congress sends its condolences to their respective governments and to their families who have made the ultimate sacrifice in a war far from their native soil. While the nations of the world deplore the war in Darfur and have provided significant humanitarian assistance to refugees and displaced persons, we still have not demonstrated the will to end this crisis. The United Nations is intensely lobbying countries to provide helicopters for a U.N. African Union peacekeeping force, one of many obstacles to starting the mission. According to recent reports, no country has made a credible offer to provide the 24 transport and attack helicopters needed for the 26,000-strong force. This lack of helicopters, in part, accounts for the deadly attack on AU troops. After Rwanda, the world said, never again, never again would we stand by and let another genocide take place; yet we continue to fail in Darfur. For over 4 years now, we have failed. Today, our Congress calls upon our allies and friends to help put an end to this nightmare. We call on the Sudanese Government, its militia and rebel forces to take up seriously peace negotiations in that part of the world. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlelady from Ohio (Mrs. Jones).

Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, so I am pleased to yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TANNER

Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 747) recognizing the religious and historical significance of the festival of Diwali.

Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Our colleague and my friend, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, introduced this resolution that seeks to recognize the significance of the festival of Diwali. Diwali is celebrated as victory of good over evil for some, and as a remembrance of liberation for others. Ultimately, it is a day of joy celebrated annually by Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains throughout the world, particularly by Indians and Indian Americans. With more than 2 million devotees of these faiths in our country, this resolution honors this holiday and those who cherish its message. There are few religious holidays that are celebrated by a multitude of faiths, and it is a tribute to the diversity of India and to our country that we have such a rich religious heritage in our societies. By celebrating Diwali, we also are celebrating this diversity, a shared value that has brought the United States and India closer together through the years. Much has been said about our two countries being natural partners in this world; and the importance of having multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and, indeed, multi-religious societies cannot be overemphasized. For these reasons, I look forward to celebrating this festival and strongly support the resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests, so I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. TANNER

