Chris Van Hollen

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3920, the Trade and Globalization Assistance Act of 2007. Growing global economic integration means the U.S. economy is more protected from domestic economic shocks because more people in more countries are buying American goods and services. But globalization can also produce harmful short term affects--such as when American jobs are lost as a result of trade. That is what H.R. 3920 is about. H.R. 3920 helps those American workers who lose their jobs by no fault of their own as a result of trade and who need assistance in meeting the new challenges of the changing global economy. The types of assistance provided include additional training, long term education, short term income support, and health care. The bill expands trade adjustment assistance to service workers including government employees who are laid off because of trade. When trade adjustment assistance started in 1962, U.S. trade in services was not significant. Today, the service sector comprises more than 70 percent of the U.S. economy. H.R. 3920 updates trade adjustment assistance to account for the size and growing significance of the American service sector. The bill also expands assistance to more manufacturing workers by eliminating restrictions on what country a U.S. factory's jobs are moved to or whether the loss of jobs are ``downstream'' so that all workers impacted by trade are covered regardless of where the factory relocates or where the import competition came from. H.R. 3920 also helps American workers adapt to the needs of the changing global economy by enabling them to upgrade their skills. This bill doubles training assistance and provides up to 130 weeks of additional income support for workers who require a longer educational period, such as when finishing a college degree. Mr. Speaker, today the Peru Free Trade Agreement was reported out of the Ways and Means Committee by a vote of 39-0. Many of us supported the Peru FTA because of the landmark workers rights and environmental provisions negotiated this past May that were inserted in the agreement. They were also influenced and encouraged by H.R. 3920 because they, like myself, feel more confident that American workers harmed by trade will get the assistance they need to meet the new challenges created by a global economy. I am proud to support H.R. 3920 the Trade and Globalization Assistance Act of 2007, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H. Res. 726, a bill responding to acts of rape and sexual violence in the Darfur conflict. Rape and sexual violence are often used as weapons of war. It is estimated that between 20,000 and 50,000 women and girls were raped during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1990s; between 250,000 and 500,000 were raped during the genocide in Rwanda; and today, there are reports of wide and systematic rape and sexual assault of women and girls in the Darfur region. The United States was the first government to refer to the killing in Darfur as genocide, but this has had little impact on ending the suffering. The suffering continues because the Sudanese government resists the efforts of the international community at every step and the Chinese government refuses to use its unique influence to force the Sudanese government to change its actions. In fact, China may even have prolonged the crisis by shielding Sudan against the collective efforts of the United Nations. The crisis is now in its 4th year with no end in sight and the suffering of men, women and children continues. That is why I am encouraging passage today of H. Res. 726. H. Res. 726 requires the U.S. State Department and USAID to develop a women and girls Darfur initiative for the purpose of providing victims and potential victims of rape in Darfur, eastern Chad and the Central African Republic with much needed comprehensive and quality medical supplies and health services. The bill also calls upon the Secretary General of the United Nations, the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, the African Union, the European Union, the Arab League and other nations to immediately take steps to ensure that a hybrid UN-African Union peacekeeping force is deployed that can properly protect women and girls from and respond to acts of rape and sexual violence. We cannot stand still in the face of systematic and widespread rape in the Darfur region. The U.S. Congress has a moral obligation to reach out and do all it can to put an end to this tragedy. I strongly support this important piece of legislation and encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ms. Christina Hale VanBrakle, who everyone knows as ``Tina,'' a long-time employee of the Federal Election Commission, who will retire from the United States Government at the end of this year after more than 38 years of distinguished federal service. Tina has spent 28 of those years working at the Federal Election Commission and the last 19 assisting me and many of my colleagues as the FEC's Director of Congressional, Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs. A native of Washington, DC, Tina grew up in Maryland and has been a resident of Silver Spring in Montgomery County, Maryland for the last 24 years. After graduating from Suitland Senior High School in Maryland, she accepted a job at the Maritime Administration, Department of Commerce, where she spent 2 years working as a press assistant for the late John K. Tennant, who was the Press Officer. Mr. Tennant introduced Tina to then-Chairman Helen Delich Bentley of the Federal Maritime Commission, and former Congresswoman from Maryland. She accepted a secretarial position with Chairman Bentley where she was employed for several years. Tina has fond memories of traveling with Chairman Bentley on various speaking engagements. Most memorable was a visit to San Clemente--the Western White House--for a meeting with Japanese shipping interests during the Nixon Administration. Tina also met her husband, Bryant, while employed at the FMC. They were married in 1983 and have three children, Wendye, Ashley and Derek. They have one grandchild, Dominic, with another expected in January 2008. Tina also worked with Vice Chairman Barbara Hackman Franklin at the Consumer Product Safety Commission, CPSC, enrolling at the University of Maryland at night, where she earned a Paralegal Certificate in the Legislative Liaison Program and a B.S. in management and technology and political science. Tina then joined the newly created Washington office of a Detroit law firm. Tina joined the Federal Election Commission in 1979, where she worked for the Deputy Staff Director, then served as Special Assistant to the Staff Director. In 1988 she was named Director of Congressional, Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs. Tina is widely respected on the Hill for her dedication and quick and accurate responses to questions and perhaps will be best remembered by the campaign finance community for providing fair and impartial advice to anyone who contacted her. Whether she was answering a simple question regarding the campaign finance laws, preparing a fact sheet for a Member of Congress on a budget or campaign finance matter, or preparing Commissioners for a hearing, Tina served with commitment, integrity and competence. On the occasion of her retirement from the United States Government, I offer my congratulations, and wish Tina and her husband, Bryant, all the best in their future endeavors.