Chris Van Hollen

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I stand in support of H.R. 2892, the Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2010. This conference report represents Congress' commitment to partnering with State and local authorities to meet the homeland security challenges of the nation. State and local emergency managers and first responders are the country's front line defense in times of crisis. Whenever ordinary Americans find themselves in harm's way, State and local authorities are often first on the scene. Not only does the bill provide almost $4 billion for grants to assist State and local governments with emergency planning and equipment, the bill provides an additional $3.9 billion in grants for high-risk urban areas like the National Capital region for mass transit security, and fire and rescue programs. This conference report recognizes State and local governments as full and equal partners in the effort to protect American citizens by helping ensure that they have the tools they need to get the job done. The bill also provides important support for key elements of the domestic and international transportation, maritime and cyber security defenses of the country. The bill contains funding to update and maintain airport baggage handling and electronic cargo inspection systems in the Nation's air and sea ports; the bill helps protect Americans and American ships abroad with funding for U.S. Coast Guard operations; and the bill includes $397 million in funding for cyber security efforts to protect the nation's cyber infrastructure against unauthorized access. Americans turn to first responders and emergency managers for help in a crisis. This bill helps ensure that the resources are there when they are needed. I encourage my colleagues to join me in support of the 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations Act.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, Iran admitted the existence of a secret enrichment facility in the holy city of Qom. This development has set in motion a renewed commitment on the part of the international community to pursue more aggressive penalties against Iran for its nuclear enrichment activities. Today, as Secretary of State Hilary Clinton arrives in Moscow to solicit Russian support for more stringent sanctions against Iran, the U.S. House of Representatives considers legislation that will enable ordinary Americans to express their opposition to Iran's illegal nuclear activities. The Iran Sanctions Enabling Act of 2009 helps to weaken Iran's vital petroleum industry by cutting off its access to global investment. The legislation enables State and local governments to divest from entities that invest more than $20 million in Iran's energy sector. Though Iran possesses large oil reserves, it has little refining capacity and the lack of refined petroleum products has often been a source of tension between its government and its people. It is clear that arresting Iran's illegal nuclear enrichment program will require a comprehensive approach that targets Iran's important energy sector, truncates its access to the global financial system and engages its people. This legislation can help to achieve these goals. I encourage my colleagues to join me in support of this bill. Mr. McMahon. Mr. Speaker, Iran's nuclear program has been an issue of serious concern for the international community since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Since that time, Iran has been steadily advancing towards the nuclear threshold necessary to develop nuclear weaponry. Ahmadinejad already has 8,000 centrifuges that have produced enough uranium to build two nuclear weapons and the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, has evidence of an Iranian uranium enrichment program coupled with explosives testing and development of devices to fire nuclear weapons. Furthermore, every day Iran's nuclear stockpile grows by 4\1/2\ pounds. It would be an absolute disaster for the United States and its allies if Iran enriched uranium even further. Israel, in particular, sees the face of Iran's blind aggression every day. Iran has not only threatened the very existence of the one true democracy in the Middle East, but encourages other hostile governments to do the same through a complex network of nuclear and arms cooperation. Given these facts and undoubtedly an immeasurable amount of undisclosed information, the United States finds itself at a crossroads. Negotiations with the Iranians will conclude in Vienna on October 19. But, recent revelations of a previously undisclosed nuclear facility, not to mention the increasingly atrocious treatment of opposition supporters, have illustrated that unfortunately, Iran has already failed the test and it is time for Plan B. For this reason, I commend the House on the passage of the Iran Sanctions Act, H.R. 1327, a bill which I am a proud cosponsor of. The future of nuclear nonproliferation, international security and the well-being of young Iranians lies in the administration's ability to steer Iran away from it dangerous ambitions. Fortunately, H.R. 1327 opens the door to this diversion by uniquely complementing the administration's forward-thinking strategy of dialogue with strict credit sanctions. Sans sanctions, engagement can be and historically has been manipulated by Iran as a mere tactic for delay. Without the foreign capital investments to modernize its petroleum infrastructure, Ahmadinejad will soon have no choice but to change course. I would like to conclude by noting that Iran's deficient refining capacity calls for targeted sanctions on refined petroleum and increased international cooperation to enforce these measures with our partners in the EU, Russia and China. The threat from Iran demands an effective policy response--and our European allies are well-placed to formulate one. Germany, for example, has already taken notable steps to reduce its business with Iran. But despite a 90 percent decline between 2006 and 2008 in the German Government's issuance of export credit guarantees to Iran, exports to Iran have increased. These sorts of disturbing trends coupled with Iran's thriving black market, underpin the premise that more must be done to curtail foreign investment and ultimately, Iran's nuclear weapons pursuit. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with both my colleagues in the House and the Foreign Affairs Committee to increase the administration's options when dealing with Iran. Once again, the passage of the Iran Sanctions Act is a momentous step towards not only effectively dealing with Iran, but towards replacing a troubling network of nuclear cooperation with a newfound movement towards international cooperation for the sake of world peace.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, our nation's founding principles guarantee individual freedom and liberty. We risk these rights when hateful discrimination and violence are allowed to flourish. Hate crimes prevention legislation gives law enforcement the tools they need to protect our liberties and ensure that no American is assaulted because of who they are. We have existing federal hate crimes laws to assist local law enforcement in cases of violent crimes motivated by a victim's race, color, religion, or national origin. With this legislation, we expand protections to gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability. Hate crimes devastate individuals and families and terrorize communities. By giving law enforcement resources to combat and prosecute the thousands of hate crimes that occur in our country each year, we continue to defend those freedoms that define America's character.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, in recognition of World Standards Week, which was observed last week, I rise to salute the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP), which is based in my district in Rockville, Maryland and has sites in China, India, Brazil, and Switzerland. Since 1820, USP, a non-profit organization, has worked to improve the health of people around the world through public standards and related programs that help ensure the quality, safety and benefits of medicines and foods. It has worked closely with the FDA to develop and revise drug quality standards. It also sets food ingredient standards and offers voluntary verification programs for pharmaceutical ingredients, dietary supplements, and ingredients used in dietary supplements. USP's drug standards are legally enforceable by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States, and its standards for drugs, food ingredients and dietary supplements are used and relied upon in more than 130 countries. As part of its mission, USP works with a broad range of standards-setting bodies toward the common goals of inter- organizational cooperation and the widespread dissemination of standards. These bodies include the American National Standards Institute, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the International Standards Organization, the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines, the Chinese National Institute for the Control of Pharmaceutical and Biological Products, the Japanese Pharmacopeia, the British National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, and many others throughout the world. Patients, consumers, manufacturers, and taxpayers are the ultimate beneficiaries of USP's efforts, and are able to possess greater confidence about the identity and quality of these products in the marketplace. Assisted by more than 1,000 volunteers worldwide, USP engages in public processes to ensure unbiased, independent, authoritative, science-based decision-making. I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention for its efforts to enhance food and drug safety standards around the world.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the 2010 Defense Authorization Conference Report. This conference agreement reflects our commitment to the national security objectives of the country and demonstrates our support for our servicemembers and their families. The bill authorizes $680 billion for military personnel, equipment and global operations. To improve the quality of life for our troops and their families the report provides a 3.9 percent military pay raise for personnel and preserves important health benefits including prohibiting fee increases in TRICARE and the TRICARE pharmacy program and creating new preventive health care initiatives. The National Defense Authorization Act covers a large number of federal employees and this conference report includes important benefit improvements for many of them. The report includes a provision to allow employees under the FERS system to use unused sick leave when computing their annuities upon retirement; a provision to allow CSRS workers to phase-down to part-time status at the ends of their careers without reducing their final annuities; and a provision I introduced that permits a small number of returned CSRS employees to receive a reduced annuity rather than being forced to repay interest on their required deposit to the civil service trust fund. This FY10 Defense Authorization Conference Report promotes our national security priorities, provides for our troops and their families, and improves oversight, and accountability. I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting the bill.