Mr. TANNER. Madam Speaker, I recently led a bipartisan House delegation to NATO Parliamentary Assembly meetings in Reykjavik, Iceland, from October 5-October 9. The co-chair of my delegation was the Hon. John Shimkus. In addition, Representatives John Boozman, Jo Ann Emerson, Jeff Miller, Dennis Moore, Ralph Regula, Mike Ross, David Scott, Ellen Tauscher, and Tom Udall, and staff, worked to make these meetings a success in the examination of a number of front-line NATO issues. The NATO Parliamentary Assembly brings together members of parliament from all 26 allied states. In addition, observer delegations from such countries as Russia, Georgia, Macedonia, Croatia, and Albania bring a wide range of views to the table in discussion of issues of interest to Americans and Europeans. The NATO Parliamentary Assembly breaks into committees for presentation and discussion of reports by the parliamentary delegates. These sessions provide an opportunity to gauge the issues of greatest interest to NATO governments, and give our own Members not only the chance to voice their own views, but to understand the debates occurring in such key countries as Germany, France, and Britain. There were several key issues that surfaced in the different committees. NATO's mission in Afghanistan was perhaps the most important. The future of Kosovo, now in the final stages of its quest for independence, was another. Enlargement of the alliance, an important subject of discussion at the coming NATO summit in Bucharest in April 2008, drew considerable attention. Other issues evident in the different committees were Russia's relations with the alliance, energy security, and missile defense. I have been chairman of the Committee on Economics and Security, and was re-elected to that position in Reykjavik. I will take the opportunity to mention that Rep. Boozman was also re-elected to serve another year as a rapporteur in that committee. Together with a Lithuanian member of parliament, he presented a well-received report on the rise of an east Asian economic system. There was also a report on trends in allied defense management in burdensharing. The report triggered a vigorous discussion of NATO's effort to stabilize Afghanistan. Forces from the United States, Britain, Canada, and the Netherlands bear the brunt of the fighting there, and there was an appeal for other member governments to contribute more troops and other resources. While there is widespread agreement in the alliance that stabilization of Afghanistan is a critical step in the effort to subdue terrorism, some governments with capable forces remain reluctant to put their troops in harm's way. The Political Committee also saw a contentious debate over Afghanistan. A Canadian delegate ably presented a report calling for a reduction in caveats--the restrictions that some governments place on the use of their forces--and for more troops. There was also a report on NATO's efforts in the conflict against terrorism. The report laid out the good cooperation between the United States and the European Union in law-enforcement efforts to undercut terrorist financing schemes and to intercept terrorists as they move about the world; it also noted that NATO as an institution can bring political pressure to bear on governments around the world that support or turn a blind eye to terrorist activity on their soil. Another subject of vigorous debate was a resolution on the NATO-Russian relationship. The resolution was rightfully critical of Russia's efforts to intimidate such allies as Lithuania through cutoffs of energy supplies, and such friendly governments as Georgia by support for rebel groups within those governments' territories. The Russian delegates defended the actions of their government, and tried to water down the resolution. Mr. Ross and Mr. Udall strongly supported the key points of the resolution, which passed with nearly unanimous support from the delegates from the allied states. Mr. Ross was elected as a rapporteur in the Political Committee, and will present a report on NATO and Iran at the spring meetings of the Parliamentary Assembly in Berlin. The Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security saw the presentation of reports on Montenegro's role in the Balkans, and on the protection of critical infrastructure, such as oil pipelines and communications networks, in allied states. There were also two presentations by outside speakers that drew considerable interest. Mark Lowenthal, a former staff director of the House Intelligence Committee and later the Counselor at the CIA, made a well-defined presentation on intelligence, terrorism, and civil liberties. The delegates followed his presentation with a discussion of appropriate oversight of intelligence operations by parliaments in the effort to protect personal freedoms. Next, an Icelandic government minister gave a presentation on an emerging issue: as climate change causes the melting of part of the Arctic ice pack, claims by a number of states to seabed resources and the right to move through the ``Northwest Passage'' have begun to emerge. Transit through the Northwest Passage, if feasible, could reduce the voyage of petroleum tankers from the North Sea, for example, to Asia by approximately 4,000 miles. NATO governments have begun a quiet debate over how to provide security for ships using northern routes around Iceland and through possible sea lanes north of Canada. Two members of our delegation assumed offices on the Committee on Civil Dimension of Security. Jo Ann Emerson was re-elected a vice-chair of the subcommittee on democratic governance, and Dennis Moore was elected vice-chair of the full committee. The Committee on Science and Technology heard reports on a range of issues, the most interesting being a report on climate change, and another on proliferation of missile technologies. The discussion on climate change, given the setting in Iceland where glaciers are reportedly melting with unforeseen rapidity, was vigorous and thoughtful. The discussion on proliferation led to a debate over missile defense. Rep. Tauscher made several crisp, clear interventions that outlined the U.S. debate over a prospective missile defense against Iran. She also provided a telling critique of a Russian delegate's wandering and often inaccurate presentation on elements of U.S. defense policy. The committee voted not to adopt the Russian delegate's report. The Committee on Defense and Security also heard a debate, contentious at times, on NATO operations in Afghanistan. The British delegate who presented the report called on allied governments with minimal resources committed to Afghanistan to work to persuade their publics of the importance of the operations of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), and to contribute more troops. The alliance needs more helicopters and combat troops, especially for rapid-response actions, in the areas of the country where the Taliban are active. There was also a report on the efforts of NATO's three candidate states--Croatia, Albania, and Macedonia--to receive invitations to enter the alliance at the upcoming Bucharest summit. It is evident that the three governments have made considerable progress in defense reform, but some European parliamentarians questioned their progress in democratic governance. It is by no means a certainty that all three governments will receive invitations at Bucharest. There was also a report on the trip to Afghanistan by a number of parliamentarians, including Rep. Shimkus, on the progress to date of the ISAF mission. Rep. Shimkus also gave a well-received report on NATO-EU coordination in security matters. He analyzed the positive steps in such coordination, as well as some of the shortfalls, including the difficulties encountered in NATO's efforts to provide security to the EU's important police-training mission in Afghanistan. Rep. Shimkus was elected a vice-chair of the subcommittee on transatlantic defense and security cooperation, and Rep. Tauscher was elected the chair of the subcommittee on future security and defense capabilities. It should also be noted that Rep. Emerson was elected a vice- president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to fill out the term of the late Paul Gillmor. This is a senior position that reflects her dedication to the Assembly's work and her evocation of the importance of the alliance to the United States. One of the more valuable aspects of Assembly meetings is the opportunity afforded for side meetings with senior U.S. and European officials. Before we left for Reykjavik, we had a briefing on allied matters from our ambassador to NATO, Victoria Nuland, and from Daniel Fried of the State Department and Dan Fata from the Pentagon. Each outlined clearly some of the key issues facing the alliance. In Reykjavik, we had a private discussion with Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the NATO Secretary General; we discussed Afghanistan, enlargement, and Kosovo's future, as well as other issues. The U.S. ambassador to Iceland, Carol van Voorst, and her staff provided insight into and advice on U.S.-Icelandic relations. We also held a private meeting with the Macedonian foreign minister, Antonio Milososki, where there was a good discussion of his country's efforts to qualify for NATO membership. Before our departure for Reykjavik, staff also held a meeting in Washington with representatives of the Croatian government to discuss Zagreb's efforts to qualify for membership. It must be said that one of the great values of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly is the opportunity to meet our counterparts from the parliaments of allied states. The chance to learn national and regional perspectives provides our own delegation with insights into key allied issues, and how we might resolve a range of questions of great importance to U.S. security. I wish to add that this was the first meeting in many years that we were without our friend, the late Rep. Paul Gillmor. He had been my delegation co-chair since the beginning of the 110th Congress, and we conducted many meetings together, in harmony and friendship. He served in a number of offices in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and was always the voice of reason and judiciousness. He was widely admired, not only here in the United States, but by his Assembly colleagues across the political spectrum. There was a moving tribute to his memory during the plenary session of the Assembly on October 9. He will be greatly missed. As always, our military personnel played an important role in the success of the delegation's trip. The air crew came from the 1st Airlift Squadron, which is part of the 89th Airlift Wing located at Andrews Air Force Base. They are all on active duty. In addition, three Air Force active duty personnel and one reservist served as our congressional escort team. All worked long hours to ensure that our trip went smoothly. I thank them for their hard work and their dedication to duty.

