Frank Wolf

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, the international legal definition of the crime of genocide is found in article II of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide. It says: Genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. I believe that what is happening to the Christian community in Iraq is genocide. I also believe that it is a ``crime against humanity.'' Last Thursday, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, more commonly referred to as ISIS, gave the few remaining Christians in Mosul until Saturday to leave or be killed. From The New York Times, it reads: Some went on foot, their cars having been confiscated. Others rode bicycles or motor scooters. Few were able to take anything of value as militants seized their money and jewelry. Some--just a few because they were not healthy enough to flee--submitted to the demands that they convert to Islam to avoid being killed. ISIS is systematically targeting Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq for extinction. I will submit for the Record the complete article from The New York Times and an editorial from today's Wall Street Journal for history to see what is happening. [From the New York Times, July 21, 2014] Concern and Support for Iraqi Christians Forced by Militants to Flee Mosul Baghdad.--A day after Christians fled Mosul, the northern city controlled by Islamist extremists, under the threat of death, Muslims and Christians gathered under the same roof--a church roof--here on Sunday afternoon. By the time the piano player had finished the Iraqi national anthem, and before the prayers, Manhal Younis was crying. ``I can't feel my identity as an Iraqi Christian,'' she said, her three little daughters hanging at her side. A Muslim woman sitting next to her in the pew reached out and whispered, ``You are the true original people here, and we are sorry for what has been done to you in the name of Islam.'' The warm scene here was an unusual counterpoint to the wider story of Iraq's unraveling, as Sunni militants with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria gain territory and persecute anyone who does not adhere to their harsh version of Islamic law. On Saturday, to meet a deadline by the ISIS militants, most Christians in Mosul, a community almost as old as Christianity itself, left with little more than the clothes they were wearing. The major players in the Iraq and Syria crisis are often both allies and antagonists, working together on one front on one day and at cross-purposes the next. Some went on foot, their cars having been confiscated; others rode bicycles or motor scooters. Few were able to take anything of value, as militants seized their money and jewelry. Some--just a few, and because they were not healthy enough to flee--submitted to demands that they convert to Islam to avoid being killed. ``There are five Christian families who converted to Islam because they were threatened with death,'' said Younadim Kanna, a Christian and a member of Iraq's Parliament. ``They did so just to stay alive.'' On Sunday, outrage came from many corners of Iraq, and beyond. In a public address, Pope Francis expressed his concern for the Christians of Mosul and other parts of the Middle East, ``where they have lived since the beginning of Christianity, together with their fellow citizens, offering a meaningful contribution to the good of society.'' He continued: ``Today, they are persecuted. Our brothers are persecuted and hunted away; they have to leave their homes without being allowed to take anything with them.'' Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, released a statement condemning ``in the strongest terms the systematic persecution of minority populations in Iraq'' and particularly the threat against Christians. And Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, who is struggling to remain in power as Iraq's political factions negotiate to form a new government, said Sunday, ``The atrocities perpetrated by ISIS against our Iraqi citizens, the Christians in Nineveh Province and the attacks on the churches and houses of worship in the areas that fall under their control, reveal without any doubt the terrorist and criminal nature of this extremist group that poses a dangerous threat to the humanity and the heritage and legacy that has been preserved over centuries.'' He called on the ``whole world to tighten the siege on those terrorists and stand as one force to confront them.'' That was perhaps a reference to the influx of foreign fighters into Iraq, many of whom have also fought in Syria's civil war. On Sunday, ISIS issued a statement claiming responsibility for two suicide attacks in Baghdad on Saturday, and said that one had been carried out by a German citizen, and the other by a Syrian. The gathering on Sunday at St. George Chaldean Church, built in 1964 and situated in a Shiite Muslim neighborhood, was as much about Iraqi solidarity as it was a gesture of condemnation for the persecution of Christians. In many ways Iraq's struggle today is the same as it has been since the country was founded nearly a century ago, at the end of World War I: how to establish a national identity larger than a particular faith or ethnicity. In the pews Muslims and Christians alike held signs that read, ``I'm Iraqi. I'm Christian.'' Muhammad Aga, who organized the event over Facebook, spoke, and listed Iraq's many narrower identities: Christians, Arabs, Kurds, Shabaks, Turkmen, Yazidis, Sunnis and Shiites. ``All of those people who carry Iraqi identity,'' he said. The church's patriarch, Louis Raphael Sako, said, ``I carry every Iraqi in my heart.'' After the service, two men, cousins in their 60s, stood in the church courtyard. They grew up in Mosul, and moved to Baghdad as teenagers. They have witnessed much of Iraq's traumatic history of coups, revolutions, wars and sectarian cleansing, and have stayed the whole time. ``You have to be angry,'' said Faiz Faraj, 65, a retired teacher. ``You must cry.'' But, he said, ``Iraqis have suffered for a long time, but this will pass.'' His 9-year-old granddaughter, Lana Fanar, recited at the service a poem written by a well-known Iraqi poet in 2006, as Iraq was in the grip of sectarian killings. Its words could be spoken of any of Iraq's previous traumas, or today: ``I cry for my country. I cry for Baghdad. I cry for the history and the glory days. I cry for the artists, for the water, for the trees. I cry for my religion. I cry for my beliefs.''

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I submit a July 9 column by Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times. I have appreciated Mr. Kristof's advocacy on human rights issues over the years, particularly regarding the genocide in Darfur and ongoing violence in Sudan over the last decade. In this recent column, ``Religious Freedom in Peril,'' he cuts through the empty gestures that often surround discussions of religious freedom abroad, and points out that the Muslim world is tragically disproportionate in apostasy and blasphemy laws, limits on religious activities and other constraints on religious freedom. Of course, religious freedom is at risk throughout the world, and Muslims themselves face dire religious persecution from Burma to China to India. But recent news, including the advance of Islamic extremists in Iraq and the ongoing case of alleged apostate Meriam Ibrahim in Sudan, reminds us that citizens of many countries with Muslim majorities still deserve far greater justice and equality under the law. I urge all my colleagues to read Mr. Kristof's column and keep it in mind as they consider ongoing events in the world. [From The New York Times, July 9, 2014] Religious Freedom in Peril (By Nicholas Kristof) A Sudanese court in May sentences a Christian woman married to an American to be hanged, after first being lashed 100 times, after she refuses to renounce her Christian faith. Muslim extremists in Iraq demand that Christians pay a tax or face crucifixion, according to the Iraqi government. In Malaysia, courts ban some non-Muslims from using the word ``Allah.'' In country after country, Islamic fundamentalists are measuring their own religious devotion by the degree to which they suppress or assault those they see as heretics, creating a human rights catastrophe as people are punished or murdered for their religious beliefs. This is a sensitive area I'm wading into here, I realize. Islam-haters in America and the West seize upon incidents like these to denounce Islam as a malignant religion of violence, while politically correct liberals are reluctant to say anything for fear of feeding bigotry. Yet there is a real issue here of religious tolerance, affecting millions of people, and we should be able to discuss it. I've been thinking about this partly because of the recent murder of a friend, Rashid Rehman, a courageous human rights lawyer in Multan, Pakistan. Rashid, a Muslim, had agreed to defend a university lecturer who faced the death penalty after being falsely accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad. This apparently made Rashid a target as well, for two men walked into his office and shot him dead. No doubt the killers thought themselves pious Muslims. Yet such extremists do far more damage to the global reputation of Islam than all the world's Islamophobes put together. The paradox is that Islam historically was relatively tolerant. In 628, Muhammad issued a document of protection to the monks of St. Catherine's Monastery. ``No compulsion is to be on them,'' he wrote. ``If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray.'' Anti-Semitism runs deep in some Muslim countries today, but, for most of history, Muslims were more tolerant of Jews than Christians were. As recently as the Dreyfus Affair in France more than a century ago, Muslims defended a Jew from the anti-Semitism of Christians. Likewise, the most extreme modern case of religious persecution involved Europeans trying to exterminate Jews in the Holocaust. Since then, one of the worst religious massacres was the killing of Muslims by Christians at Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It's also true that some of the bravest champions of religious freedom today are Muslim. Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, an Iranian lawyer, represented a Christian pastor pro bono, successfully defending him from charges of apostasy. But Dadkhah was then arrested himself and is now serving a nine- year prison sentence. Saudi Arabia may feud with Iran about almost everything else, but they are twins in religious repression. Saudis ban churches; it insults Islam to suggest it is so frail it cannot withstand an occasional church. Particularly insidious in conservative Muslim countries is the idea that anyone born Muslim cannot become a Christian. That's what happened in the case I mentioned in Sudan: The court considered the woman, Meriam Ibrahim, a Muslim even though she had been raised a Christian by her mother. The court sentenced her to die for apostasy; that was overturned, and she is now sheltering with her family in the United States Embassy in Sudan, trying to get permission to leave the country. A Pew Research Center study found Muslims victims of religious repression in about as many countries as Christians. But some of the worst abuse actually takes place in Muslim-dominated countries. In Pakistan, for example, a brutal campaign has been underway against the Shiite minority. Likewise, Iran represses the peaceful Bahai, and similarly Pakistan and other countries brutally mistreat the Ahmadis, who see themselves as Muslims but are regarded as apostates. Pakistani Ahmadis can be arrested simply for saying, ``peace be upon you.'' All this is a sad index of rising intolerance, for Pakistan's first foreign minister was an Ahmadi; now that would be impossible. I hesitated to write this column because religious repression is an awkward topic when it thrives in Muslim countries. Muslims from Gaza to Syria, Western Sahara to Myanmar, are already enduring plenty without also being scolded for intolerance. It's also true that we in the West live in glass houses, and I don't want to empower our own chauvinists or fuel Islamophobia. Yet religious freedom is one of the most basic of human rights, and one in peril in much of the world. Some heroic Muslims, like my friend Rashid in Pakistan, have sacrificed their lives to protect religious freedom. Let's follow their lead and speak up as well, for silence would be a perversion of politeness.