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the FY 2010 Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration Appropriations Conference Report, and I commend Chairwoman DeLauro for bringing this bipartisan legislation to the floor today. The FY 2010 Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration Appropriations bill makes key investments in protecting our public health, bolstering food nutrition programs, and conserving our natural resources. The conference report provides $2.36 billion for the Food and Drug Administration, which represents a 15 percent increase over last year. We need to ensure that the FDA has the necessary tools and resources to fulfill its vital mission in protecting the American public so that FDA-regulated products, like food, are safe. This important investment in the FDA will help the agency in meeting its mission in protecting the public health. The $58 billion provided for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will help low income and elderly Americans struggling with rising food costs in this current economic downturn. In addition, $7.3 billion is provided for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, WIC, to help encourage a healthy pregnancy for women and promote a healthy start for their children. This legislation provides $1 billion for the Natural Resources Conservation Service to help face the demands for cleaner water, reduced soil erosion, and more wildlife habitat. I am particularly pleased that almost $4 million is provided for Chesapeake Bay restoration activities that will provide farmers, landowners, and communities within the Chesapeake Bay watershed technical assistance in implementing important conservation programs which will help improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this conference report.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the FY 10 Energy and Water Appropriations Conference Report, and I commend Chairman Pastor and Ranking Member Frelinghuysen for bringing this bipartisan legislation to the floor today. The FY 10 Energy and Water Appropriations bill makes key investments that will drive American innovation, enhance our energy security, clean up our environment, reduce the threat of nuclear weapons and support our water infrastructure. The conference report provides $4.9 billion to the Department of Energy's Office of Science, $1.6 billion for basic energy sciences and $2.4 billion for applied research. These funding levels, when added to last year's appropriations and this year's stimulus bill, exceed the goals of the America COMPETES Act and meaningfully advance our Nation's innovation agenda. The $2.2 billion allocated to energy efficiency and renewable energy represents a 16 percent year over year increase and, in conjunction with continued Title 17 Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee authority, will strengthen our energy security by accelerating our research, development and deployment of homegrown solar, biofuel, smart grid, and advanced vehicle technologies. This legislation continues the Nation's half century commitment to mitigating the environmental impacts of contaminated military and civilian nuclear sites by spending $6.419 billion for that purpose, and it provides $9.072 billion to confront the global nuclear threat, including $2.1 billion in support of President Obama's nuclear nonproliferation initiative. Finally, the FY 10 Energy and Water bill designates $6.7 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation for priority water infrastructure, flood protection, and conservation projects. In that regard, I am particularly pleased with the inclusion of over $3 million for specific Chesapeake Bay restoration initiatives of particular importance to my congressional district and the rest of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the committee, Mr. Berman, and congratulate him and Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen on bringing this important bill to the floor. We have to learn from our past mistakes. And the fact is that the economic and political stability of Pakistan is essential to U.S. security interests, and we know what has happened in the past when we have ignored that fact. Because when the Soviet Union withdrew its forces from Afghanistan in 1989, the United States lost interest in Afghanistan, and we reduced our commitment to Pakistan at the same time. And we all know the consequences. The consequences we saw on September 11, 2001. Because what happened in that power vacuum in Afghanistan was that Taliban took power. They invited al Qaeda in, and the result is the horrible attacks that we saw September 11, 2001. We must not repeat those mistakes. We must provide a substantial and solid foundation to our relationship with Pakistan which includes not only military assistance but economic assistance and also should require a trade relationship. And I am disappointed that the reconstruction opportunity zones provisions were dropped from this bill. They were supported by the President of Pakistan who thought they were important to economic development there. They were part of President Obama's security strategy with respect to Pakistan and Afghanistan which he announced in March. Ambassador Holbrooke in a letter to the Speaker of the House said that the ROZs, reconstruction opportunity zones, are a vital component of our policy towards Pakistan in a moment of great challenge, indeed crisis, for that critically important nation. I hope, Mr. Chairman, we can continue to work on this. Thank you for your leadership here. I thank Representative Levin, as well, and other Members, because I think that the Pakistani President is a good judge of what the economic impact would be. And I do find it curious when sometimes Members of this Congress substitute their judgment as to what would be in the economic interests of Pakistan.