Mr. TANNER

Mr. TANNER. Madam Speaker, on the occasion of his retirement from the United States Air Force, I want to recognize SMSgt Tom Newton for his 24 years of dedicated service to our country. In his most recent assignment, he serves as the Superintendent, Office of Legislative Liaison, Secretary of the Air Force, where he is responsible for Air Force legislative matters and facilitating worldwide Congressional travel. As you know, Madam Speaker, Sergeant Newton has professionally served as your escort for two Congressional delegations this year and a dozen other delegation trips around the world since 2004. Prior to June 2004, he was the Chief, Workgroup Manager for Headquarters Security Forces, Pentagon, responsible to the Director for network security, antiterrorism, force protection, and supporting Operation Global Eagle. From 1998 to 2001, Sergeant Newton was the Information Management Superintendent for the Force Structure, Resources, and Assessments (J-8) Directorate, Joint Staff, Pentagon. He served as Deputy Executive and facilitated multiple Joint Warfighting Capabilities Assessments on behalf of the Director. Prior to January 1998, he served as Instructor, Information Management Craftsmen Course at Keesler AFB in Mississippi, where he earned Master Instructor Certification. Sergeant Newton began his illustrious career at the 4th Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, NC, where he directly supported the 4404th Provisional Wing during Operation Desert Storm/Shield. Madam Speaker, I join my colleagues in expressing our sincere appreciation to SMSgt Tom Newton for his outstanding service to both legislative branches and our United States Air Force. We wish him the best as he transitions into a new career. Senior Master Sergeant Newton is a true professional and a credit to himself and the United States Air Force. CODELs for SMSgt Newton 2004 CODEL Bilirakis--Athens, Greece/Venice, Italy (7-16 Nov). 2005 CODEL Shimkus--St. Louis, Missouri (26-28 Jan). CODEL Bilirakis--Brussels, Belgium/Paris, France/London, UK (18-28 Feb). CODEL King--Vienna, Austria/Aman, Jordan/Tel Aviv, Israel/ Cairo, Egypt/Rabat, Morocco (30 Jul-7 Aug). SPEAKER Hastert--Glasgow, Scotland/Luxembourg (15-20 Sep). 2006 CODEL Hefley--San Diego, California (25-29 Jan). CODEL Hefley--Brussels, Belgium/Paris, France/London, UK (17-28 Feb). CODEL Goodlatte--Denver, Colorado/San Angelo, Texas (7-9 May). CODEL Young--Alaska (29 Jul-6 Aug). 2007 SPEAKER Pelosi--Jerusalem, Israel/Damascus, Syria/Riyadh, Saudi Arabia/Lisbon, Portugal (29 Mar-7 Apr). CODEL Tanner--Lisbon, Portugal/Tunis, Tunisia/Rabat, Morocco (24 May-3 Jun). SPEAKER Pelosi--New Orleans, Louisiana (12-15 Aug).