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Shirley L. Johnson, a remarkable woman who has distinguished herself with a long and impressive record of dedicated public service and advocacy for human rights and social justice. A resident of Rockville, Maryland, Shirley worked for the U.S. Public Health Service where, for many years, she served as Deputy Director of the Department of Medicine. At the time of her retirement, she was Director of the Office of Program Development, Bureau of Health Professions. Her tenure at the government health agency spanned 37 years and was highlighted by numerous awards, including the Public Health Service Superior Service Award, the highest public service level award to be granted to a civilian. Since her retirement, Shirley has worn many hats and taken volunteerism to new heights. An outspoken champion of health care for the disenfranchised, Shirley was appointed to the Montgomery County Commission on Health and served as its Commissioner from 1995-2000. She also served on the Board of the Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County, a charitable organization committed to bringing high quality, accessible, and efficient health care services to low-income, uninsured county residents. Combining her concern for public health with her knowledge of the governmental process, Shirley testified frequently before the Montgomery County Council and the Maryland General Assembly, urging lawmakers to pass legislation to ban smoking in public places. From 1997-98, she served on the board of directors of Smoke Free Maryland and as co-chair of the Montgomery County Smoke Free Coalition. In the civil rights arena, Shirley challenged local officials to eliminate prejudice and injustice and lobbied persistently for fair housing to correct the discriminatory practices of landlords in Montgomery County. Education always has been high on Shirley's agenda. This cum laude graduate of Howard University has worked tirelessly for scholarships for minority students and has spent countless hours teaching and promoting economic empowerment concepts to at-risk students in public schools. An active Democrat, Shirley has been president of the Montgomery County District 19 Democratic Club for the past 5 years and serves as chair of Precinct 8-03 in Rockville. She counts as one of her proudest achievements her efforts to establish the African American Democratic Club of Montgomery County, where she served as first vice president. Shirley is a 1996 graduate of Leadership Montgomery, a program designed to train individuals to be effective leaders in the Montgomery County community. From 2000-06, she served on the Montgomery County Commission for Women, a resource and an important voice for women throughout the Washington metropolitan area. In 2002, Shirley was inducted into the Montgomery County Human Rights Hall of Fame. Two years later, she was selected as the Volunteer of the Year by the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee. In 2005, she was named a ``Woman of Achievement'' by the Montgomery County Business & Professional Women and received the ``Community Services Award'' from the Black Business and Professional Women's Clubs, Inc., the ``Civil Rights Award'' from the Montgomery County, Maryland Branch of the NAACP, and the ``Distinguished Leadership Award'' from the Community Leadership Association. Madam Speaker, Shirley L. Johnson exemplifies community service. She is an individualist and an idealist who believes in equal opportunity for all men and women. She cares deeply about the quality of life in her community and is a model to others of what one person can accomplish through commitment, hard work and perseverance. On Sunday, October 28, 2007, Shirley Johnson will be honored at an event at the Bauer Drive Community Center in Rockville, Maryland. Referred to by her friends as ``One Classy Lady,'' Shirley will be ``roasted, toasted, and appreciated.'' I am proud that she is my constituent and am pleased to add my praises to the chorus of family, colleagues and friends who will gather to salute her.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my appreciation and gratitude to Mobile Medical Care, Inc. for its 40 years of service to the medically disadvantaged of Montgomery County, Maryland. MobileMed was founded in 1967 by the late Dr. Herman Meyersburg and Dr. George Cohen. While serving as a volunteer tutor in a home-study program in the Kensington community, Dr. Meyersburg noticed that many program participants were without health insurance or access to medical care. In its early years, MobileMed was funded largely through the contributions of its own volunteer physicians. Its first clinic was located in the basement of a Kensington church. Today, 27 staff members and over 200 volunteer medical professionals provide health care services to approximately 5,000 Montgomery County residents each year, including 1,500 Head Start children. Through increased funding and volunteer participation, MobileMed seeks to expand its ability to serve more of the estimated 100,000 Montgomery County residents who cannot afford health care. Throughout the last 40 years, MobileMed has fulfilled its mission of providing low-cost medical care to our community's homeless, low income, uninsured, and working poor in a respectful, competent, and compassionate manner. We in Montgomery County, Maryland are grateful for the dedication and efforts of MobileMed and its volunteers. Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing and honoring forty years of dedicated and outstanding service by MobileMed.