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We just heard from the previous speaker that we should focus on trade more than aid. And I do think we need to move forward on trade because we do know that that provides for more sustainable foundation to long- term economic growth in Pakistan. And the idea behind the reconstruction opportunity zones was to create more incentive for businesses to operate out of some of the troubled regions in Pakistan and provide alternatives to taking up a gun or joining the Taliban or joining the insurgency. So I think this is a very important part of our strategy. I'm very hopeful that we can move forward on this with the Senate. I'm disappointed again that the Senate has decided not to go forward at this time. And I just want to underscore again the statements made by Secretary Clinton as well as Ambassador Holbrooke and the President of the United States that we should move forward on this on an expeditious basis. Again, I thank the chairman for his leadership.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize Lori Weinstein as a 2009 Angel in Adoption for her exceptional work in Montgomery County, Maryland's Health and Human Services Department. Lori has served as a social worker in Montgomery County Child Welfare for 21 years and has been involved in Adoption Services since 1991. She has been instrumental in finding permanent loving homes for more than 160 children. Lori is a tireless advocate on behalf of the children with whom she works. She ensures that the clinical needs of her children are met and she works with families to resolve difficulties that arise during the adoption process. Indeed, she is known for her adept handling of conflicts that arise from cultural differences. Thanks to her exceptional skills and professionalism, many families have specifically requested Lori's assistance in the adoption process. Lori is also dedicated to finding ways to improve the systems for handling adoption cases. For example, she developed a database system that better facilitates adoptions by carefully tracking milestones. Lori is known as a respected leader by her colleagues and others working on adoptions in Montgomery County. Lori's compassion, determination and commitment to her important work have made her a true Angel to countless children and families. I am pleased to name Lori Weinstein a 2009 Angel in Adoption.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Medicare Premium Fairness Act, which will protect millions of seniors and people with disabilities from unfair increases in their 2010 Medicare Part B premiums. Because of very low inflation, it is expected that there will not be a cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) in Social Security benefits next year. The current law has built-in protections for approximately seventy-five percent of Medicare Part B enrollees in which they will not see an increase in their Part B premiums as a result of not receiving a COLA on their Social Security checks. However, the remaining twenty-five percent of Medicare Part B enrollees will not be held harmless from an increase in their Part B premiums and will instead be responsible for shouldering the entire burden of next year's Part B program cost increase. This bill, quite simply, would extend the current hold harmless policy to all Medicare enrollees. By taking this action, it will ensure that no senior will face Medicare Part B premium increases next year-- including federal and state government retirees who do not pay their Part B premiums out of a Social Security check and so would have been disproportionately burdened without this change. The legislation is fully paid for and meets PAY-GO requirements. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this very important bill that will help seniors and people with disabilities.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Berman and Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen for their efforts in bringing this resolution to the floor today. Also I want to thank the committee staffs, in particular Rick Kessler and Amanda Sloat for their efforts. I am very proud to be a Co-chair of the Congressional Dutch Caucus with my colleague Pete Hoekstra of Michigan with whom I have worked on a bipartisan basis to further strengthen relations between the U.S. and the Netherlands. I am also very pleased to join with him in introducing this resolution. This year we celebrate the quadricentennial of American and Dutch relations. Four hundred years ago, the Dutch ship, the Half Moon, sailed up the Hudson River. In 1776, when Dutch cannons at Fort Orange on the Caribbean island of Saint Eustace saluted visiting American warships, The Netherlands became the first nation to recognize the newly born United States of America. Over the last 400 years, our people have built an enduring and productive cultural, commercial, and strategic partnership. The fruits of that partnership and the contributions made by Dutch Americans to the culture, prosperity, and security of this country are well known. The Dutch helped settle and found New Amsterdam, Brooklyn, and Harlem. Their descendents rose to be Presidents of the United States and to build the great fortunes that helped America attain its stature as the most prosperous and powerful Nation this world has ever known. And it is widely recognized that Thomas Jefferson used the Dutch Declaration of Independence of 1689 as a guide when writing the American Declaration of Independence. On issues of security, Dutch and American troops have stood ``shoulder to shoulder'' in combat and have partnered in global peacekeeping and stabilization efforts in Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The close cooperation and free and open communication resulting from our ties have strengthened our ability to confront with confidence the major challenges that the world faces today. Not only the stubborn, enduring challenges such as the unresolved crisis in Darfur or the efforts to establish a lasting peace in the Middle East, but also the warming of the planet and the ongoing threat of international terrorism. In the days and years ahead, the close historical bonds between the Dutch and Americans will be called upon to address these and other global challenges. Our continued cooperation will be key to our success. The strength of our alliance and the endurance of our friendship have made both our countries stronger and the world more secure. I stand proudly today to honor and celebrate that friendship on the occasion of its 400th anniversary.