Mr. TANNER

Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to also add my thanks to Mr. Abercrombie and Mr. English and Mr. Castle, Ms. Schwartz, and particularly to you, Mr. Chairman. The point of this is that our soldiers, sailors, airmen, guardsmen, marines, are not dying in the name of the Republican Conference or the Democratic Caucus. They're dying in the name of the United States of America. We owe them a unified Congress to help them. This bill is a unifying factor here that starts us on the road to behaving as Americans first and political partisans second. Their sacrifice demands nothing less than that. I have a sense of urgency about this that I'm afraid did not come through in the hearing, particularly from Ambassador Crocker. Not that I'm criticizing him. I think he's doing a fine job. And I have no higher regard for anybody in uniform, past, present or future, than General Petraeus. But the sense of urgency I have is to bring us together so that we can move in a meaningful, constructive way, as Congress, to play a role in the civilian leadership aspects and management of this conflict. As has been noted previously, it requires the Pentagon to, in some way, bring Congress in in a meaningful way really on the strategy of the war for the first time. As I said earlier today, the strategy of waiting for the Shia and Sunni in Iraq to try to work, sit down and work something out in a central government in Baghdad is a less than viable option when our men and young men and women are patrolling the streets of Baghdad dying every day and we're asking the taxpayers of this country to spend $3 billion a week for people who half the time boycott their sessions. And to say that we're going to do this until maybe they can get together is not, in my judgment, something that we can endorse. And so, Mr. Speaker, the original authorization, which provided basically two things, one is to remove the threat posed by the then- Government of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, who has been captured, tried, convicted and executed, and to enforce the U.S. resolutions with respect to the weapons of mass destruction having been accomplished, it's not the war that we haven't won; it's the peace that we're having trouble with. And I want us to get together as a Congress to move forward to win the peace. That's what our mission is now. And the strategic mission that the administration had been following, the civilian leadership is not working out too well; 4\1/2\ years later, one can't leave the Green Zone without getting one's head shot off. I think we need the Congress to engage in a constructive, meaningful way. I think this vehicle will allow that to happen. And therefore, Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you and all of those people who had anything whatsoever to do with it. A big bipartisan vote today, I think, will begin this unification process we so desperately need in this country.

Mr. TANNER

Mr. TANNER. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to strongly oppose a provision that was included in H.R. 2881, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007. The underlying bill contains language that would unfairly target a single company located in my Sate and compel them to change the way they do business. There have been no hearings on this issue and I am concerned that there could be considerable unintended consequences if this provision is approved. Inclusion of the language could also put this critical aviation safety bill at risk. I have been told that several Senators have made clear this provision is a non-starter that puts a speedy and successful Conference at risk. At a time where air traffic is in gridlock, I think we have a duty to the American public to pass a bill that can quickly be conferenced with the Senate. Because I do think that we need to move forward on FAA reform, I will reluctantly vote for H.R. 2881. However, I believe that this bill is far too important to be used as a vehicle for targeting a single American company and am hopeful that this issue will be addressed in conference.

Mr. TANNER

Mr. TANNER. Thank you very much, Ms. Kaptur. I just felt compelled to come down here. And Mr. Regula, I thank you for taking this time. I guess I've traveled more with Paul Gillmor than any other Member. We have traveled together on the NATO Parliamentary Assembly business for at least the last 9 or 10 years, and that's two or three trips a year to the parliamentary meetings of NATO. And during that time, not only have my wife, Betty Ann, and his wife, Karen, become close friends, but I don't have or didn't have a closer friend in Congress than Paul Gillmor. He was not only an extraordinarily talented individual who made people comfortable around him, but he also had a leadership quality that I observed up close and personal many, many times in these NATO meetings. It hasn't been all that easy the last few years. There has been unrest in the alliance. And Paul was chairman of the Economics and Security Committee during part of that time, and I was a member and succeeded him as chairman. And it was an easy transition from the standpoint that Paul had gained so much respect from our European allies and colleagues that it was easy for us to run that committee in a way that I think was constructive. He was extraordinarily dedicated to his family. He talked about them all the time. And beyond that, he was a man that had a well-grounded sense of himself. He was one who not only cared deeply for his family, his State and his country, but was willing to go out of his way and inconvenience himself time and time again to go the extra mile to try to make things better. I feel very privileged to just have known him and to be a friend of his, and more importantly, him being a friend of mine. I'm going to miss him a lot. I know this House will miss him a lot. The country will miss him a lot. He is currently serving as North American Vice President of NATO PA, and I'm sure that that organization will miss him as well. Thank you for allowing me this time.