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Ed Hatrick, who served as superintendent of Loudoun County Public Schools for 23 years before retiring on June 30. Ed spent his entire career in Loudoun County, starting as a high school English teacher in 1967. He also served as a principal, director of special education, director of instruction, supervisor of guidance and foreign languages and assistant superintendent for pupil services before becoming superintendent in 1991. As superintendent, Ed has watched Loudoun grow from a rural farming community with 8,000 students into a suburban community with a student population of 70,000 students. Since 1991, Loudoun County has constructed 54 new schools and renovated 33 more. Ed has served as president of the Urban Superintendents Association of America and president of the American Association of School Administrators. He also has served in numerous professional and community offices and has been recognized for his work by the General Assembly of Virginia. He received an honorary doctor of humanities degree from Shenandoah University for his community service. I am pleased to submit the following article from Leesburg Today on Ed's career and retirement. I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating him for many years of distinguished service to our nation's youth. [From Leesburg Today, June 24, 2014.] Superintendent Hatrick Honored as ``Uncommon Common Man'' (By Danielle Nadler) Even at 9:30 p.m. on a Friday, Edgar B. Hatrick III couldn't help but teach. Standing in a sprawling ballroom with some of the commonwealth's most influential individuals at his retirement dinner, the 23-year superintendent and former high school English teacher launched into a metaphor. He said, as geese fly in formation they offer encouragement to the lead goose through their honking, and when the lead goose tires, another pulls forward to take the lead. The story left many in the room chuckling. They'd heard it repeated at staff meetings and back-to-school orientations over the years. Hatrick laughed with them, before finally interrupting the chatter to say, ``That's what being in Loudoun County Public Schools has been all about. ``I have felt the warmth, the support and the understanding that has led me to say if I had to do it all over again--the whole 47-and-a-half years--I would not change one thing,'' he said, fighting back tears. ``It has been just that wonderful to be able to work with you to build up this school system.'' Hatrick, 68, retires Monday as the region's longest serving superintendent. More than 500 people crowded the National Conference Center ballroom Friday to thank Hatrick for his service to help shape the learning experiences of hundreds of thousands of students in Virginia. Politicians and fellow school administrators praised Hatrick for his influence on public education on a national and even global scale. He drew attention to Loudoun when it was the fastest growing school system in the country, opening 50 new schools to keep up with enrollment that has increased by 53,637 students during his tenure. And as former president of the American Association of School Administrators, he united superintendents to advocate better measures of schools' effectiveness than the federal No Child Left Behind model. AASA Executive Director Dan Domenech described him as ``a recognized brand for education around the world.'' But it was the stories of Hatrick, from as early as his high school years when friends knew him as Skip, that best illustrate what he's been to Loudoun County, an individual the Loudoun Education Foundation called an ``uncommon common man.'' His former classmate Karolyn Whitely and Evan Mohler, former assistant superintendent for Support Services, described Hatrick as the student teachers wanted in their classes, and the teen who set the bar on test scores and class projects. ``As a teenager, he was very focused and very hardworking,'' Whitely said. ``He was shaping education in Loudoun County back in 1962,'' Mohler said, ``and here we are 52 years later--he's still setting the standard of excellence.'' He spent his entire educational career in Loudoun's public schools, first on the payroll as a school bus driver during his senior year in high school. He graduated from Loudoun County High School in 1963 and returned to his alma mater after four years of college to teach English. He especially loved teaching British literature, former Broad Run High School teacher Jo Ann Pearson recalled. So much so that he required one of his senior classes to memorize the bulk of the Canterbury Tales Prologue in Middle English. Hatrick commented on this bit of leaked information later in the evening, saying, ``In my defense, I listened to each of them recite it.'' He served as assistant principal at Broad Run High School from 1969 to 1970, and as principal of Loudoun County High School from 1975 to 1978. He moved up the administration ranks to positions that had him overseeing special education, foreign language, instruction, planning and pupil services before he was named superintendent in 1991. He served as superintendent under five school boards, and three former School Board members--Joe Vogric, John Andrews and Robert DuPree--did not hesitate to say that the superintendent was stubborn when it came to fighting for funding for public education. Whether board members wanted it or not, he gave them his opinion, Vogric said, ``and it wasn't always done in a way that we liked it . . . . but it was about setting policies and taking actions to ensure the best education of our children.'' Most of the stories shared well beyond dinnertime Friday described Hatrick as a colleague, a mentor and a friend. Whether a custodian or a principal loses a loved one, the superintendent can usually be seen at the funeral. Plays, football games, science fairs, club dedications, essay contests and, yes, retirement dinners, he's been there. ``We always knew that he cared about us,'' Pearson said. ``There's still a family feel about this district because that's how he wants it to be,'' Sharon Ackerman, who worked alongside Hatrick as assistant superintendent of instruction for 15 years, said. W. John Brewer, principal at Dominion High School, joked that the school administration office, while called the Taj Mahal or ``the palace'' by some, ``from time to time it's simply the woodshed.'' He said Hatrick didn't scold principals or teachers but he used those moments to teach. ``He helped us grow personally and professionally,'' Brewer said. ``We've become better educators, and we've become better people.'' Whitely, who attended high school with Hatrick and later taught under his leadership, told a story about the superintendent's impression at their class's recent 50-year reunion. After a friend greeted Hatrick, she leaned over to Whitely and said, ``You know, success hasn't spoiled him one bit. He's still Skip.'' Eric Williams will officially take the helm of the school system as superintendent Tuesday.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership's ``Living Legacy Tree Planting Project.'' This project is an ambitious effort to plant one tree for every one of the 740,000 soldiers who died during the Civil War along the Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Scenic Byway, which runs from Monticello, Virginia to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. When completed, the byway will become the world's first 180-mile landscaped alley. More importantly, it will serve as a living memorial to those who died during our nation's most difficult trial and a sober reminder of the enormity of its cost. Each tree planted will be dedicated to an individual Civil War soldier and will be ``geotagged'' to make a number of historical resources, such as the soldier's pictures and personal writings from the war, electronically available to visitors and researchers. The project has drawn enthusiastic volunteers from communities around the country and has recently partnered with Ancestry.com to supplement the quality of the information provided on each soldier. I submit the following article from the Washington Post and ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the important efforts being made by the Journey Through Hallowed Grounds Partnership to honor those who paid the ultimate price for freedom and liberty. [From the Washington Post, July 9, 2014] A Living Tribute to Civil War Soldiers (By Wesley Robinson) The newest trees along U.S. Route 15 come with stories of Civil War troops. One freshly planted rising sun redbud in Leesburg, Va., honors Joseph T. Bosworth, a young man from Massachusetts who fought with the 1st Rhode Island Cavalry. He died at the Battle of Antietam. A young sassafras nearby was dedicated to Daniel M. Barringer, who joined the Confederate Army in Corinth, Miss., fought with the 17th Mississippi Company and is buried in Union Cemetery in Leesburg. He was wounded at the Battle of Fredericksburg and died about a month after he was discharged. They are among 1,413 trees that have been planted so far to commemorate the Civil War dead through the nonprofit Journey Through Hallowed Ground (JTHG) Living Legacy Tree Planting Project. Though organizers acknowledge that the $74 million plan is ambitious, their aim is to plant a tree for each of an estimated 740,000 troops killed in the War between the States. Cate Magennis Wyatt, founder and president of the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership, said the trees--each funded by a $100 donation--are being planted along a 180-mile stretch from Thomas Jefferson's Albemarle County estate, Monticello, to Gettysburg, Pa. Visitors can search an interactive online map that shows each tree and includes details about the person it honors. The tree-planting project came about after then-Gov. Robert F. McDonnell asked communities to plan an unusual way to observe the sesquicentennial of the war, which was fought from 1861 to 1865, Magennis Wyatt said. She said her group, which is dedicated to historic preservation, wanted to do something other than a ``flagpole or another monument,'' eventually arriving at the idea for the tree allee. ``My joke was that God had spoken to her through a burning redwood bush,'' said Peter Hart, an arborist and volunteer with JTHG. When the project began, Magennis Wyatt noted, the number of Civil War dead was estimated at 620,000. Now historians put it at 740,000. Organizers said they are considering tagging existing trees to advance the goal of recognizing as many troops as possible. At a dedication ceremony last month, at Oatlands Historic Home and Gardens in Leesburg, Magennis Wyatt noted that there was not nearly enough room to plant a tree every 10 feet along the entire 180-mile route. Many of the trees are redbuds, but the project is also using a variety of maples, eastern red cedars and flowering dogwoods. Hart, who took part in the selection process, said they picked colorful variations but also hearty trees that can flourish next to a well-traveled roadway, where they must withstand heat from the pavement, high winds and road salt. Christopher Shott of New Bedford, Mass., said he came across the project online and decided to donate a redbud to honor Bosworth. Shott doesn't have any direct family ties to the Civil War; his relatives