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding achievements of one of our nation's great radio talk show hosts, Diane Rehm. Diane is celebrating her 30th anniversary at WAMU 88.5 FM, where she hosts The Diane Rehm Show. The show is distributed nationally and internationally by NPR and NPR Worldwide and is estimated to have a U.S. audience of over two million listeners. In 2007 and 2008, the show was the only live call-in talk show to be named among the top ten most powerful programs in public radio. Diane began her radio career in 1973 as a volunteer producer at WAMU, despite having had no prior radio experience. Ten months later, she was hired as an assistant producer. She became host of WAMU's Kaleidoscope in 1979 and hosted her first session of ``Open Phones'' when one of her guests failed to show up. Shortly thereafter, in 1984, the show got a new name: The Diane Rehm Show. In 1998, her career nearly came to a halt because of a puzzling speech problem. She was diagnosed and treated for spasmodic dysphonia, a neurological disorder. Not to be defeated, she returned to the show and made a point of calling attention to this condition. In 2000, she interviewed President Bill Clinton and became the first radio talk show host to interview a sitting President in the Oval Office. Her guests have also included President Jimmy Carter, Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, V.S. Naipaul, Toni Morrison, Annie Leibovitz, George Soros, Ted Koppel, Julia Child and the beloved Mr. Rogers. Diane became a best-selling memoirist with the publication of Finding My Voice in 1999, which was followed by her compelling and deeply personal book about marriage, Toward Commitment, co-written with her husband, John Rehm. Diane has received many personal honors over the years, including being named a Paul H. Nitze Senior Fellow at St. Mary's College of Maryland and being inducted into the Class of 2004 Hall of Fame by the Washington, DC Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. She was honored as a Fellow by the Society of Professional Journalists, the highest honor the Society bestows on a journalist. Diane was also named by Washingtonian magazine in 2006 as one of Washington's ``100 Most Powerful Women,'' and in 2007 as one of the ``150 Most Influential People in Washington.'' In 2006, Diane became the inaugural recipient of the Urbino Press Award, headquartered in Urbino, Italy, which recognized her ``long and prestigious career in journalism.'' In 2008, the University Club of Washington, D.C. honored her with ``The Distinguished Washingtonian Award in Literature and the Arts.'' She has been awarded honorary degrees from the Virginia Theological Seminary, Washington College, and McDaniel College. Diane's loyalty and devotion to WAMU and American University were recognized in 2007 when she was invited to receive an honorary degree and deliver the College of Arts and Sciences' commencement address. Over the years, Diane's listeners have also come to know Diane's family--her husband, John, her children David and Jennifer, and her grandchildren--and her dear friend Bishop Jane Holmes Dixon, with whom she speaks every day. On a personal note, I am a longtime fan and admirer of Diane Rehm and have had the privilege of being a guest on her show. While those of us who live and listen in the Washington, DC region consider Diane our own, she has avid listeners and admirers throughout the country. We take great pride in having her as a member of our community. Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize Diane Rehm for her outstanding 30-year career at WAMU and for the impact she has had on public radio broadcasting.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation to temporarily extend unemployment insurance benefits. Unemployment rates remain historically high. However, we are beginning to see signs of economic recovery. Though the August 2009 jobs report announced that 216,000 jobs were lost, it was the fewest jobs losses in a year. We are seeing rebounds in the housing and stock markets. The gross domestic product is stabilizing. It is becoming increasingly clear that the Recovery Act that Congress passed earlier this year prevented a severe economic collapse and is a success by putting money back into the economy, creating jobs, and providing tax relief to 95 percent of Americans. While this economic progress is welcome news, much work remains to be done in rebuilding our economy. Too many Americans remain out of work at no fault of their own. They are still struggling to make ends meet. If we do not act to extend unemployment benefits, thousands of American workers will run out of unemployment compensation by the end of September, and over one million will exhaust benefits by the end of the year. These benefits help workers who have lost their jobs to buy basic necessities for their families as well as continue their mortgage payments. Mr. Speaker, we must continue to help those in need during this economic recovery. I urge my colleagues to support this much-needed legislation.