Mr. TANNER

Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with regard to H.R. 3162, The Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act of 2007, and in particular with regard to Section 502, ``Payment Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) Services.'' Section 502 takes critically important steps towards ensuring that Medicare beneficiaries have access to medically necessary inpatient rehabilitation in an appropriate treatment setting by permanently extending the 60 percent compliance threshold and by retaining co- morbidities in these provisions. Section 502 prevents further negative impacts from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) 70 Percent Rule policy, which since the Rule's implementation, has deprived more than 100,000 Medicare beneficiaries access to inpatient rehabilitation care despite their meeting medical necessity standards. I strongly support this permanent extension of the 60 percent compliance threshold. Section 502 also provides for a permanent extension in co-morbidities policy in ascertaining compliance with the rule. An estimated seven percent of the inpatient rehabilitation cases obtain eligibility through co-morbidities. Reversing this policy would adversely impact both beneficiaries and providers. CMS, in promulgating its Final Rule for the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) Prospective Payment System (PPS) which will be published in the Federal Register on August 7, 2007, has determined that effective July 1, 2008, co-morbidities may no longer be used to determine whether a provider meets the compliance threshold. The importance of Section 502 is particularly urgent in light of this recent regulatory action. I urge the House to take a firm stance when conferencing with respect to the inpatient rehabilitation provisions of Section 502. More than half of the House has joined as co-sponsors of H.R. 1459, which I-- along with my Colleagues Mr. Hulshof of Missouri, Mrs. Lowey of New York, and Mr. LoBiondo of New Jersey--introduced to ensure that the 60 percent compliance threshold is made permanent and that the co- morbidities provision is extended. I take seriously the trust that has been placed in me by these other 221 House co-sponsors, and I ask that the Conferees do the same. I also ask that the House safeguard the important provisions of H.R. 3162 that will yield critically important new information and data by requiring the Secretary to report on beneficiaries' access to medically necessary rehabilitative care and variation in that care across treatment settings. The reporting requirements also call for consideration of patients' length of stay and the frequency of readmission in evaluating cost effectiveness for an entire episode of care. These requirements accurately reflect the information necessary for educated decision-making, and we commend their inclusion in Section 502. There are two issues related to the legislation which I respectfully request our colleagues consider in any future conference negotiations. The House bill currently fails to fix Local Coverage Determinations (LCD) and medical necessity criteria issues which have become apparent in various areas throughout the country. We should not deliver a bill that addresses the compliance threshold but fails to deal with the simultaneous problems apparent in large areas of the country--where Medicare Fiscal Intermediaries are imposing narrow and restrictive interpretations which further limit access to medically necessary rehabilitation care and disregard physician judgments. I appreciate the commitment to addressing these issues demonstrated in Committee. As CMS and its contractors persist in imposing oversight requirements on the inpatient rehabilitation field which are far in excess of those imposed on any other health care sector under Medicare, a more reasonable approach is needed. Congress should codify Ruling 85-2, as called for in H.R. 1459. I appreciate that Chairman Stark has shown his willingness to continue working towards a resolution of our concerns. In addition, we strongly believe that Section 502 moves in precisely the wrong direction in making radical changes to payment rates for hip and knee replacement and hip fracture cases. We believe neither CMS nor Congress has the clinical data and comparative research necessary either on which to base this policy or to understand the impact of this decision. We should support accurate payments by the Medicare program that are based on sound analysis, clinical evidence, and aligned with the actual cost of providing high quality care. Instead, Section 502 uses the average per-stay skilled nursing facility payment rate as a baseline for calculating repayment in the inpatient rehabilitation context. Inpatient rehabilitation is fundamentally different and clinically more advanced than skilled nursing care. For patients requiring medical rehabilitation, these settings are not interchangeable. Therefore, the payments should not be interchangeable. Paying inpatient rehabilitation providers a lower amount bases on the rate for nursing facilities is contrary to the principles of pay-for- performance. Finally, we believe that the overall changes in payment rates called for in Section 502 results in a disproportionate financial impact for the rehabilitation hospital sector. Inpatient medical rehabilitation accounts for $6 billion in annual Medicare spending out of a total estimated $437 billion in 2007. Scoring by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) confirms that payments to the sector will be reduced by $2.4 billion over a 5-year period, and $6.6 billion over 10 years. In other words, inpatient rehabilitation hospital reductions represent 41 percent of Part A spending cuts currently in the bill for a sector that represents a mere 1.4 percent of total Medicare spending. Inflicting 41 percent of the Part A spending cuts on this sector appears to be disproportionate. In addition, it should be noted that the rehab hospital sector has already absorbed substantial cuts as a result of the phased implementation of the 75 Percent Rule policy. Data from the Centers from Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) confirm that rehabilitation providers experienced cuts of at least $300 million in the first year of implementation alone. The Department of Health and Human Services and CMS initiated the 75 Percent Rule without direction from Congress, and have moved forward with the policy in an unbridled way. It is imperative that this Congress take the necessary steps to protect patient access to inpatient rehabilitation hospital-level services. A final bill must be more reasonable for the rehabilitation sector and fairer to Medicare beneficiaries. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to retain the 60 percent compliance threshold and co-morbidities and address the remaining problematic issues relating to local coverage determinations and medical necessity criteria, and our payment policies for hip and knee conditions, as the legislative process moves forward.