came to the United States later. Still, he felt a kinship with Bosworth because they had lived in the same town, Swansea, Mass. ``He made me feel like I have a connection to the Civil War,'' Shott said. One of the challenges the project faces, organizers said, is collecting information about the slain troops. Magennis Wyatt said about half of the soldiers died anonymously. She said there was no American Red Cross, government-issued dog tags or comprehensive registry. Wartime contributions of Native Americans, African Americans and women went largely unheralded. The project has joined with Ancestry.com and Fold3.com to provide biographical sketches of the troops. It is uploading biographical information to the Web site and trying to verify information with descendants, historians and others. At last month's dedication ceremony, for 500 recently planted trees, Jimmy Cunningham, 14, presented his research on Barringer. Jimmy, who lives in Leesburg, has attended a JTHG summer camp for the past three years and will serve as a junior counselor this summer. He was asked to participate in the research project by the JTHG staff and teamed up with his grandmother to investigate Barringer's life. Jimmy found that Barringer was injured in battle but died after he had been discharged. The death was attributed to ``leprosy'' and ``disease of the head.'' Jimmy also learned that Barringer's father was a wealthy man, which raised questions about why he went to war. ``It stimulated a lot of conversation in our home,'' said MaryKirk Cunningham, Jimmy's mother. Cunningham said her son's research also helped him become interested in family history. An ancestor on her side, Briscoe Goodhart, was a member of the Loudoun Rangers, a partisan cavalry unit that fought for the Union in the Civil War. ``For us, it's really great. . . . He went beyond our family but stayed connected to his nana through our family,'' Cunningham said. Michelle Kellogg, director of the JTHG National Heritage area, said the stretch where the trees are being planted, rich with historic sites, is a fitting place for such a tribute. She noted the region's nine presidential homes and high concentration of Civil War battle sites. ``This region is essential in helping Americans and visitors understand our history,'' Kellogg said. The Hallowed Grounds partnership was created several years back by Magennis Wyatt, a former Virginia secretary of commerce, and others worried about development's effect on the historic area. They were motivated, in part, by Disney's attempt in the 1990s to create a historic theme park in the region and by proposals to build a casino in Gettysburg and condos near Monticello. ``It was apparent that we were taking a lot for granted,'' Magennis Wyatt said, ``not just the bricks and mortar but the people who lived on this land and created this country.'' Ellen Vogel, a landscape architect with the Virginia Department of Transportation, said another challenge of the project is finding enough space for the trees in the corridor, about half of which is in Virginia. She said VDOT worked to provide the necessary guidance and flexibility. ``It's great that Virginia has a scenic byway. There are so few of those across the country,'' Vogel said. ``But we have a lot of history here. I think it's fitting.'' Hart's great-great-uncles Charles and William Davis and Jason Hart were killed in the war. His great-great- grandfather James Hart was wounded twice but survived. ``You combine my love for my family history and my love for trees and this living legacy project has captured me,'' Hart said. Shott, who flew to Virginia for the ceremony last month, said he visited Bosworth's grave in Sharpsburg, Md., early that Sunday to pay his respects before going to see the rising sun redbud planted in the soldier's honor. ``I just try to understand why they did what they did to the point they'd die for something they believed in,'' Shott said. ``The least we can do is remember them.''

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Congressional Research Service (CRS) on the occasion of its centennial anniversary. For 100 years, the experts at CRS have worked to provide Members and staff with timely information and research to help them serve their constituents, develop legislation and conduct strong oversight. Since its founding in 1914, CRS has evolved from a small agency providing basic reference services to a group of nearly 600 expert, highly-trained and collaborative professional staff members who are dedicated to supporting the work of the Congress. I can attest from my time in Congress that the objective, nonpartisan work of CRS is essential to the legislative process. When we face difficult policy problems or international crises, we turn to CRS for reliable information and analyses. CRS enables the Congress to make informed decisions for the United States and its citizens. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating CRS for all of its accomplishments over the last century, and I look forward to strongly supporting the institution as it embarks on its next century of service to our nation.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Rick Leonard of Winchester, Virginia, who has served as superintendent of Winchester Public Schools since 2009. Mr. Leonard retired from his post at the end of June after 34 years of service to the school system. After graduating from James Madison University in 1980, Rick began his teaching career when he accepted a job teaching biology at Handley High School. During his time at Handley, he served as a coach, assistant principal and principal of the school. Mr. Leonard worked his way to superintendent of Winchester Public Schools, assuming this role on July 1, 2009. He held that post until his retirement last month. It's my understanding that he hopes to enjoy some personal time before returning to teach in higher education or run a small business. I am pleased to submit the following article from The Winchester Star on Mr. Leonard's retirement and I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating him for many years of distinguished service to our nation's youth. [From the Winchester Star, June 27, 2014] Retiring City Schools Leader Credits Mentors (By Rebecca Layne) Winchester.--During an Army exercise in 1991, Rick Leonard and George Craig discussed their futures while leaning on the hood of a jeep. A biology teacher in the Winchester Public Schools, Leonard was in the interview process to become the assistant principal at Handley High School. But could he hold down the new job and remain in the Virginia Army National Guard? Craig, now a coordinator of curriculum and instruction in the city school system, thought his friend could do it. Leonard, however, chose to focus his sole attention on one task. ``If he was going to be the assistant principal, they were going to get everything he had,'' Craig said. ``He had a very, very promising career in the Army. But he chose schools. He wanted to give the schools all of his time.'' Leonard, 56, stuck to his promise, and more than 20 years after that conversation, he will retire at the end of the month as the division's superintendent, a job he held for five years. Despite the hefty title, Leonard said, he has never left the classroom. ``I'm retiring as a public school teacher,'' he said. ``I'm still an educator. I'm a teacher for other adults who work directly or indirectly with students, parents and the community.'' Leonard started his stint in the classroom when he was a senior at Warren County High School and took on the role of night custodian. From there, he went on to the College of William and Mary and later transferred to James Madison University, where he was team captain and an academic All-American in football. He graduated in 1980 with a bachelor's degree in biology and became a part-time military officer in the Army National Guard. Also that year, he was hired as a biology teacher at Handley and through the years has served as a teacher, a coach, an assistant principal and a principal--all in the Winchester Public Schools. He has held his superintendent post since July 1, 2009. ``You can always rely on Rick to give a straightforward, honest, thoughtful answer to whatever you're working on,'' Craig said. ``I don't know if I've ever seen Rick not smiling and not positive and enthusiastic about what we're doing. When he leaves [your desk], you're a better person. It's been a good conversation and you know things will be OK.'' Leonard said his biggest accomplishments are the successes of the students and the ``highly qualified and compassionate'' teachers and staff members who guided the division through a lack of adequate funding, an increase in testing rigor, a more diverse student population and increasing poverty rates--a ``perfect storm of challenges.'' ``We were still able to weather the worst recession since the Great Depression of the '30s with a rich curriculum, high standards and schools meeting state and federal requirements,'' he said. Leonard also had a role in getting the new $20 million John Kerr Elementary School project off the ground (it is scheduled to open in fall 2016), along with improving recruitment strategies to attract teachers; expanding the Career and Technical Education program; and creating a part-time, temporary workforce of credentialed teachers to support struggling learners through the Response to Intervention program. He credits former superintendents Glenn Burdick and Dennis Kellison as his mentors along the way. Despite his employment in the division for 34 years, Leonard doesn't think he's changed. He says he still talks way too fast and veins still pop out on his neck when he believes in something strongly, such as making sure all students have a chance to be successful. ``I still have the same drive and belief in all students,'' he said. Craig said his colleague's ability to make thoughtful decisions and to be active and decisive is unchanged, but his perspective has expanded. ``He thinks on almost a global perspective with the schools,'' he said. ``Now he has the vision to be able to see the whole system and the challenges that could come later on.'' Lynda Hickey, director of the instruction department, said Leonard always stayed the course in promoting the school's mission and vision of learning for all, challenged the staff members to be the best they could be and made students the heart of every decision. Leonard's executive assistant Bonnie Stickley has worked with him for five years. She considers him a class act, funny and positive. ``I'm going to miss him,'' she said. ``Not just as a boss, but as a friend.'' Leonard said no single reason has spurred him to retire. ``I'm running out of energy,'' he said. ``I want to leave at a time when my heart is still full of what my life's work has been: helping children, helping the next generation.'' Leonard said he might eventually like to teach in higher education or help to run a small business in the private sector, but first he will spend a lot of time in waders. ``The first thing I'll do is fish for a while,'' he said. ``And exercise a lot. Then I'll get back in the game. I just haven't decided what game that's going to be yet. ``For me, it's not necessarily retirement. It's more of a sabbatical.'' Leonard and his wife Patty have three sons.