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Chair, I rise today in strong support of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act. Today's bill provides access to education and builds a strong 21st Century workforce. It provides access to college by ensuring that students have a reliable source of affordable federal loans. It simplifies the FAFSA to make it easier to apply for assistance. And it guarantees the Pell grant as a key to college affordability by indexing the maximum award to the Consumer Price Index plus one percent. SAFRA will also help students stay in college with a new federal emphasis on college completion. As increasing numbers of Americans turn to community college for job training, this bill invests $3 billion to fund programs to retain and graduate students. SAFRA provides access to quality early childhood education by making new investments in innovative birth through five programs. The bill ensures that every child enters kindergarten ready to succeed by transforming early education standards and building our early childhood workforce. And finally, it provides access to safe places to learn with funds to repair crumbling schools and make energy-efficiency improvements to save money over the long term. Importantly, SAFRA makes these vital investments without adding a single penny to the federal deficit. In fact, it would return $10 billion in savings to the Treasury. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and ensure that every child has access to a high quality education, from birth to graduation day.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr Chair, I rise in support of the Advanced Vehicle Technology Act of 2009. This bipartisan bill will provide long term, sustained funding for a comprehensive research and development program across a spectrum of vehicle sizes and advanced vehicle technologies. It will focus and better coordinate the ongoing work of our federal agencies, research institutions and private industry on this important task. And it will benefit all Americans by strengthening our energy security, reducing harmful emissions, providing consumers with more vehicle choice, boosting our manufacturing sector and enhancing our international competitiveness. I commend Representatives Peters and Biggert for crafting this forward-looking legislation. I urge my colleagues' support.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues today to honor the memory and sacrifice of almost 3,000 innocent men and women who lost their lives 8 years ago in the worst act of terrorism this country has ever endured. Terrorism anywhere is a threat to life, freedom and democratic values everywhere. The tragedy of September 11th was not just a tragedy for Americans, it will forever remain a global reminder that there are people who will stop at nothing and cross any border to spread hate and visit violence upon the innocent. The President has expressed his determination to face the cancer of global terrorism with renewed purpose and to defeat it at its source. He has made this commitment not only to safeguard lives, but also to honor the commitment of the dedicated men and women in uniform serving in harms way, here at home, and around the world. September 11th is a day to remember those who lost their lives and to express our solidarity with the families they left behind. It is a day to honor the heroic public servants who help keep us safe here and abroad and a day for Americans to express their gratitude for their sacrifice. September 11th is also a day of acknowledgment of the dangerous world we live in today and of the difficult task that still lies ahead.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. I thank my colleague from North Carolina for his leadership on this issue. Mr. Speaker, in this country, we believe that hard work should be rewarded, and I think most people in this country believe in the concept of pay for performance. But what we've seen on Wall Street over the last many years is turning that concept of pay for performance on its head. We saw CEOs and the folks in the Wall Street boardrooms getting huge bonuses based on short-term gains for their companies, even while that excessive risk-taking put those institutions at risk. Now, if it was just those institutions, I think we'd say, okay, let them take that risk. If they want to overpay their CEOs in the sense that the company's going to be put in jeopardy, and it was just that company at risk, okay. But what happened is this kind of excessive risk-taking went on at the biggest financial institutions of this country and put the entire economy at risk, put the financial system at risk, and at the end of the day, put all of the taxpayers in this country on the line. So we all have a stake in changing the system. We all have a stake in making sure people get paid for performance, and not paid by putting taxpayers in the financial system at risk because, at the end of the day, we're all holding the line, not just the CEO and not just the shareholders. So, Mr. Speaker, it's time to say, enough is enough. Let's pass this legislation to protect consumers, shareholders and the taxpayer.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Chair, I rise in support of the 2010 Department of Defense Appropriations Act. This bill provides $636.3 billion to fund the defense, military family support, humanitarian assistance and oversight priorities of the American people. This bill provides the resources to implement President Obama's national security strategy, including the new approach he is taking with respect to Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill also provides funding to support the general quality-of-life needs of our troops and their families. Specifically, the measure provides a 3.4 percent pay increase for military personnel; $8.3 million in additional funds to compensate personnel subject to ``stop loss'' requirements; and $2.6 billion to support military families--including $472 million for family advocacy programs that help children and families manage the many challenges of military service. The bill also provides $29.9 billion for the defense health program, including $500 million for traumatic brain injury treatments and funds to treat Post-traumatic Stress Syndrome. And finally, the Defense Appropriations Act includes a number of provisions to improve oversight of defense contractors and $110 million for international humanitarian assistance including foreign disaster and emergency relief assistance.