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. David B. Humpton for his twenty-two years of service to the City of Gaithersburg, Maryland. Mr. Humpton began his career with the City of Gaithersburg in 1986 as an intern and quickly rose to the position of Deputy City Manager. Having proven himself as a dynamic and capable leader, Mr. Humpton was appointed City Manager in 1995. During his 17-year tenure, Mr. Humpton has guided the city through significant change and growth with dedication and commitment. As City Manager, Mr. Humpton has had numerous significant accomplishments. Among other successes, he developed a strategic planning process, implemented new procedures to streamline the budget process, and served as an effective advocate for inter-governmental collaboration. Mr. Humpton's management has been instrumental in the completion of several notable development projects, including the Washingtonian Center and the Kentlands. Under his leadership, Gaithersburg has been recognized for its ``livability,'' economic development initiatives, budgeting and accounting, communications and recreation services. Mr. Humpton's ``retirement'' will be short-lived as he will soon join Montgomery Village, Maryland as its top administrator. His experience as an effective administrator will serve him well as he meets the challenges of his new position. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to honor Mr. David Humpton for his outstanding service.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 327, the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act. Mr. Speaker, the measures in this bill are designed to reduce the alarming incidence of suicides among our vets. According to a recent study conducted by Portland State University, male U.S. military veterans are twice as likely to commit suicide as men who haven't served in the armed forces. The report is a painful reminder of why we must adopt the measures outlined in this bill to assist our military personnel returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. The Portland State study followed 320,000 men over age 18 for 12 years collecting data on those who participated in the National Health Interview Survey. The researchers found that men who had served in the military at some time between 1917 and 1994 were twice as likely to die from suicide than men in the general population. In addition, veterans who committed suicide were more likely to be older, white, better educated, and married. But the report offered few clear indicators for the high suicide rates. That in part is the purpose of this legislation--to locate the root cause of the high suicide rates and to reverse the situation. There are approximately 25 million veterans in the United States, and 5 million veterans who receive care within the Veteran's Health Administration (VHA). Based on CDC data, VHA mental health officials estimate 1000 suicides per year among veterans receiving care with VHA and as many as 5000 per year among all living veterans. Representative Boswell's bill is a bipartisan effort to get at the root of this troubling trend and to find solutions. This bill requires the Veterans Administration to consider the special needs of veterans who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder and mandates the development and implementation of a comprehensive program to reduce the incidence of suicide among all veterans. The bill accomplishes this by requiring that appropriate Veterans Administration staff are able to recognize risk factors for suicide and are aware of the proper protocols and best practices for responding to crisis situations involving veterans who may be at high risk. The legislation also requires the designation of a suicide prevention counselor at each department medical facility and authorizes the availability of 24-hour mental health care; a hotline, staffed with trained mental health personnel; and expanded outreach and education services for veterans and their families. We must put an end to this tragedy affecting the many vulnerable men and women who have worn our country's uniform and who serve this country proudly today. I believe this legislation is an important step in that direction, and I am happy to support it.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of overriding the President's veto of the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007. I was deeply disappointed that the President exercised his veto pen on a bicameral and bipartisan bill. Not so long ago, the President pledged to expand coverage of CHIP to include eligible children who are not yet enrolled in the program. In his September 2004 speech to the Republican National Convention, the President stated--and I am quoting here, ``We will lead an aggressive effort to enroll millions of poor children who are eligible but not signed up for the government's health insurance programs. We will not allow a lack of attention, of information, to stand between these children and the health care they need.'' With this veto, the President has reversed course and turned his back on America's children. The CHIP Reauthorization Act would reauthorize and improve the very successful Children's Health Insurance Program for 5 years. This bipartisan bill would preserve coverage for the six million children currently enrolled who otherwise would have access to health insurance while extending coverage to 3.8 million children who are already eligible, but not enrolled in the program. The bill also includes guaranteed dental coverage and mental health parity in the CHIP program. By reauthorizing this very important program, we will strengthen CHIP by improving the quality of health care children receive and at the same time increase health insurance coverage to one of the most vulnerable segments of our society. This legislation is paid for. It increases the tobacco tax by 61 cents to a total of one dollar. Increasing the tobacco tax will save billions in health costs and is one of the most effective ways to reduce tobacco use, especially among young children. In short, raising the tobacco tax will prevent thousands of children from starting to smoke and the proceeds of the tax will be used to provide health coverage for children. That is a win-win result. Madam Speaker, we should do the right and moral thing and override this veto. I strongly urge my House colleagues to override the President's veto on this bipartisan legislation.