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking Speaker Boehner, Majority Leader Cantor, and their staff for prioritizing House consideration of this important reauthorization, as well as House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce and Congressman Chris Smith for shepherding this legislation through the committee process. I will say publicly what I said many times privately: no person that I have served with in 34 years has done more for human rights and religious freedom than Congressman Chris Smith. He is my hero. When I see the giants that I have served with in my 34 years, and when you go abroad, whether it be in Boko Haram territory in Nigeria or in China, no one has a greater reputation for speaking out for the voiceless than Congressman Smith. So I appreciate Chris' efforts at moving this thing quickly. I also want to thank Elyse Anderson from my staff, who has done incredible work on this. From the start, this bill has enjoyed, as Mr. Smith said, strong bipartisan support, including the cosponsorship of Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Eliot Engel. I want to thank Mr. Engel also for his strong support on these issues over the years. The broad support for this bill is fitting for an issue so central to America's own grand experiment in self-governance--the protection of religious freedom--which is often referred to as America's ``first freedom.'' Sadly, one need only pick up the newspaper today to see how religious freedom is under assault globally. The terrorist Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, is gaining territory in Iraq and before our eyes is threatening the very existence of ancient faith communities in the region, including the centuries-old Christian community. Tens of thousands of Iraqi Christians have fled Mosul and the surrounding region in what the Christian Science Monitor recently characterized as a ``cataclysmic restructuring of an area that was home to some of the earliest Christians.'' In addition to the crisis in Iraq, religious minorities are marginalized and imperiled in Egypt and Syria. The government of Vietnam severely restricts religious activities of all faiths, as does the government of China; and religious minorities such as the Ahmadiyya Muslims face governmental and social harassment in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia. Countries that we give aid and support to, though the Ahmadiyyas in Pakistan cannot even vote. These persecuted individuals and communities look to the U.S. above all others to champion their cause and to raise their plight with repressive governments. In May, I introduced H.R. 4653, the bipartisan legislation before us today, which reauthorizes the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom for 5 years. First created in 1998 through the International Religious Freedom Act, it is an independent, bipartisan Federal Government Commission that monitors the universal right to freedom of religion or belief abroad, reviews the facts and circumstances of religious freedom violation based on international standards, and makes policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress. Without this Commission, there would be nobody around to point out what is taking place to these groups. Since its inception, the Commission has been an invaluable watchdog for global religious freedom conditions. The Commission has been a voice for the imprisoned Baha'i leader who is languishing unjustly behind bars in Iran. Many Baha'is are behind bars in Iran, and if it weren't for the Commission, no one would know. The Commission has been a voice of the fearful Iraqi nun who is uncertain if there is a future for her in the land of her birth. More Biblical activity took place in Iraq than in any other country in the world, other than in Israel. Abraham is from Iraq. Ezekiel is buried in Iraq. Daniel is from Iraq, as are Jonah and Nineveh. Without the Commission, there would be nobody speaking out for the Iraqi nun, who is fearful of her life and is fearful of the future for her church. The Commission has been a voice of the Buddhist monk, who has watched with horror as more than 130 of his fellow Tibetans have set themselves aflame in desperation at the abuses they have suffered at the hands of the Chinese Government. If it were not for this Commission, nobody would know how the Buddhists are being persecuted in Tibet. In short, the Commission has been and, with passage of this legislation, will continue to be the voice of the marginalized, oppressed, and persecuted people who dare to worship according to the dictates of their consciences. The Commission can be relied upon to consistently give the unvarnished truth, as Mr. Smith said, about the true state of religious freedom in countries around the globe, whether they are strategic allies or adversaries. The Commission is also unhindered by the bureaucratic morass that so often stymies the State Department during both Republican and Democratic administrations alike. Given the state of religious freedom abroad today, the sobering reality is that the Commission's voice is needed more now than ever before. A vote for this legislation is a vote for America's first freedom. With that, I urge its unanimous passage.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, as you know, I have introduced legislation to reestablish the public holiday for George Washington's Birthday from the third Monday of February to the actual date of Washington's birth on February 22. I have long admired President Washington and have found inspiration in public service from studying his life. Few know that his first political office was representing Winchester, Virginia, in the Virginia House of Burgesses. I am proud to say Winchester is in the 10th Congressional District of Virginia. Earlier this month I spoke to the third grade classes at Waterford Elementary School in Loudoun County. When I brought my effort to move the holiday back to President Washington's actual birthday the children cheered. Then their teachers asked what their students could do help get the legislation passed. I want to enter into the Record a resolution drafted and signed by all the students in the class that says that George Washington's Birthday should be observed on February 22, rather than the third Monday in February each year. The complete resolution reads: Resolution in Support of Congressman Wolf's Bill To Make February 22 the Official Holiday of George Washington's Birthday We are gathered today in third grade at Waterford Elementary School, in historic Waterford within the County of Loudoun, in the Commonwealth of Virginia, to affirm Congressman Wolf's proposed bill to honor George Washington, and We have learned of Congressman Wolf's initiative to celebrate the significance of President Washington's birth to the birth of our nation, honoring his unparalleled role in American History; instilling in the American people a deeper desire to learn more about this great man: Whereas, as General and Commander in Chief of the Continental Army, Washington led the Patriots to victory in the Revolutionary War. Absent this, the United States may have never been born, and Whereas, following his dreams of a free and democratic country, Washington refused to become a king and refused to serve more than two terms as president. He pioneered the qualities of our government that helped to establish clear roles of its leaders by establishing a system of checks and balances, and Whereas, Washington's efforts and actions led to the design and construction of our capital city. Washington, himself, laid the cornerstone of our U.S. Capitol, and Whereas, our first and one of the greatest presidents, was president of the Continental Congress, a key author of the Constitution, and an instrumental force in uniting the thirteen colonies, and Whereas, Washington was the ONLY president unanimously nominated for that office by the electoral college for both his first and second terms, and Whereas, Washington, a man of incredible vision, freed his own slaves in his will, foreshadowing an identical outcome nation-wide on September 22, 1862, and Whereas, George Washington, the father of country, is admired and honored by all who know the significance of his contributions. Now, therefore, be it resolved to pass H.R. 681: to amend title 5, United States Code, to provide that Washington's Birthday be observed on February 22, rather than the third Monday of February of each year. Be it further resolved to tell Congressman Wolf how much his inspiration, wisdom, determination, and unfailing support for honoring George Washington means to us; and how grateful we are or his service. Respectfully Submitted: Riley E. White, Paige E. Wenham, Clay Ash, Kierstin G. Culp, Reggie Norton, Matt Chmielewski, Jackson Allgood, Aiden Akers, Kevin Beach, Ava Fahrner, Luke Jenkins, Connor Thurston, Joseph T. Ravese, Barrett Ralston, Haley Oliver, Maxwell Twyford, Ava Mumaw, Charlotte Fiorentino, Emma Vest, Lily Kelly, Cole Gormont, Claire Thurston, Ian T. Watson, Susan H. Verdin Teacher, Stephanie R. Wang, Wynn Drenning, Blake Earles, Luke Malonis, Henry E. Dinger, Cash Croft, Grace Gavlinski, Madeline Shea, Collin Price, Anthony Alfaro, Corey Schaeffer, and Evelyn B. Hale Teacher, The third graders at Waterford Elementary aren't alone in their support of H.R. 681. Two-time Pulitzer Prize winning history author David McCullough, Washington historian Ron Chernow, historians Peter Henriques and Richard Bookhiser and scholar and history professor Gordon Wood also support the bill, as does George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate. On June 2, 2014, I received the following letter from Curt Viebranz, the president of Mount Vernon: Dear Congressman Wolf: Thank you for introducing H.R. 681 to restore the nation's official observance of George Washington's Birthday on February 22, the actual date of his birth 282 years ago. We at Mount Vernon enthusiastically support this important legislative effort! As you are well aware, the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association was created to save George Washington's home from potential ruin and maintain this priceless landmark for the good of the American people. We have worked tirelessly for more than 150 years to keep Washington's extraordinary legacy alive, and we accomplish this solely through private donations--we do not accept any government funds. Just last year, we opened the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington which offers a remarkable new platform to expand our scholarship and educational outreach for visitors both on the estate and online. We strongly believe that a true patriotic celebration of Washington's birthday would help return George Washington to a place of prominence in our national consciousness--a goal for which we have been striving for many years. Today several states, the media, advertisers, and the general public have abandoned recognition of Washington's birthday and replaced it with a commercial ``shopping holiday'' that leaves American history, heroes, and patriotism by the side of the road. The holiday was far more meaningful when it revolved around George Washington and schools and families focused on Washington's sterling example of character and leadership. Americans should learn from example and celebrate and appreciate our heroes. Our Founding Fathers and subsequent leaders were surely clear on this point. President John F. Kennedy stated, ``History is the means by which a nation establishes its sense of identity and purpose.'' President Harry Truman emphasized this point as well when he said, ``The only thing new in the world is the history you don't know.'' Restoring the official celebration of Washington's birthday would be a great place to start. We look forward to the day when, once again, February 22 is marked by patriotic festivities and lessons about George Washington which can teach and inspire American leaders of today and tomorrow. As our nation's foremost founding father, Washington is relevant to each new generation because his prominent character traits--undaunted courage, unabashed patriotism, reasoned judgment, a profound sense of civic responsibility, and a deep, selfless commitment to country--never go out of style. Educating the children of America about the life and leadership of George Washington is an important investment in the future of our nation. Your efforts are particularly important because as noted author and keynote speaker at our Library's opening ceremonies