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009. This bipartisan legislation will address and reform the shortcomings in our food supply system. Serious gaps have been exposed in the Food and Drug Administration's ability to protect the American public due to recent outbreaks and recalls of food-borne diseases in spinach, peanuts, peppers, and other foods that many Americans depend on daily. These outbreaks have not only shaken consumer confidence in the industry that produces one of our most basic and important commodities, but it has also caused sickness and even death. We need to ensure that FDA has the necessary tools and resources to fulfill its vital mission in protecting the American public from unsafe products. The Food Safety Enhancement Act will accomplish this by bringing the FDA into the 21st century so that it can address the challenges and problems created by a global food system and to prevent the causes associated with food-borne illnesses. Currently, FDA is only able to inspect approximately one percent of imported food at the border. The bill will require the FDA to inspect high-risk facilities once every six months to a year and create a system to prevent contamination of imported and domestically produced food from occurring. Mr. Speaker, American consumers should not live in fear of the food they eat. I want to thank Chairman Waxman and Chairman Dingell for their leadership on this very important issue. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this much-needed legislation.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I join my colleagues today on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in recognition of the fifth anniversary of the declaration by the United States Congress of genocide in Darfur, Sudan. On July 22, 2004, members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate united to pay witness to irrefutable evidence that a systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing was underway in Darfur, perpetrated by the Sudanese government and characterized by forced displacements, mass murder, abduction, torture, and rape. Five years have passed since Congress first declared this tragedy genocide. To date, over 300,000 Darfuris have lost their lives and nearly 3,000,000 have been displaced. And yet, despite the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement in May 2006 and the deployment of a joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping force, the deadly conflict in Darfur continues. We therefore unite once again and we will continue doing so, until this tragedy ends; to honor the heroic efforts of dedicated humanitarian workers who put their lives at risk; to recognize the actions of responsible nations who refuse to stand idly by as innocent people suffer; and to shame those who, in the face of unspeakable horrors, choose to do nothing.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Sergeant Christopher Eney, a brave and dedicated U.S. Capitol Police Officer who was killed on the job 25 years ago this August. Sergeant Eney, who was 37 years old, was a devoted husband and father. He was deeply committed to his work with the Capitol Police, to which he gave 12 years of faithful service. His fellow officers remember his as ``a model officer, a leader, not a follower.'' At his memorial service, they recalled his quiet optimism, how Sergeant Eney could conjure a smile during his shifts in the House gallery at four in the morning. Sergeant Eney, they remembered, was always proud to serve. In a training exercise in 1984, a fellow officer accidently discharged his weapon, and Sergeant Eney was mortally wounded. He was the first Capitol Police Officer to die in the line of the duty. Sergeant Eney's wife Vivian spoke at a ceremony for fallen officers some years later. ``As far as I'm concerned,'' she said, ``death doesn't make them a hero. What makes them a hero is the fact that they're walking out of the Academy, they're putting on a gun, they're wearing the badge. And in this day and age that takes a lot of courage.'' Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize the service and sacrifice of Christopher Eney and all of America's fallen heroes, and I ask my colleagues to join me in doing so.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Transportation-HUD Appropriations Act of 2010. This bipartisan bill appropriates a total of $123.1 billion to fund the transportation, infrastructure, housing assistance and development and transportation security priorities of the American people. The bill includes urgently needed federal funding for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) for which the entire Washington area delegation has long advocated. WMATA plays a major role in supporting the federal government. By some accounts, as many as 50 percent of peak hour riders are federal employees or contractors. Last year, Congress authorized $1.5 billion in dedicated Federal funding over 10 years for capital improvements and preventive maintenance. The legislation required the local jurisdictions to amend the WMATA compact to commit to providing matching funding, create an office of Inspector General, and enable the appointment of Federal representation on the WMATA Board. In late June, the delegation introduced companion resolutions to ratify the compact amendments. The tragic derailment on June 22nd highlighted the importance of securing a stable and dedicated funding source for Metro modernization efforts. This bill makes the first installment of Congress' 10-year $1.5 billion commitment by providing $150 million in new funding for grants to WMATA for the DC Metro to address safety deficiencies and to help maintain and expand the capital's subway system. This $150 million will help WMATA make urgent safety improvements and I thank Chairman Olver for his attention to this critical need. The bill also