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the chairman of the committee (Mr. Waxman) for his important work in this area and moving the committee to take a look at this. Look, the question is why does the Bush administration not want us to see this information about corruption in the Iraqi Government. One thing is clear, it is not that we are hiding something from the Iraqis that they don't already know. They know about the problem. In fact, we had Judge Radhi from the Iraqi Government who had been thrown out of his job because he was uncovering corruption testify. So if it is not the Iraqis we are trying to shield this information from, why is it? It is pretty clear that the administration doesn't want the American people to hear it. I think they are finally understanding that their position is untenable. Just yesterday the State Department sent a letter saying: ``There is no Department `directive' prohibiting officials from providing Congress any information relating to corruption in Iraq.'' That is just flatly false. In fact, we have a copy of the directive right here. Before the committee began its hearings, we asked for some State Department officials to come before the committee and talk about corruption issues. Well, the night before they came before the Oversight Committee, they were given this directive. Here is what it says. These are the areas which are red lined. That means these are the topics that they are not allowed to talk about in public: ``Broad statements/assessments which judge or characterize the quality of Iraqi governance or the ability/determination of the Iraqi Government to deal with corruption, including allegations that investigations were thwarted/stifled for political purposes,'' and it goes on. It is very clear that the State Department did not want their representatives coming before the committee to tell the truth about Iraqi corruption. And since then, when their officials actually came before the committee during the hearings, they refused to answer questions, the broadest kind of questions. Let me give you an example of questions that Ambassador Lawrence Butler, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, said he couldn't answer: whether ``the Government of Iraq currently has the political will or capability to root out corruption within its government.'' That's an important question for the American people. Also: ``whether the Maliki government is working hard to improve the corruption situation so that he can unite his country.'' Another question that was put to the State Department representative by the committee: whether Prime Minister Maliki ``obstructed any anticorruption investigations in Iraq to protect his political allies.'' These are important questions to answer for the American people. These are questions that go to the heart of whether or not the policy in Iraq is succeeding or failing. They go to the heart of the question about whether the billions of dollars that taxpayers in this country have put into Iraq are being put to good use or whether they are squandered through waste, abuse, and corruption. This resolution simply says let's not play games here. Let's not play games with the truth. Let's not try to hide the facts from the American people. The people of Iraq know well the problems they have with respect to corruption. In fact, some of their leaders have put their lives on the line and have had to flee Iraq when the government said they were getting too close to the truth. But the people here need to know the truth, and the State Department and the Bush administration should not be using games to try and hide the facts and hide the truth from the American people on a very important issue.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chairman, first let me thank Chairman Frank and Subcommittee Chair Waters for their work on this important, bipartisan bill. The National Affordable Housing Trust Fund will help provide funding for low-income families who, absent this assistance, may not be able to afford their own home. There are many dedicated Government agencies, non-profits, for-profits and community and faith-based organizations who will seek to participate in this important program. To ensure that the most productive housing projects are funded-- projects dedicated to funding sustainable, successful programs--I am proposing an amendment to introduce a measure of longer term accountability to the trust fund application process. This bill establishes two levels of applicant-centered accountability: A trust fund applicant must describe the types of projects he intends to support and must establish performance goals, benchmarks and timetables to help measure the projects' success--later, the applicant must produce a report describing the progress of those projects during that fiscal year. Because the applicant is only required to report on his projects for that year, this process, despite its commonsense ambitions--effectively breaks the chain of accountability between the grantee and his projects at the end of the fiscal year. This amendment will maintain that chain of accountability by requiring that any previous grantee who seeks funding from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund provide as part of his application a progress report on the previous projects funded by his organization with funds from this trust fund. The Affordable Housing Trust Fund will produce billions of dollars worth of grants. HUD does not have the resources to monitor all the projects funded with these funds. The government will therefore have to rely on grantees to shoulder part of the burden. When grantees return for additional assistance each year, they will be required to update HUD on the success of their previous trust-funded projects. I encourage my colleagues to support my amendment and help ensure that the real beneficiaries of this important program are the low- income families it was created to help.