David McCullough has said many times, we are ``raising a generation of historically illiterate children.'' Surveys and focus groups validate this problem and show that most Americans recognize the face of Washington on their dollar bills, but they don't know much about him. This is a real cause for concern about the future of our nation It is our duty and privilege to teach today's young people about George Washington's leadership with the hope that they will follow in his footsteps. Enactment of your legislation would go a long way toward emphasizing the importance of remembering the Father of Our Country. We are inspired in countless ways by George Washington's example as the indispensable man. He served as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army through the eight long years of the War of Independence. The people then showed their overwhelming support for him as he was unanimously elected as president of the Constitutional Convention and to two terms as our new nation's first president. As you know, the unanimous election of a President of the United States has never occurred since. A true celebration of Washington's birthday would encourage Americans to reflect on the distinguishing qualities of his leadership. For example, Washington was willing to sacrifice the life he loved at Mount Vernon time and time again when he was called to serve his country. Perhaps more than anyone in American history, he understood and valued patriotic duty. Another admirable trait was his willingness to give up power. In a time when great leaders were marked by their ability to gain and keep as much power as possible, George Washington willingly stepped down as the Commander in Chief of the Continental Army as well as after his second term as president. He could have been elected again and again, but his peaceful transition of power demonstrated that democracy really worked and established a new definition of power. He truly believed in the concept of liberty where the power rested with the people. What an important lesson even for the leaders of today! The celebration of George Washington's Birthday on February 22 will help return the Father of Our Country to his position as ``First in War, First in Peace, and First in the Hearts of his Countrymen,'' as Light-Horse Harry Lee said so many years ago. George Washington's sterling example of character and leadership provides the opportunity to refresh and inspire our country as we face formidable challenges both at home and abroad. Thank you again for your efforts in introducing H.R. 681. The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association stands behind you in this patriotic pursuit. Sincerely, Curtis G. Viebranz, President. My legislation is not without precedent. In 1975, Congress amended the Uniform Monday Holiday Act and President Gerald R. Ford signed legislation into law returning the annual observance of Veterans Day from the fourth Monday in November to its original date of November 11, beginning in 1978. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day as a celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. There is a reason the birthday of President George Washington is the only legal federal holiday observed for a president of the United States. He is called the ``father of our country'' because he is without compare in our nation's history. Washington's Birthday has been celebrated since the final days of the Revolutionary War. French and American troops paraded through Newport, Rhode Island, in 1781 and celebrations were held in Richmond, Virginia, in 1782. Organized by French General Rochambeau and others who knew him personally, these celebrations drew special attention to the bravery, courage, leadership and perseverance of the Revolutionary War hero. From the beginning of our country, the importance of this day has been recognized. As President James Buchanan said in 1860, ``. . . when the birthday of Washington shall be forgotten, liberty will have perished from the earth.'' In response, President Rutherford B. Hayes signed legislation in 1879 that made Washington's Birthday a holiday for District federal workers. The holiday was extended to all federal workers in 1885. Sadly, the celebration of President Washington's unparalleled role in American history has been lost and I believe Congress has unwittingly contributed to this lack of historical understanding by relegating Washington's birthday to the third Monday in February to take advantage of a three-day weekend. It is time to change the focus of the holiday from celebrating sales at the mall to celebrating the significance of President Washington's birth and the birth of our nation. I urge the House to take up this bill and pass it.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 4899, the Lowering Gasoline Prices to Fuel an America That Works Act of 2014, to move the process forward and support U.S. energy independence and security, although I remain strongly opposed to one provision included in this bill. This concerning provision was drawn from an amendment to H.R. 1965, the Federal Lands, Jobs, and Energy Security Act, which I opposed, and would call for the Secretary of the Interior to develop plans to allow for the construction of new power lines ``across Federal lands to ensure that energy produced can be distributed to areas of need.'' Some may consider this to be noncontroversial, but I have fought the impact of similar language for a number of years. I am privileged to represent Virginia's ``hallowed grounds,'' where so many important events and battles in American history took place, and I simply cannot support efforts to construct new power lines through our area--particularly power lines that would ship energy to other parts of the country. That's why I opposed PATH and why I opposed TrAIL. Cedar Creek and Bell Grove National Historic Park and Manassas National Battlefield Park are just a few areas in our region that could be impacted by this provision. While my vote reflects my support for the other elements in this energy security bill, I will not be able to support any conferenced final bill if it contains this troubling provision.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. The denomination's action on Israel stands in stark contrast to its inaction on the persecuted church in the region. The PCUSA expressly declined to sign a recently issued Pledge of Solidarity and Call to Action, which more than 200 religious leaders from across the country signed on to. Representatives of the American church came together across ecumenical lines to pledge to do more to help beleaguered minority faith communities, foremost among them, the ancient Christian communities in Egypt, Iraq, and Syria. The PCUSA privately expressed concern that this action would be perceived as an ``anti-Muslim'' statement. The pledge itself was carefully crafted with input from faith leaders here in the United States and throughout the region and conveyed that the time has come for the church in the West to ``pray and speak with greater urgency about this human rights crisis.'' With the PCUSA's decision not to associate itself with the urgent call to action, I find myself once again out of step with my denomination in profound ways. I believe many of the giants of this tradition, among them: Reverend Peter Marshall of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, where President Lincoln worshipped, and a former Senate Chaplain; Reverend Dick Halverson, senior pastor of Fourth Presbyterian Church and also a Senate Chaplain; Reverend Louis Evans, pastor for 18 years of National Presbyterian Church; and Reverend James Boice, pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia would find it difficult to recognize the PCUSA church today.

Mr. WOLF. The PCUSA's deeply misguided decision comes against a backdrop of rising anti-Semitism in Europe and even here in the United States. I submit for the Record a June 20 Washington Post piece highlighting the problem, which noted that ``Jewish leaders here are now warning of a recent and fundamental shift tied to a spurt of homegrown anti- Semitism.'' [From the Washington Post, June 20, 2014] A ``New Anti-Semitism'' Rising in France (By Anthony Faiola) Paris--``I am not an anti-Semite,'' French comedian Dieudonnee M'bala M'bala says with a devilish grin near the start of his hit show at this city's Theeaatre de la Main d'Or. Then come the Jew jokes. In front of a packed house, he apes Alain Jakubowicz, a French Jewish leader who calls the humor of Dieudonnee tantamount to hate speech. While the comedian skewers Jakubowicz, Stars of David glow on screen and, as the audience guffaws, a soundtrack plays evoking the trains to Nazi death camps. In various other skits, he belittles the Holocaust, then mocks it as a gross exaggeration. In a country where Jewish leaders are decrying the worst climate of anti-Semitism in decades, Dieudonnee, a longtime comedian and erstwhile politician whose attacks on Jews have grown progressively worse, is a sign of the times. French authorities issued an effective ban on his latest show in January for inciting hate. So he reworked the material to get back on stage--cutting, for instance, one joke lamenting the lack of modern-day gas chambers. But the Afro-French comedian, whose stage name is simply Dieudonnee, managed to salvage other bits, including his signature ``quenelle'' salute. Across Europe, the downward- pointing arm gesture that looks like an inverted Nazi salute has now gone so viral that it has popped up on army bases, in parliaments, at weddings and at professional soccer matches. Neo-Nazis have used it in front of synagogues and Holocaust memorials. Earlier this year, bands of Dieudonnee supporters flashed it during a street protest in Paris while shouting, ``Jews, out of France!'' ``Dieudonnee is getting millions of views on his videos on the Internet and is spreading his quenelle,'' said Roger Cukierman, president of the Council for Jewish Institutions in France. ``Something very worrying is happening in France. This is not a good time for Jews.'' Dieudonnee was unavailable for comment, but his attorney, Sanjay Mirabeau, said the comedian was simply speaking truth to power. ``If the Portuguese were protected in France and had big influence, then he would protest the Portuguese,'' Mirabeau said. ``But as it is, there are others'' who fit that description. Jewish leaders say Dieudonnee is a symptom of a larger problem. Here and across the region, they are talking of the rise of a ``new anti-Semitism'' based on the convergence of four main factors. They cite classic scapegoating amid hard economic times, the growing strength of far-right nationalists, a deteriorating relationship between black Europeans and Jews, and, importantly, increasing tensions with Europe's surging Muslim population. In Western Europe, no nation has seen the climate for Jews deteriorate more than France. Anti-Semitism has ebbed and flowed here and throughout the region since the end of World War II, with outbreaks of violence and international terrorism--particularly in the 1980s and early 2000s--often linked to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. But Jewish leaders here are now warning of a recent and fundamental shift tied to a spurt of homegrown anti-Semitism. This month, authorities arrested Mehdi Nemmouche, a 29- year-old French national, and charged him with the May killings of four people inside a Jewish museum in Brussels. The attack was the deadliest act of anti-Semitism in Western Europe since a gunman killed seven people, including three children at a Jewish day school, in Toulouse in 2012. Nemmouche allegedly launched his attack after a tour of duty with rebels in Syria, prompting fears of additional violence to come as more of the hundreds of French nationals fighting there make their way home. In a country that is home to the largest Jewish community in Europe, the