Mr. TANNER

Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, I understand this or any administration's defensive posture when it comes to criticism of policy. And I understand the members of his party feeling the need to defend it. This interim report, ordinarily, I would be one who would wait until September. But this interim report that shows an appalling lack of progress on the political front in Iraq leads me to this conclusion. I was on active duty for 4 years during Vietnam, and I went down to Vietnam Wall the other night; 50-something thousand dead American names down there. We have now, 3,500-plus dead American names on the Iraq wall. And what was true then, to me, is true now. And General Petraeus himself said it not long ago when he said, military action is necessary, but any student of history recognizes that no military solution to a problem like Iraq is there. Military action may be necessary, but it is not sufficient. There needs to be a political aspect. The political aspect, as reported in this interim report, shows this: Of the 275 members of the Iraqi parliament, over one-third are presently boycotting meetings. Over one-third of the ministers are boycotting the meetings. Two years after the Iraqi elections, the government there is dysfunctional. Now just listen to General Petraeus's words. We have to have a political aspect. And this present strategy, whether the surge works or not, is beside the point. These people are unwilling or unable to come together, after 2 years of a government, to work together to build any kind of civil society that we can support. I think that it is now time, with this interim report and the lack of political progress there, to send a message. Nobody's talking about precipitous withdrawal. What we are talking about is this Congress engaging with this administration to support the troops and help them from this morass.

Mr. TANNER

Mr. TANNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the work and achievements of Mrs. Sandra L. Merin, president of the Board of Directors of the District of Columbia Children's Advocacy Center, also known as Safe Shores. This week Mrs. Merin is being honored by the National Children's Alliance as its 2007 Volunteer of the Year for her extraordinary service and leadership on behalf of abused children in the Nation's Capital. Established pursuant to the Children's Advocacy Center model created over two decades ago by our distinguished colleague Representative Robert ``Bud'' Cramer of Alabama, Safe Shores is a nonprofit organization that each year helps over 800 children whose lives have been marred by physical abuse, sexual abuse or other violence. Safe Shores' mission is to ensure the safety, health and well-being of abused children in the District of Columbia by uniting the strengths of public, private and community partners. Mrs. Merin has been a volunteer with Safe Shores for 6 years, during which time she has shown tremendous energy, persistence, and determination in being a voice for children who face abuse, neglect, and painful realities that no individual should ever know. Mrs. Merin leads the volunteer board of directors, helping to guide the governance of the organization and the board's development and expansion; she has helped forge a relationship between a respected local university and Safe Shores; she has served on the organization's 10th Anniversary Event Committee. In the true spirit of community service and philanthropy, Mrs. Merin does all her fine work for Safe Shores humbly and without seeking praise or reward. A devoted wife and mother, Sandra Merin exemplifies the spirit that made this country great and continues to sustain us. Madam Speaker, please join me in congratulating Mrs. Sandra Merin for her dedicated and invaluable support of Safe Shores and its crucial efforts to reduce trauma and promote healing for the youngest and most vulnerable of Washington, DC's residents.

Mr. TANNER

Mr. TANNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to help remember our former colleague, a distinguished leader and fellow Tennessean, former Representative Robin Beard, who passed away over the weekend. I had the honor of knowing him both professionally and personally. A former Marine, Robin served twice as assistant secretary general of NATO in Brussels. He and I had several lengthy conversations about NATO and the relationship between that organization and our work here in the House of Representatives. I appreciated his first-hand knowledge into the goals and workings of NATO, and his insights are helpful now as we represent the U.S. Congress at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Madam Speaker, I hope you and our colleagues will join me and the Tennessee delegation in remembering former Congressman Robin Beard, who made great contributions to our state, our country and the global community.

Mr. TANNER

Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank Mrs. Blackburn for bringing this to our attention. Robin Beard was a friend of all of ours from Tennessee, and many of you, both professionally and personally. I actually got to know him when he served two stints as Assistant Secretary General in NATO parliamentary, or the NATO organization in Brussels. He had a keen sense of humor, and he was a man who enjoyed the collegiality of the House. He was a House man, and he served his country well, both in uniform and out, when he was with NATO. And so I join on behalf of all of our Members from Tennessee and, really, all of the House and Mrs. Blackburn in this tribute to our fallen colleague, Mr. Beard.