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from North Dakota for his long-time efforts on behalf of fair treatment for taxpayers in this country. I rise in strong support of this legislation, the Tax Collection Responsibility Act of 2007. In addition to endorsing the practices that this bill provides for better collection and fairer collection for small businesses, I also believe it is high time we repeal an abusive and misguided debt collection program at the IRS. I am pleased to have worked on this issue for a number of years with my colleague from New Jersey (Mr. Rothman) and others. I think we all know that it is not a new issue to this body. We tried private tax collection in 1996 and promptly abandoned it a year later, after which time the IRS Office of Inspector General found that private contractors regularly violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, jeopardized the confidentiality of taxpayers personal information, and cost the government a net revenue loss of $17 million. Under the Republican Congress, this program was revived and came to the floor actually in a form that we did not have a chance to vote separately on it, because when the House has had an opportunity over the last 3 years to vote separately on this issue, this body on a bipartisan basis has said no to private debt collection. That bill never made it to the President's desk. But there is a good reason this House has said no to this program. That is because IRS officials themselves have acknowledged that using private debt collectors is much more expensive than having the IRS do the job. Today on the program that we are talking about, the IRS has spent $71 million and collected a net of $20 million. That is a losing proposition on its face. Moreover, in her testimony before the Ways and Means Committee, the National Taxpayer Advocate, Nina Olson, whose job at the IRS is to look out for the fair treatment of taxpayers, recommended that we end this program and further pointed out, as others have said, that if you took the same amount of money and invested it in allowing IRS agents to collect the revenue, you would collect $1.4 billion instead of the $20 million collected so far in this program. In addition, and I think this is an important point to make, when this Congress in the 1990s passed the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act, we specifically said that our public employees, our IRS agents, could not receive bonuses, could not receive special rewards for collecting more taxes because we want to avoid an incentive for abuse; yet that is exactly the premise this entire program is based on. It is based on bigger rewards in the sense for more taxes collected. That is what leads in turn to abusive tax practices that we have said we don't want our IRS agents to comply. In addition to the fact, the result is for every dollar collected under the private tax collection, 25 cents goes to a private company; whereas, with IRS agents, that dollar collected goes to the Federal Treasury for debt reduction and for investment in important public purposes. So it is a much better return for the taxpayer. I would argue, Mr. Speaker, that it is very clear over the years that our repeated experiments in private debt collection have failed. If the IRS needs additional resources to collect uncollected revenues, and I think it does, we have heard from the IRS Commissioners in Republican and Democratic administrations alike, that a much better investment is to put those dollars into our public IRS agents. It results in less abusive practices. It makes sure that you also have the dollars come back where it belongs to the taxpayer and the public benefit.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3087, which requires the President, in coordination with the Departments of State and Defense, to transmit to the Congress a strategy for the redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq. The bill also requires the Secretary of Defense, not later than 60 days after the enactment of this act, and every 90 days thereafter, to submit to congressional defense committees a report on the status of this planning. In addition, the bill requires the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to brief these same congressional committees on the matters contained in the report. Furthermore, the legislation contains ``sense of Congress'' language that the contingency planning should: address the protection of Iraqi forces, Iraqi nationals, third party nationals and U.S. civilians who have assisted the U.S. mission, enhance the ability of the United States to fight AI-Qaeda and affiliated terrorist organizations, and preserve military equipment necessary to defend the national security interests of the United States. Additional provisions in the bill include supporting and equipping Iraqi armed forces to take full responsibility for their own security. This resolution is an important component of Congress's oversight of the Iraq war, and compels the administration to engage with Congress on the planning for responsible redeployment of our combat troops. The President's Iraq policy of putting our brave men and women in the Armed Forces in the position of policing the streets of Baghdad and other Iraqi cities in the midst of a sectarian war is the wrong strategy and one that continually puts them in harms way. I will continue to advocate for an immediate start to the responsible redeployment of our combat troops from Iraq, but in the meantime, it is important to garner as many votes as possible within the Congress to send a strong message to the administration that it must begin to plan for a comprehensive redeployment of our forces to provide for the best possible protection of our brave men and women in uniform.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to address a deadly epidemic that is facing our planet today--tuberculosis. We have learned that no country, no matter how advanced its health infrastructure, is no longer immune from tuberculosis (TB). Fortunately, through the generosity of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and leadership in the U.S. Congress, we can make a major difference in developing urgently needed tools to fight this problem. On September 18, the Gates Foundation announced new funding in the fight to stop TB by granting $280 million to several organizations creating new tools to curb this disease, including the largest single award to any research or product development organization--$200 million to the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation, which is located in my congressional district. Those who live in the developing countries know this disease every day. This global epidemic has confronted us in several ways in the last few months. The case of the airline passenger infected with drug- resistant tuberculosis reminded Americans how vulnerable we all are to a disease we thought was a problem of the past or an affliction just affecting the developing world. In this truly global world, diseases such as tuberculosis know no boundaries. The statistics are staggering. TB kills 1.6 million people per year, or 4,400 every single day. It is the largest killer worldwide of women of reproductive age and of people with HIV/AIDS. TB bacilli are in the bodies of one out of every three people in the world today. This devastating disease is challenging the best health systems and is threatening the lives of thousands in the developing