first three months of the year saw reported acts of anti-Semitic violence in France skyrocket to 140 incidents, a 40 percent increase from the same period last year. This month, two young Jewish men were severely beaten on their way to synagogue in an eastern suburb of Paris. Near the city's Montmartre district, home to the Moulin Rouge and the Sacree-Coeur basilica, a woman verbally accosted a Jewish mother before rattling the carriage of her 6-month-old child and shouting, ``dirty Jewess . . . you Jews have too many children,'' according to a report filed by France's National Bureau for Vigilance Against Anti-Semitism. Meanwhile, not far from the rolling vineyards of Bordeaux, stars of David were recently spray-painted on the homes of Jews. A recent global survey by the New York-based Anti- Defamation League suggested that France now has the highest percentage in Western Europe--37 percent--of people openly harboring anti-Semitic views. That compares with 8 percent in Britain, 20 percent in Italy and 27 percent in Germany. Jewish leaders chalk that up in part to growing radicalization of youths in France's Muslim population--the largest in Europe--as well as outrage in the general public and French media over Israeli policy toward the Palestinians. But it is also far more complex. Anti-Semitism, Jewish activists fear, is becoming more socially acceptable. In May, for instance, the far-right National Front--a party long rooted in anti-Semitism but which sought to portray itself as reformed--came in first in elections here for the European Parliament, winning a whopping 25 percent of the national vote. Yet last week, its patriarch, Jean-Marie Le Pen, suggested just how unreformed a segment of the party remains. In a video posted on the party's Web site, he suggested that a Jewish folk singer should be thrown into an oven. Le Pen's daughter and current party leader, Marine Le Pen, offered a rare rebuke of her father's words and ordered footage of the comments removed from the party's Web site. The elder Le Pen's musings were nevertheless seen as unsurprising within a party whose older members have long harkened back to the days of Vichy France, the Nazi collaborators who allowed tens of thousands of French Jews to go to their deaths. ``I walked into my kosher sandwich shop the other day and the owner asked me, `Is it time to leave? Are we Nazi Germany yet?' '' said Shimon Samuels, the Paris-based international director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. ``We've got the National Front in first place. We've got Dieudonnee, spreading his hate. So I told him, `Well, do you really want to be the last to go?' '' Indeed, French migration to Israel in 2013 jumped to 3,200 people, up 64 percent from 2012. A huge uptick in departures this year has Jewish leaders here predicting that at least 5,000 French Jews will leave in 2014. ``We've been thinking about moving for a long time, but the climate was not as dangerous as it is now,'' said Alain, 30, a medical equipment specialist who is moving to Israel in July with his wife and three children. He declined to give his last name out of fear for his family's security. Sitting at his modest dining-room table in eastern Paris, a set of moving boxes in the next room, he added: ``It bothers me because this is not normal; this is not how I remember France when I was growing up.'' Two weeks ago, Alain said, he woke up to find his 13-year- old daughter, Michele, crying. After a recent attack on two Jewish boys not far from her school, she said she was too afraid to join her regular car pool. Instead, she demanded that he take her to school and pick her up, standing guard as she entered and exited each day. He has moved his work schedule around to accommodate her request. Asked what she was scared of, Michele, an elegant French teenager in a fashionable black skirt and white T-shirt, looked down and said: ``I'm afraid that what happened in Toulouse will happen at my school, too. . . . I hear what people say about Jews. And I am scared.'' Enter Dieudonnee. Born to a father from Cameroon and a white French mother, Dieudonnee, ironically, rose to stardom in the 1990s as part of a duo act with EElie Semoun, a Jewish comedian. But the two grew estranged as Dieudonnee's humor became indistinguishable from anti-Semitic diatribe. In the 2000s, he wooed the far right and the far left as his campaign against Zionism made him an unlikely symbol for both. Throughout the 2000s, he was repeatedly fined for making a variety of anti-Semitic statements, including his description of Holocaust commemorations as ``memorial porn.'' Blacklisted from mainstream TV shows and radio, he nevertheless thrives, with a cultlike following on stage and via the Internet, where his satirical videos stand out among a rash of new anti-Semitic Web sites in France. As he has become less mainstream, he has traded larger venues for relatively smaller theater spaces where he is filling seats with fans across racial, political and socioeconomic spectrums. Dieudonnee is an equal-opportunity offender. His act is a study in provocation, targeting not only Jews but also gays and mainstream politicians. Yet--as evidenced by the T-shirts bearing the quenelle salute on sale at his shows--he tends to reserve his toughest punch lines for Jews. Over the past year, observers say, his depictions have sharply worsened. His act became so offensive that the French government in January took the rare step of encouraging local jurisdictions to bar his performances. The move forced him to tone down his material, largely by deploying inference and shorthand to get his point across.

Mr. WOLF. I will begin with marriage. After several years of internal discussion and debate, the assembly voted overwhelmingly to take a position which runs counter to the counsel of Scripture, which defines marriage as the divinely inspired joining of one man and one woman. It has long been clear that our culture is in the throes of a seismic shift on this issue. While the current marriage debate is centered around the notion of same-sex unions, in reality there has been a decades-long assault on marriage, such that what was once almost universally recognized as a God-ordained and created institution, the fundamental building block of any society and the nexus of procreation and childrearing, has now been called into question both in the larger culture and increasingly in the legal framework which governs this land. But perhaps the most striking and troubling is that increasingly this is happening within the church itself, which has historically served as a bulwark against the cultural whims of the day. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says: Haven't you read . . . that at the beginning the Creator ``made them male and female,'' and said, ``For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and two will become one flesh''? So they are no longer but two, but one. Therefore, what God has joined together let man not separate.'' This passage and others like it remind me of Reverend Billy Graham's comments and the lead-up to the 2012 North Carolina ballot initiative regarding marriage, when he remarked: The Bible is clear--God's definition of marriage is between a man and a woman. In addition to marriage, I was also troubled by the PCUSA's action on Israel. I submit for the Record a Wall Street Journal piece which ran yesterday regarding the vote to divest the denomination stock from three American companies that do business with Israel in the West Bank citing their ``involvement in the occupation and the violation of human rights in the region.'' [From the Wall Street Journal, June 22, 2014] Presbyterians Join the Anti-Israel Choir Divesting From Companies Like Motorola Solutions to show Solidarity With the Palestinians (By Jonathan Marks) The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is bleeding members. Between 2000 and 2013, almost 765,000 members left the organization, a loss of nearly 30%. Last week the church's leadership met in Detroit for crisis talks. No, not about the emptying-pews crisis. The Israel- Palestinian crisis. On Friday, in a close vote (310-303), the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)--the largest of several Presbyterian denominations in America--resolved to divest the organization's stock in Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard and Motorola Solutions. The church's Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment said the companies have continued to ``profit from their involvement in the occupation and the violation of human rights in the region,'' and have even ``deepened their involvement in roadblocks to a just peace.'' Israel's counterterrorism and defense measures have included razing Palestinian houses (with Caterpillar equipment), operating Gaza and West Bank checkpoints (with Hewlett-Packard technology), and utilizing military communications and surveillance (with Motorola Solutions technology). The church signaled its antipathy for Israel earlier this year by hawking a study guide called ``Zionism Unsettled'' in its online church store. In the 76-page pamphlet, Zionism-- the movement to establish a Jewish homeland and nation-state in the historic land of Israel--is characterized as a ``a struggle for colonial and racist supremacist privilege.'' In a postscript to ``Zionism Unsettled,'' Naim Ateek, a Palestinian priest and member of the Anglican Church, explains the meaning of the charges in the pamphlet. ``It is the equivalent of declaring Zionism heretical, a doctrine that fosters both political and theological injustice. This is the strongest condemnation that a Christian confession can make against any doctrine that promotes death rather than life.'' In one response, Katharine Henderson, president of New York's Auburn Theological Seminary, said in February that the ``premise of the document appears to be that Zionism is the cause of the entire conflict in the Middle East,'' in essence ``the original sin, from which flows all the suffering of the Palestinian people.'' And amid intense criticism of the study guide from the Anti-Defamation League and other groups, the church's General Assembly declared on Wednesday that `` `Zionism Unsettled' does not represent the views of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).'' But the assembly didn't bar the church from continuing to distribute and sell it. The divestment resolution that ultimately passed included language affirming Israel's right to exist and denying that divesting from the three companies is tantamount to alignment with the broader Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. Still, the vote is a victory for anti-Israel forces within the church. And the divestment vote hardly means that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is ready to shift its focus: The organization's Middle East Issues Committee sees only one Middle East issue. All 14 of the matters before it this year concerned Israel and Palestine. No Syria. No Iraq. Another vote regarding Palestinian-Israeli matters by the church's General Assembly, seemingly more innocuous, is actually more disturbing. The vote instructed the church's Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy to prepare a report to help the General Assembly reconsider its commitment to a two-state solution and to create a study guide ``that will help inform the whole church of the situation on the ground in Palestine.'' In its ``advice and counsel'' on an anti-divestment proposal, the committee voiced its support for the boycott- Israel movement, compared Israel with apartheid-era South Africa and declared Israel responsible for its own ``de- legitimation.'' It complained that the anti-divestment proposal ``prioritize[d] Israel's security and underline[d] the flaws of Hamas and other `hostile' neighbors without noting the constant violence of the occupation.'' Even with respect to Hamas, whose charter commits it to the destruction of Israel, the committee felt compelled to put ``hostile'' in scare quotes. The committee has some history on this score: In 2004, it drew widespread condemnation for meeting with leaders of the terrorist organization Hezbollah. The General Assembly instructed the advisory committee that the new study guide should ``honestly point out'' that ``simple financial investment in a completely occupied land where the occupiers are relentless and unwavering regarding their occupation is not enough to dismantle the matrix of that occupation or dramatically change the vast majority of communities or individual lives that are bowed and broken by systematic and intentional injustice.'' The vote to commission the guide was 482-88. With a dwindling membership, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) clearly needs new friends, but the church does itself no favors by courting Israel's enemies.