includes $4 billion for high-speed passenger rail projects, $10.5 billion for mass transit, $41.1 billion for highways, and $47 billion for the Housing and Urban Development Department. HUD oversees the administration of many of the nation's housing assistance programs including many important community-development programs like the Community Development Block Grants program which will receive $4.2 billion under the bill. The bill also provides $151 million for grants under the Economic Development Initiative to finance targeted economic investments, and $18 million for the Neighborhood Initiative Program to improve blighted or distressed areas in our neighborhoods. The bill appropriates $1.9 billion for HUD homeless-assistance programs and $8.7 billion for the Section 8 program. This program is used by local housing authorities to provide rental subsidies to landlords who rent to low-income families. Additionally, as more Americans turn to public transit, the bill invests $10.48 billion in the Federal Transit Administration, including $1.83 billion for new construction and $8.34 billion for formula grants to improve existing systems. This bill makes critical transportation investments that will put Americans to work while also helping repair crumbling highways and bridges, improve public transit, and modernize air travel. I encourage my colleagues to join me in support of the bill.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chair, I rise to support the FY10 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill. As we continue to debate sweeping health care reform, today's legislation makes investments in our most urgent needs, including $2.2 billion for community health centers to serve vulnerable populations, $530 million to train new health professionals, and $204 million to continue an aggressive campaign to reduce life-threatening infections that patients acquire while receiving treatment for medical or surgical conditions. I am pleased that the bill includes $31.3 billion for the National Institutes of Health, although I am concerned that the funding increases will not keep up with escalating biomedical costs. As we consider the costs of our health care system, we must make the investments necessary to find cures for chronic diseases that require expensive long-term care. I also strongly support the $10 million in funding included for the Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Act, legislation I co- authored with former Congresswoman Deborah Pryce. This will fund pediatric cancer research activities to eradicate the number one cause of death for our nation's children. Today's bill also makes vital investments in education and workforce development. It includes $17.5 billion for Title I grants to serve 20 million disadvantaged children and $11.5 billion for the Individuals with Disabilities Act, which, when combined with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will support a 25 percent Federal contribution for special education. Additional new investments are made in literacy and dropout prevention initiatives. In a time when students across the country are struggling to pay for college, this bill continues the new Congress's commitment to affordable education by raising the maximum Pell grant award to $5,550. The bill also includes a $50 million investment in green job training, to prepare workers for a new, 21st century economy. Additional funding is included to train veterans transitioning to a civilian workforce and dislocated workers who have lost their jobs during the recession. Mr. Chair, the FY10 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill funds some of our nation's most important domestic priorities. I urge my colleagues to support these critical investments in our nation's children, families, and workers.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation. On the day he was sworn in as President, President Obama inherited huge deficits and exploding debt in this country. The previous administration wanted to put everything on our national credit card and ask future generations to pay for it. It's time to put an end to this, and this bill today is the beginning of the end of irresponsible spending. It's the end of sweeping our problems under the rug and saying we're going to put them off to another day. And we have seen the impact this kind of budget mechanism can have. We saw it in the 1990s, during which we had a PAYGO rule in place and we saw our deficits and debts go from record deficits to record surpluses. And when we abandon that, when we abandoned that fiscal discipline rule in 2002, we saw our Federal debt explode. As we dig ourselves out of this economic ditch we find ourselves in, it is important that we put our economy on a long-term, sustainable basis, and this legislation is part of doing that. It will require that policies that result in revenue reduction or increased mandatory spending be offset over the next 5 and 10 years. That will require us to take a hard look at our national priorities. It will require us to look at the tradeoffs that we have to make, just like every family in America has to make those hard decisions. We say let's apply that rule to the United States Congress. Unfortunately, as we saw from the last administration, there was a lot of talk but no action. Mr. Speaker, what this does is say this isn't just going to be a House rule. This is going to be a matter of the law of the land. And while it can never be a total substitute for our ability to muster the political will to get things done, history has been a clear guide that this helps us get the job done. So I want to commend Leader Hoyer, Mr. Spratt and the others for bringing this important legislation to the floor. Let's finally say to our children and our grandchildren, We're going to take some responsibility. The buck stops here. Let's stop passing on our problems to the next generation.