world. But Congress is not sitting still in the face of such troubling events. Just recently, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee reported out the Stop TB Now Act of 2007, which commits this country to a new recognition of the threat of TB and a larger effort to finally rid this planet of this scourge. And the House provides $313 million for global TB efforts in its FY 2008 State-Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. These efforts follow the bold, innovative, heartfelt, and committed leadership of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As important as the Gates Foundation's latest $280 million investment in tuberculosis is, it is not enough. A new vaccine candidate must go through large and expensive clinical trials, involving thousands of people and costing over hundreds of millions of dollars. Private philanthropy cannot be the only solution to this important challenge. It is only right that the United States government, and other donor governments, step up to the plate and finish the job. Vaccines are the key to ending epidemics. They are among the most medically and economically effective health interventions available. The United States already funds research to develop much-needed vaccines for HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other global diseases. Funding TB vaccine development is a logical and humanitarian next step for us to take. European donors are already contributing to this fight; for example, the government of the Netherlands has made a sizable commitment of approximately $25 million to the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation for vaccine development. The United States should shoulder our fair share of this important shared mission. I urge my colleagues to appropriate the necessary resources to complete this vital work and follow the outstanding leadership demonstrated by the Gates Foundation's generous investment in TB research.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Rockville, Maryland and Pinneberg, Germany on the 50th anniversary of their outstanding ``Sister City'' relationship. In 1983, the first official delegation from Pinneberg visited Rockville, and participated in a White House ceremony commemorating the 300th anniversary of German immigration to the United States. Over the past 50 years, individuals and groups from both cities, including police officers, students, politicians, sports teams, choruses and concert bands, have participated in exchanges that have left both sides richer in knowledge and understanding. I know these participants will never forget their experiences and the lessons they have learned from each other. We here in Rockville and our friends in Pinneberg should be proud that our cities were among the first in the United States and Germany to engage in this relationship, after its proposal in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower as part of a people-to-people citizen diplomacy initiative. Our sister city relationship is a cornerstone of a program that for many years has worked to achieve peace and prosperity through cultural understanding and exchange among countries all over the world. Even during turbulent times, our two cities have reached towards one another in friendship and set an example for others to follow. In celebration of this anniversary, a delegation from Rockville, including its Mayor, Larry Giammo, visited Pinneberg this past June. This week, beginning on October 2nd, the City of Rockville will formally welcome a 40-member delegation from Pinneberg, including its current Mayor. They will spend time with our local elected officials, tour the City and other sights in Maryland, dedicate a commemorative plaque, and conclude the week's festivities with ``An Evening of Celebration'' in Rockville's new Town Center on October 7th. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Rockville, Maryland and Pinneberg, Germany for their meaningful and productive collaboration over the past 50 years. We all look forward to another 50 years of friendship between these two great cities.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and unable to make the vote on rollcall No. 907. Had I been voting, I would have voted ``yes'' on H. Res. 590 on National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, like many of my colleagues, I believe the MoveOn.org advertisement in the New York Times about GEN David Petraeus was both wrong and counterproductive. I also agree with all of the findings in H.J. Res. 52 that praise General Petraeus's exemplary military career, for which he has received numerous awards for his service to our country. However, I decided to vote against this resolution as a matter of principle and because it is a diversionary tactic by the Bush administration and the congressional Republicans. As a legislative body determining important issues affecting our citizens, the Congress should not be in the business of passing resolutions supporting or opposing political ads. Adopting such a practice would consume all our time and divert our attention from important issues like the war in Iraq. The MoveOn.org advertisement was wrong to question the integrity of General Petraeus. It was also counterproductive in that it took the focus off of President Bush's failed Iraq policies and made General Petraeus the political face of the war. That is exactly what the Bush administration wanted. Moreover, by shifting the focus from President Bush to a political attack on General Petraeus, the Republicans have cleverly attempted to divert attention from the President's responsibility and the real security issues we are facing in the world, like the re-emergence of al-Qaeda along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. I would have supported the resolution that was put forward by Senate Democrats which reaffirms our strong support for the men and women of our Armed Forces, and which condemns all attacks on those who are serving or who have served in the Armed Forces.