Mr. TANNER

Mr. TANNER. Madam Speaker, I recently led a bipartisan House delegation to NATO Parliamentary Assembly meetings in Madeira and Lisbon, Portugal, and to additional meetings in Tunisia and Morocco from May 24-June 3. The co-chair of my delegation was the Hon. Paul Gillmor. In addition, Representatives Ralph Regula, Jo Ann Emerson, John Shimkus, Ellen Tauscher, Dennis Moore, Tom Tancredo, John Boozman, Baron Hill, Ben Chandler, Kendrick Meek, and Charles Melancon, and staff, worked to make this a highly successful trip in which we examined a range of NATO and Mediterranean security issues. The NATO Parliamentary Assembly, NPA, consists of parliamentarians from all 26 NATO member states. In addition, members of parliament present from such associated governments as Russia, Georgia, Croatia, and Afghanistan join discussions and debates over the key issues of interest to the alliance. The NPA thereby provides a forum for elected officials to analyze issues that NATO discusses in Brussels. Delegates have the opportunity to learn first-hand the views and concerns that other countries have over the key security issues of the day. An invaluable aspect of the meetings is the chance to meet and come to know members of parliaments who play important roles in their own countries in shaping the security agenda that their governments debate at NATO headquarters. These contacts can endure through a career, and can provide an invaluable private avenue for insights into each ally's particular views on an issue. The key issues before NATO today are Russia, missile defense, and the conflict in Afghanistan. Each of these was on vigorous display at the NPA meetings. Russia under Putin is following an increasingly assertive policy in its use of energy supplies as a political lever, and in efforts to intimidate neighboring states such as Estonia and Georgia. It was clear from our meetings that not only the United States and NATO, but the European Union as well, are concerned about Moscow's posture on a wide range of issues. The Bush Administration's missile defense proposal for Europe was also a central subject of discussion. While many governments accept in the abstract the need to consider such a defensive system in an era of missile and nuclear proliferation, the meetings revealed a wide array of views among the allies on the efficacy and timeliness of this particular system. The United States has approximately 25,000 troops in Afghanistan, of whom 17,000 are engaged in NATO's International Security Assistance Force, ISAF, fighting the Taliban. Portugal hosted the NP A meetings in Madeira. Before the opening sessions, the delegation had a detailed briefing and discussion with Ambassador Victoria Nuland, the U.S. representative to NATO. She very ably prepared us for the nuances of the discussion of the issues that would be debated in the NPA sessions. There followed another private meeting with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, who gave an overview of member state perspectives on the most controversial issues confronting the alliance; he later addressed the NPA's plenary session. The Prime Minister of Portugal also addressed the plenary, and emphasized the importance of Mediterranean security issues, which were a recurrent theme in our trip. There followed 2 days of NPA committee meetings. There are 5 NPA committees. In each, parliamentarians present reports on issues before the alliance, which are then debated by all members of the committee who may make counter-arguments or suggestions for amending a report. We divided our delegation so that U.S. Members were present in each committee meeting. I chaired the Economics and Security Committee, which heard reports on the Republic of Georgia's progress towards democracy and its increasingly close association with NATO, on defense resource management, and on economic developments in East Asia. Representative Boozman was the co-rapporteur of this last report, which he very ably presented, and which aroused an interesting discussion. Rep. Boozman noted the growing commercial interests of the United States and its allies in East Asia, and the political and security implications of this growing web of economic connections. The Committee also heard a provocative and interesting presentation by Lawrence Korb of the Center for American Progress. He discussed the U.S. defense budget debate, and the effects that the Iraq war is having on U.S. military capabilities around the world. The NPA Political Committee, of which Rep. Chandler is a vice- chairman, heard several reports that touched off sometimes contentious debates. Most notable were exchanges between the Russian delegates and their counterparts from NATO parliaments over the cyber attacks on Estonia's government and business electronic systems, in all probability launched in retaliation for Estonia's relocation of a Soviet-era war memorial. There was also a report by a Canadian delegate on the conflict in Afghanistan. Backed by her U.S. colleagues, she called for a reduction in caveats--restrictions that some allies place on their forces in Afghanistan--and a greater sharing of the combat burden among member states. The Defense and Security Committee also heard a report on Afghanistan that concentrated on military operations there. Representative Shimkus then gave a clear, succinct, and analytical presentation on his report on the NATO-EU security relationship. He called for better coordination between the 2 organizations so that member governments might pool and share resources more smoothly as NATO and the EU work more closely together in such missions as Afghanistan and Kosovo. His report was well-received, and led to an interesting debate. Representative Tauscher is a vice-chair of one of the Committee's subcommittees. The Science and Technology Committee heard reports on climate change and on the transformation of warfare brought on by the increasing use of computers and other high technology. A report by a Russian delegate set off a broad debate on the administration's missile defense proposals. The concerns of Moscow were clearly, if ideologically, laid out by the Russian delegate, with