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a follower of Jesus and a lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church USA who is deeply grieved by what transpired at last week's gathering of PCUSA's General Assembly. I feel increasingly alienated from this rich faith tradition, which includes John Witherspoon, the only active clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence, and submit for the Record a statement of protest by the Presbyterian Lay Committee Board of Directors, which expresses a similar sentiment. [June 19, 2014] Presbyterian Lay Committee Board of Directors Repudiates Action of PCUSA General Assembly (By Carmen Fowler LaBerge) Detroit, MI.--A statement of protest by the Presbyterian Lay Committee repudiating the action of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA to redefine marriage. The 221st General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has approved both an Authoritative Interpretation of the Constitution and an amendment to redefine marriage. In the name of 1.8 million Presbyterians nationwide, the General Assembly has committed an express repudiation of the Bible, the mutually agreed upon Confessions of the PCUSA, thousands of years of faithfulness to God's clear commands and the denominational ordination vows of each concurring commissioner. This is an abomination. The Presbyterian Lay Committee mourns these actions and calls on all Presbyterians to resist and protest them. You should tell your pastor and the members of your session that you disapprove of these actions. You should refuse to fund the General Assembly, your synod, your presbytery and even your local church if those bodies have not explicitly and publicly repudiated these unbiblical actions. God will not be mocked and those who substitute their own felt desires for God's unchangeable Truth will not be found guiltless before a holy God. The Presbyterian Lay Committee will continue to call for repentance and reform: repentance of those who have clearly erred at this General Assembly and reform of the PCUSA according to the Word of God. Presbyterian Lay Committee Board of Directors, June 19, 2014.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring to your attention an incident that happened last week in Israel, a situation being referred to internationally as ``#BringBackOurBoys.'' On June 12, three teenage Israeli students, Gil-Ad Shaer, Eyal Yifrah and Naftali Fraenkel, disappeared from a hitchhiking point a little south of Jerusalem, Israel. While no group has come forward to take responsibility for this action, the Israeli government has pointed fingers at Hamas. As you know, Mr. Speaker, Hamas, a radical Islamist party, first came to power following the Palestinian legislative elections in 2006, defeating the former ruling party, Fatah. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has arrested over 200 suspects, most of them Hamas members, over the past week. In addition to these arrests, they have expanded their search in hopes to retrieve these abducted boys. People all over the world have gathered together, to express their concerns for these boys and their families. Many rallies have taken place outside of various World Cup arenas in hopes of bringing media attention to this important issue. A mass rally has been planned for next Tuesday, June 24th, outside of the Israeli Consulate in New York. This past week, on Wednesday June 18, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, and The Israel Forever Foundation co-sponsored a vigil outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington D.C. Over 250 members of the community gathered to chant and listen to speakers of many different faiths reiterating the need for these boys to be returned to their families safely. Rabbi Adam Raskin of Congregation Har Shalom in Potomac, Maryland said ``They are our kids. This is a kidnapping from our family,'' asking ``Can you imagine the anguish and the pain of their parents?'' This is an issue that we must continue to put pressure on, in order to return these boys to their families. As another Sabbath passes, my thoughts and prayers are with the families of these young men. We remain hopeful for the immediate safe return of these students. Mr. Speaker, everyone in this country, regardless of their individual faith, needs to be mindful of the words Presbyterian Minister Roy Howard of St. Marks Church in North Bethesda, Maryland spoke at this week's rally at the Israeli Embassy here in Washington: ``We are united with Israel, the Jewish people; they are not my boys, but I stand in solidarity with you.''

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo and I are sending the following letter, and we urge Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle to sign this letter to President Obama: Dear Mr. President: Many Americans have been deeply troubled by the unfolding crisis in Iraq. The rapid fall of multiple Iraqi cities to the terrorist Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, ISIS, brings the militant group notably closer to its declared aim of establishing a caliphate that spans the northern sections of Syria and Iraq. A June 12 BBC article described ISIS in the following way: ``The group has a reputation for brutality. Parts of Syria and Iraq that have previously fallen under its rule have witnessed summary execution, beheadings, and even crucifixions.'' It is against this backdrop, Mr. President, that we write to you bearing in mind recent reports from Archbishop Bashar M. Warda of the Chaldean Diocese of Erbil. While his particular diocese is relatively calm at the moment, the picture that he painted, consistent with news report, of the situation in Mosul and the implications for Iraq's ancient Christian community and other religious minorities was bleak and sobering. For years, we have witnessed a precipitous decline of Iraq's Christian community. Thousands have fled in the face of targeted violence. Many of those that remained relocated to Mosul and the Nineveh Plain. To people of faith, Nineveh is a familiar name: the site of a dramatic spiritual revival as told in the Biblical book of Jonah. These areas were one of the last remaining havens for this beleaguered community. In fact, Archbishop Warda indicated that this past Sunday, for the first time in 1,600 years, there was no Mass said in Mosul. For the thousands who have already fled Mosul, they are facing not just displacement and imminent danger, but a growing humanitarian nightmare marked by lack of access to clean water, food, fuel, and electricity. As such, Mr. President, we urge you and your administration to urgently and actively engage with the Iraqi central government and the Kurdistan Regional Government, KRG, to prioritize additional security support for these particularly vulnerable populations and expanded humanitarian assistance and emergency aid delivery to those affected communities. Absent immediate action, we will most certainly witness the annihilation of an ancient faith community from the lands they have inhabited for centuries. Mr. Speaker, we urge Members to sign this letter by the end of the day. More Biblical activity took place in Iraq than any other country of the world, other than Israel. Abraham is from Iraq, from Ur, which is Nasiriyah. Esther, for such a time like this, is from Iraq. Jonah is from Nineveh--many people believe may very well be buried in Iraq. Ezekiel is buried in Iraq. Daniel, one of the great men of the Bible, is buried in Iraq. So we urge all Members, this is something we can unite on. This is not a Republican or Democratic issue. This is an issue of saving this ancient community and urging the administration to urge the Kurds to protect them as they flee from this area. I urge all Members, please call my office, call Anna Eshoo's office, to sign this letter by the end of the day, in order to save the Christian community and other religious minorities in the Middle East.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Eli Takesian, former associate pastor of the Vienna Presbyterian Church and decorated military chaplain. Eli served in Korea and Vietnam, eventually earning the position of Chief Chaplain of the Marine Corps at Marine Corps Headquarters in Washington, DC. He passed away on May 20, 2014, at the Walter Reed National Medical Center. I submit the following program notes from Eli's funeral. He was a true patriot. Eli Takesian died on May 20, 2014 at the Walter Reed National Medical Center. Born on February 28, 1932 in Methuen, Massachusetts, the son of Stephan and Koharig Takesian and uncle to many loved nephews and nieces. Eli is survived by his sister, Helen Hagopian. His brothers, Raffi, Jack and Vartkes predeceased him. Eli served in Korea with the 1st Marine Division from November 1951 to November 1952. Following his discharge from the Marine Corp, he graduated from Baylor University in 1957. He then continued his education at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland and Princeton Theological Seminary, receiving a master's degree in theology in 1960. The same year Eli was ordained a minister by the United Presbyterian Church. After serving a pastorate in Amsterdam, Ohio, Eli returned to the military as a Navy Chaplain. Chaplain Takesian served two tours of duty in Vietnam and then spent 20 years as a senior chaplain, becoming Chief Chaplain of the Marine Corps at Marine Corps Headquarters in Washington, DC. While in Vietnam in 1968, even though he was not assigned to the unit, Chaplain Takesian joined the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines Regiment, 1st Marine Division on the battlefield in Hue City--one of the most famous and bloodiest Vietnam War battles. Eli brought prayers, support and hope to the wounded and the dying. In 2007, in his home town of Methuen, men of the 1st Battalion 5th Marines had a monument built in remembrance of his bravery. During his service in the military, Chaplain Takesian was awarded a number of combat decorations including the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars with Combat Vs and four Presidential Unit Citations. He retired from naval service in 1987 and became an associate pastor of the Vienna Presbyterian Church retiring in 1995. Until his death, Chaplain Takesian continued to provide ministerial services to military retirement communities and churches in Northern Virginia. While studying in Scotland, Eli discovered his passion for music and the arts. When serving as Chaplain on Governor's Island in New York, he met and fell in love with Broadway actress and vocalist, Margaret Broderson, who studied at Julliard. They were married in 1978 in the Chapel on Governor's Island. Eli and Margaret moved to Flacons Landing in December 2012. In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be made to the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society, Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation and the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation.