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and express my gratitude to the Task Force on Mentoring of Montgomery County, MD. The Task Force on Mentoring is a community-based, nonprofit organization whose mission is to expand access to mentoring programs to youth and to enhance the community's understanding of mentoring as a valuable tool to ensure that our students can achieve their full potential. Among its many important efforts, the TFM provides training to mentors; sponsors seminars, conferences and workshops; assists parents seeking mentors; works to expand the pool of volunteer mentors; and establishes school-based mentoring programs. The Task Force on Mentoring has supported at-risk youth for over 16 years. Its upcoming Annual Breakfast Conference focuses on ``Making the Right Life Choices--How Mentoring Empowers Our Youth.'' The conference will take place at the Rockville campus of John Hopkins University on October 4, 2007. Thanks to the dedication and effective efforts of the Task Force on Mentoring, many of Montgomery County's adolescents have been given the opportunity to become active and productive citizens. Madam Speaker, on the occasion of its 16th annual conference, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the Task Force on Mentoring of Montgomery County.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the bipartisan, bicameral Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization Act of 2007. The CHIP Reauthorization Act will reauthorize and improve the very successful Children's Health Insurance Program, CHIP, for 5 years. This bipartisan bill will preserve coverage for the 6 million children currently enrolled who otherwise would have no access to health insurance while, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), extending coverage to 3.8 million children who are not enrolled in the program. By reauthorizing this very important program, we will strengthen CHIP's financing, improve the quality of health care children receive, and increase health insurance coverage for low-income children. I am pleased that this bill maintains the guaranteed dental coverage and mental health parity provisions that were in the CHAMP Act. Good oral health care is important to the overall health of children. No family should have to suffer the loss of a child because they lack the access to care, as happened in the tragic case of Deamonte Driver, a 12-year-old Marylander who died earlier this year when an infection from an untreated abscessed tooth spread to his brain. This legislation increases the tobacco tax by 61 cents to a total of one dollar. Increasing the tobacco tax will save billions in health costs and is one of the most effective ways to reduce tobacco use, especially among young children. The 2000 U.S. Surgeon General's report found that increasing the price of tobacco products will decrease the prevalence of tobacco use, particularly among kids and young adults. In short, raising the tobacco tax will prevent thousands of children from starting to smoke and the proceeds of the tax will be used to provide health coverage for children. That is a win-win result. The President has said that he will veto this bipartisan bill. Not so long ago in a September 2004 speech, he promised to expand coverage of CHIP to include eligible children who are not yet enrolled in the program. Now the President has reversed course. In his July 2007 speech in Cleveland, Ohio, he forgot his 2004 pledge and stated, ``I mean, people have access to health care in America. After all, you just go to an emergency room.'' I am disappointed that he will wield his veto pen on such promising legislation. I hope he will reconsider his position and help Congress provide health insurance to millions of America's children. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for this much needed bipartisan legislation.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 470, a resolution supporting efforts to increase childhood cancer awareness, treatment, and research. No child should have to experience and suffer the effects of cancer. And no parent should have to see their child suffer. I am proud to be working with Congresswoman Deborah Pryce on such an important issue. Together, we have introduced the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act. The Conquer Childhood Cancer Act would enhance and expand biomedical research programs in childhood cancer and establish a new fellowship program through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for pediatric cancer research. The bill would also increase informational and educational outreach to patients and families affected by pediatric cancer. Over the last several years after a successful doubling of the NIH budget that ended in 2003, funding for NIH and the National Cancer Institute has been flat. As a result, many cancer clinical trials have had to be scaled back. The Children's Oncology Group, which is headquartered in my congressional district, has had to put 20 new studies on hold and decrease enrollment of new clinical trials by 400 children. This is going in the wrong direction. Thanks to the past funding in childhood cancer research, we know that 78 percent of childhood cancer patients overall are now able to survive. Forty years ago it was a much different story--the cure rates for children with cancer were lower than 10 percent. This shows that by funding biomedical research we can save lives. Congress must increase funding for NIH and NCI so that it can continue the groundbreaking, life-saving research that will lead to new cures and treatments. So, I not only urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 470, but I also urge my colleagues to cosponsor the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act and pass that much-needed legislation.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 867 and 868, due to unavoidable delays in travel, I missed the votes on H.R. 3246 and H.R. 1657. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on both.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand today to support the College Cost Reduction and Access Act. I thank Chairman Miller and the Conferees for their quick work on this Conference Report, and all the work they have done on this important legislation. Mr. Speaker, for years, American students and families have demanded relief from rising tuition and ballooning debt. The average student exits college with almost $20,000 in student loan debt, which, because of accumulating interest, can take years to pay. This debt is burdening our communities. When a student has tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt, it limits choices. Those students might not be able to take lower salary jobs in the fields where we desperately need them--as teachers or first responders. When two-thirds of our college graduates are in debt, it limits our economy. Those graduates have less money for a down payment on a house, less money to invest, and less disposable income. Even worse, some students are deterred from going to college altogether when costs are too high. We lose some of the best and the brightest--those who are