responses from a range of European delegates. Representative Tauscher provided a clear and concise congressional perspective on missile defense after a presentation on the issue by a U.S. Department of Defense official. The Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security heard reports on a range of issues, the most interesting of which was the protection of critical infrastructures. The issue of the recent cyber attacks in Estonia was again raised; vulnerability of communications and other electronic networks in allied states is likely to become a matter of growing debate in the alliance. Representative Emerson is a vice-chair of one of the Committee's subcommittees. The rapporteurs will present updated drafts of their reports during the next NPA meetings, which will occur in Reykjavik, Iceland, October 5-9, 2007. The delegation also met with a member of the Afghan parliament who is an observer delegate to the NPA. We discussed NATO operations, the narcotics trade in Afghanistan, and governance issues with him. The delegation next went to Lisbon on May 28-29 for meetings there and visits to 2 military bases. After a briefing by U.S. Ambassador Alfred Hoffman and his staff, the delegation visited the NATO Joint Command just outside Lisbon. Joint HQ Lisbon is an allied mobile command that becomes a sea-based command in the initial stages of operations ranging from peacekeeping to war fighting. It is a reflection of NATO's ongoing transformation into a lighter, more mobile military structure able to counter crises around the world. Joint HQ Lisbon currently provides the headquarters structure for the NATO mission in Darfur. The delegation then visited the NATO Joint Command for Combined Air Operations Center, CAOC, which has highly sophisticated electronic systems that monitor all air traffic off southwestern Europe, northwestern Africa, and in the western Mediterranean. The CAOC can scramble aircraft to counter any potential aerial threat to the region. The delegation again picked up the themes of Mediterranean security in Tunis on May 30-31. Tunisia is part of NATO's Mediterranean Dialogue, in which NATO governments join a number of Arab governments along the Mediterranean coast and Israel to discuss and begin to train for counter-terror and counter-proliferation efforts. Bilaterally, Tunisia is also an important friend of the United States in countering terrorist threats in North Africa. At the same time, some Members raised concerns about the need for the Tunisian Government to make greater progress on the road to democracy. In 1942-1944, 2,841 American soldiers gave their lives in the effort to defeat German and Italian forces in the North African theater during the Second World War. The delegation visited their resting place in the North African Cemetery, managed by the U.S. American Battle Monuments Commission. While we tend to think of U.S. cemeteries in the Second World War theater as being located in Europe, the cemetery outside Tunis is a monument to the brave soldiers who gave their lives in the strategically critical and often extremely difficult battles that weakened Germany's lines of defense and supply in preparation for the conclusive battles of 1944-1945 in Europe. Accompanied by other members of the delegation, I laid a wreath at the cemetery's central monument. Members of the delegation then walked to individual graves of fallen soldiers from their states. This was perhaps the most memorable and poignant moment of the delegation's trip. After a briefing by U.S. Ambassador Robert Godec, the Members had a lengthy and highly informative meeting with the Tunisian President, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, where we discussed the key issues in U.S.- Tunisian relations, as well as matters of Mediterranean security. There followed meetings with the Foreign and Defense Ministers, where issues of U.S.-Tunisian cooperation and U.S. military assistance were discussed in detail. These meetings provided a precise, focused discussion of how the United States and Tunisia might work more closely together on security issues. The delegation also visited the Tunisian parliament. On June 1-2, the delegation went to Rabat for meetings with Moroccan officials on security issues. Morocco has experienced an increase in Al Qaeda activity; the Madrid train bombings of March 2004 were largely carried out by Moroccan Islamist extremists. Morocco, which is on a path of moderate democratization, is one of the United States' oldest allies, and was the first government to recognize U.S. independence. After a briefing by U.S. Ambassador Thomas Riley and his staff, the delegation held meetings with the Moroccan Defense Minister and with upper-level officials in the Foreign Ministry. The focal points of these discussions were Morocco's participation in NATO's Mediterranean Dialogue, and U.S.-Moroccan bilateral efforts to counter proliferation and terrorism. We also visited the Moroccan parliament for a meeting with the chamber of deputies' leader, comparable to our Speaker of the House. The U.S. Air Force Reserve elements from Scott Air Force Base piloted our aircraft and security for it was provided by members of the United States Air Force Reserve from Andrews Air Force Base. Our military personnel provide a quiet but invaluable service in ensuring safety and an efficient schedule for U.S. congressional delegations, and this group of service men and women was no exception. I thank them for their hard work and their dedication to duty.

Mr. TANNER

Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in recognizing American Eagle Day to honor the birds that have symbolized our country's freedom and democracy for centuries. H. Res. 341 encourages all Americans to acknowledge American Eagle Day on June 20, 2007, which marks the 225th anniversary of the bald eagle's designation as our national symbol.

Mr. TANNER

Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 412) expressing gratitude to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, for their State Visit to the United States and reaffirming the friendship that exists between the United States and the United Kingdom, as amended.