Mr WOLF

Mr WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize former Secretary of the Army John O. ``Jack'' Marsh, Jr., of Winchester, for being awarded the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Public Service. I am proud to call Jack my good friend and pleased to join the Ford Foundation in honoring him for his long and distinguished service to our country. After attending Washington and Lee University and practicing law in the Shenandoah Valley, Jack began his career in public service when he was elected as a Democrat to represent Virginia's 7th Congressional District in 1963. He later went on to serve as Assistant Secretary of Defense in 1973. While serving in Congress, Jack met Congressman Gerald Ford, who was representing Michigan's 5th District as a Republican at the time. When Ford became Vice President to Richard Nixon, Jack was asked to serve as National Security Advisor and when Ford assumed the presidency in 1974, Jack became Counselor to the President--a cabinet-level post. Later, under President Reagan, Jack was appointed Secretary of the Army, an office he held from 1981 until 1989. He is the longest serving Secretary of the Army in history. The Medal for Distinguished Public Service is awarded annually to public servants who successfully demonstrate President Ford's leadership qualities over their career, and is reserved for a precious few. In receiving the Medal for Distinguished Public Service, Jack joins a special group of alumni, which includes prominent figures like Tip O'Neill, Henry Kissinger, John Paul Stevens and Brent Scowcroft. I am pleased to submit the following article from the Winchester Star on Jack's achievements and thank my friend for his years of selfless service to our country. [From The Winchester Star, June 3, 2014] Former Army Secretary Honored (By Cynthia Cather Burton) Winchester.--Former Secretary of the Army John O. ``Jack'' Marsh Jr. of Winchester was awarded the 2014 Gerald R. Ford Medal for Distinguished Public Service on Monday. The presentation took place during the annual dinner of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington, D.C. Marsh, 87, joins a group of political, judicial and military luminaries who have received the award, which was established in 2003 by the foundation's board of trustees to recognize individuals ``who reflect the qualities demonstrated by President Ford during his public service career,'' according to the foundation's website at geraldrford foundation.org. These include strength of character, integrity, trustworthiness, sound judgment, decisiveness (particularly during periods of crisis), determination in the face of adversity, diligence, self-confidence balanced with respect for the views of others, and self-discipline in personal life. Past recipients are Lt. Gen. Brent Scowcroft, 2013; Thomas P. ``Tip'' O'Neill, 2012; William T. Coleman, 2011; Henry Kissinger, 2010; Justice John Paul Stevens, 2009; Carla A. Hill, 2008; James A. Baker and Lee H. Hamilton, 2007; and the U.S. armed forces branches, 2006. Marsh, a Winchester native, served as secretary of the Army under President Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1989. Previously, in 1973, he was appointed assistant secretary of defense. In 1974, he became national security adviser for then-Vice President Ford. During Ford's presidency, Marsh was counselor to the president and held cabinet rank. ``I handled a lot of issues that he directed me to do,'' Marsh said from his Winchester office on Monday afternoon. ``I did whatever he wanted me to. My duties related in large measure to the Congress.'' Marsh said he first met Ford when both were serving in the U.S. House of Representatives--Marsh represented Virginia's 7th District from 1963 to 1971 as a Democrat and Ford Michigan's 5th District from 1949 to 1973 as a Republican. They were introduced by Donald Rumsfeld, who would go on to serve as secretary of defense under Ford from 1975 to 1977 and President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2006. ``We were on different sides of the aisle, but we came to know one another,'' Marsh said of Ford. ``When he became vice president, he asked me to be on his staff.'' Following the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon in the wake of the Watergate scandal, Ford became the nation's 38th president, serving from 1974 to 1977. Marsh said the presidency did not change Ford. ``He was the same person.'' With Watergate, the OPEC oil embargo against the United States, high unemployment and an unpopular war in Vietnam, Ford inherited ``a government that was in deep trouble,'' Marsh recalled. ``These were issues that were very difficult to handle, and he handled them well. Part of that was because he was so close to the Congress. They respected him, and he respected them. . . He knew how the House worked.'' Marsh noted that Ford ``had more time in Congress than any president, before or since. He was very popular on both sides of the aisle. He was an example of cooperation.'' Congress, Marsh added wryly, ``was more bipartisan in those days.'' He added that Ford was an ``unflappable'' leader. ``Criticism didn't bother him. . . He never carried a grudge.'' Marsh said he was honored to receive the Gerald R. Ford Medal for Distinguished Public Service ``because it reflects a time in my life when I was party to and took part in a very critical time in our government.'' Before his political career, Marsh practiced law in the Shenandoah Valley. He also was a World War II veteran and later served in the Army Reserve and Army National Guard. He was a graduate of Harrisonburg High School and Washington and Lee University.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize my colleague, Rep. Patrick Meehan of Pennsylvania, for his work on behalf of victims of domestic violence, sexual trafficking and addiction. The legislation approved by the House today includes significant funding and reflects his advocacy for these issues in Congress. Congressman Meehan has been a leader throughout this process and I have appreciated his input on how to make this bill as strong as well possible to deal with domestic violence, trafficking and addiction. It is my understanding that just last week, Mr. Meehan hosted a summit on human trafficking, bringing together local and Federal law enforcement and victims' advocacy organizations to address the crisis. He has also long been a voice for the victims of domestic violence and has been among the strongest advocates for funding for programs authorized by the Violence Against Women Act. He has also fought for our veterans, and his leadership helped ensure higher funding for veterans' treatment courts. I am pleased to say that the FY15 CJS bill contains the highest levels of funding for combating human trafficking, ever. This is a testament to the hard work and experience of Congressman Meehan who, among others, knows just how vital these resources are for trafficking victims. I appreciate his continued efforts to raise awareness in Congress and to advocate for these important resources.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Madam Chair, I want to again recognize and thank all of the staff members who worked on this bill, including the Appropriations Committee staff members as well as the associate staff who work in the personal offices of the members of our subcommittee. They have all worked hard to help us hold nine hearings in just over a month and then prepare this bill for markup, the earliest it has been advanced by the House in many years. I would like to again thank the majority staff for their hard work, including the subcommittee's clerk, Mike Ringler, as well as Leslie Albright, Jeff Ashford, Diana Simpson, Colin Samples and Taylor Kelly. I also want to thank Bob Bonner and Matt Smith on the minority staff. They worked together to produce an excellent bipartisan bill that the committee should be proud of. I also want to recognize my personal office staff, especially Tom Culligan, Elyse Bauer Anderson and Dan Scandling. In addition to serving as my office's legislative director, Tom Culligan has served as my associate staff to the Commerce-Justice- Science (CJS) Appropriations subcommittee since 2008, while I served both as ranking member and, more recently, as chairman. Tom has been my senior policy adviser on key issues this subcommittee has prioritized in recent years, including counterterrorism, cybersecurity and space exploration policy, and I have appreciated his strategic focus and knowledge of these issues. He has also managed many of my oversight investigations while I have chaired this subcommittee, aimed at keeping our country safe and competitive, as well as preventing waste and abuse at federal agencies. The bill, report and oversight hearings over the last several years reflect this focus and I appreciate Tom's work on these issues. Elyse is on her fourth tour of duty in my office. She is my top staffer for my work on the State & Foreign Operations subcommittee as well as the congressional Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, which I co-chair. Many of those issues run parallel to the work in the CJS bill. Elyse's knowledge of Congress and world affairs is a huge asset. She also is a gifted writer whose words always make me sound better. Dan has served as my chief of staff and press secretary for the last 14 years and has been an invaluable manager of my office and adviser on many issues, including on this bill. Dan has been an outstanding leader of my staff and has helped me ensure that balance my responsibilities to the 10th District as well as this subcommittee. He has planned trips and travelled with me around the world--including to China, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan and Egypt--to conduct oversight on U.S. national security and human rights policies. This would not have been possible without Dan's hard work, guidance and support over the years.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, we have now spent more than 15 hours debating and amending this bipartisan bill--and I appreciate Mr. Fattah's help in it--that sufficiently and responsibly funds Federal programs that provide for our safety and economic well-being. This legislation ensures that our laws are enforced, that our businesses have the tools needed to succeed, and that uncertainty doesn't hinder progress. This bill already provides targeted increases for counterterrorism and cybersecurity, fights the scourge of drug abuse, and bolsters American scientific innovation and manufacturing. This is also a landmark bill for reducing violence against women. It strengthens services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking by funding above the current level and above the President's request for these programs. In addition, it increases funding for victim assistance and programs that will address human trafficking. After amendments, the bill includes $41 million for the Community Response Teams to address the sexual assault kit backlog program. This is $6 million--17 percent--above the President's request. The bill also includes $125 million for core DNA programs, including the Debbie Smith program. This is $25 million above the President's request. Moreover, we do all this while staying within our allocation for this bill--$400 million less than last year. Making commonsense reductions and eliminating waste wherever possible helps make a more efficient government that won't create undue doubt about the fiscal future of the Nation. The bill has had bipartisan support throughout the process, and I believe it deserves bipartisan support today. I urge my colleagues to reject this motion to recommit and pass H.R. 4660 tonight, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the House Republican Conference, I send to the desk a privileged resolution (H. Res. 603) and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the further consideration of H.R. 4660, and that I may include tabular material on the same.

Mr. WOLF. I move to strike the requisite number of words.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chair, I accept the amendment and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chair, I move to strike the requisite number of words.