qualified to learn, who want to learn, who have worked hard and gotten the grades, but who run into financial barriers when it comes time to head off to college. Today, we are bringing some relief. We are going to open the doors to college and help our young people reach their full potential. We're going to increase Pell grants to make college more affordable. We're going to cut the interest rates on loans in half so they're easier to pay off. We're going to institute income-based loan repayment, so graduates don't have to choose between paying their rent and paying off their loans. And we're going to expand loan forgiveness for those who enter public service, so we have more teachers, first responders and nurses. We made a promise to the American people before the last election. We've been working to fulfill that promise from the first 100 hours of the new Congress. And today, as our young people head back to school, the House and Senate are going to see that promise through with largest increase in student loans since the G.I. bill.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, as the Representative of the 8th District of Maryland, I am delighted to have as one of my constituents Fred Fiske, the senior commentator for WAMU 88.5. On September 27, 2007, Fred Fiske will celebrate 60 years on Washington radio--30 of those years at public radio station WAMU. It is my great pleasure to congratulate Fred on the occasion of his anniversary and on his long and very distinguished career on the Washington airwaves. A New York City native, Fred Fiske got his start in radio as a child actor in the 1930s. While in high school, he performed in radio plays for The Magic of Speech on NBC, and in such dramas as ``The Farmer Takes a Wife'' with William Holden and ``Green Goddesses'' with Ronald Coleman. During the summer season, he worked the ``Borscht Belt'' in the Catskills with up-and-coming actors Danny Kaye and Betty Garrett. After graduating from Brooklyn College with a bachelor's degree in speech and drama, Fred put his radio career on hold and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps. During World War II, he served as an aerial gunner and a radio operator in the 8th Air Force. Fiske flew 30 missions over France and Germany as part of a B-24 crew, and brought home a Distinguished Flying Cross and 4 Air Medals. His squadron leader was Colonel Jimmy Stewart. After the war, Fred was discharged on September 20, 1945, and returned to New York, where he taught high school and earned a master's degree in speech and education at Columbia University. After teaching high school speech and drama for a year, he resumed his radio career as a free-lance actor on soap operas, plays, and nighttime shows. In 1947, he moved to Washington, DC and on September 27, 1947, he landed a job with WOL radio, then part of the Mutual Broadcasting System. The station later became WWDC. Fred provided live coverage of the presidential inaugurations of Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower, and he also covered political conventions, state funerals, elections and other historic events. During the 1950s, he hosted a midday radio music program featuring the pop music of the day--he became Washington's highest rated radio music host. And, in the 1960s, he hosted a morning show on WWDC and wrote a weekly music column for Washington's Daily News called ``Fiske's Discs.'' In 1970, Fred became host of Empathy, a call-in talk show on WWDC, which later became The Fred Fiske Show. For 7 years, it was the only talk radio program in Washington. When WWDC changed formats in 1977, Fiske brought his program to the public radio audience at WAMU, where he kept lively and interesting conversation going for the next 10 years. In 1987, he retired from the rigors of hosting 5 nights a week and moved the show to Saturday mornings, where it became Fred Fiske Saturday. Since 1995, Fiske has served as WAMU's senior commentator, and he can still be heard every week on Metro Connection. On a personal note, I want to thank Fred Fiske for his thoughtful and trenchant political analysis and commentary. His refreshing insights always challenge our community and our country to constantly improve and be the best we can be. On behalf of the residents of my District, I extend my congratulations to Fred and send him my best wishes as he continues his outstanding career in radio.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chairman, I'm pleased to join my colleagues Representative Jay Inslee and Representative Walter Jones in offering this important bipartisan amendment today. Our Federal workforce is comprised of hard-working public servants who deserve respect on the job and fairness in matters of personnel. Over the past several years, it has become increasingly clear that the Defense Department's alternative human resources regime known as the National Security Personnel System (NSPS) provides neither--and therefore should not be supported in this legislation. The NSPS was originally authorized in the FY 2004 Defense authorization bill at the request of the political leadership in the Pentagon with the understanding that the new authority would be exercised consistent with congressional intent and in consultation with the legitimate representatives of the Nation's 700,000 DoD workforce. For all intents and purposes, that hasn't happened. The Pentagon has, for example, ignored Congress' requirement that an independent entity arbitrate certain disputes between management and labor. And DoD has brushed aside provisions mandating the use of a merit system protection board with independent judgment. As a consequence, the NSPS has been mired in lawsuits, and this House has now acted twice to curtail the program: first, by passing an essentially identical limitation amendment by voice vote during consideration of last year's Defense appropriations bill; and second, by effectively eliminating authority for the NSPS in this year's Defense authorization legislation. If that weren't enough, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently reported that it couldn't even figure out how much money the Defense Department was actually spending on the NSPS because ``DoD has not established an effective oversight mechanism to ensure that all these costs are fully captured.'' Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues' support for this amendment.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chairman, in that case, I urge adoption of the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague from Virginia, and I reserve the balance of my time.