Lynn Woolsey

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, on May 12, 2010, I was unavoidably detained and was unable to record my vote for rollcall No. 261. Had I been present I would have voted: Rollcall No. 261. ``Yes''--Supporting the goals and ideals of National Women's Health Week, and for other purposes.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today with my colleague, Representative Mike Thompson, to honor a friend and community leader, Judge Arnold, Arnie, Rosenfield. Judge Rosenfield is retiring after a distinguished career marked by his commitment to children and families and his foresight in establishing successful programs to serve them. Born in Connecticut, Arnie Rosenfield attended Vanderbilt University, where he earned his J.D. in 1971. That same year he married Phyllis Ann Rubins, and the couple has two children, Jessica and Asa. Judge Rosenfield began his career as a Deputy District Attorney in San Luis Obispo County, CA, where he demonstrated early on his passion to serve those not always well-represented in the justice system. He handled one of the first large successful consumer protections trials in California, and in 1977, after taking the same position in Sonoma County, he established a Consumer Protection Unit. He later opened a private practice and served as the first Commissioner of Sonoma County Superior Court before being elected Superior Court Judge in 1984, a position he held until his retirement on December 31, 2009. The majority of Judge Rosenfield's cases involved the juvenile court, and he was always a strong advocate for children at risk for emotional trauma. In 1996 he initiated the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Sonoma County, which advocates for the needs of abused children caught up in the justice system. He instigated the development of the Redwood Children's Center for easing the process of interviewing and examining these children and has been a supporter of Social Advocates for Youth, the Valley of the Moon Foundation, Jewish Children and Family Services, and the Parent Education Project of Sonoma County. He also served on the Advisory Committee on Juvenile & Family Law for the California Judicial Council. ``I have been very involved in my career in trying to make the court system work better for kids and families who find themselves caught up in it,'' he says. Judge Rosenfield was also a strong proponent of restorative justice, an approach in which offenders work with the victims and the community for repair of the harm they have done. He used these techniques, especially for kids, before there was an actual movement and became a leader in the field as well as an instructor at Sonoma State University, Empire Law School, and California Judicial College. For his work, Judge Rosenfield has received numerous awards including Juvenile Court Judge of the Year by the California Judges Association and the 2009 Rex Sater Award from the Sonoma County Bar Association for Excellence in Family Law. Madam Speaker, Judge Arnold Rosenfield has provided Sonoma County with a legacy of innovative programs and, more importantly, an example of what passionate leadership can accomplish. ``It's my belief that for the most part what we do to kids and families here in the justice system continues to be destructive,'' he says, ``and I've spent my time trying to make it more constructive. I try to care about the families that I see and am very gratified to see lives turn around.'' Thank you, Judge Rosenfield, for the many lives you have turned around and for showing us what can be done in the name of justice.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to recognize for such time as she may consume the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson), the author of H. Res. 1261.

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to recognize the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps), who is also a nurse, for such time as she may consume.

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1261) recognizing National Nurses Week, as amended.

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days in which Members may revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 1261 into the Record.

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H. Res. 1261, which recognizes National Nurses Week and the significant contributions that nurses make to our Nation's health care system. National Nurses Week also stresses the importance of quality higher education in nursing to meet the needs of one of the fastest growing professions. National Nurses Week began on May 6, a day also known as National Recognition Day for Nurses. Today marks the end of the week of recognition as we celebrate the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. All across the Nation, communities have spent this week recognizing our Nation's 3.1 million nurses for their heroic acts, years of service to the community, and commitment to the nursing profession. Today's health care system requires nurses to be present at every stage of patient care, including partnering with physicians, pharmacists and other health care professionals to direct and manage patient needs. We thank them for their hard work and dedication. The number of nurses in the United States is expected to grow rapidly in the near future. The Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates that the employment of registered nurses will grow by 22 percent from 2008 to 2018. The growth in nursing job openings, along with an increasing number of nurses retiring or leaving the profession, is likely to lead to a continued demand for nursing professionals. In fact, it is estimated that there could be a shortage of more than 1 million nurses by the end of this decade. Madam Speaker, while we honor America's nurses, we know we must do more to expand and sustain the profession. According to the National League for Nursing's most recent survey of all prelicensure nursing programs, thousands of qualified applicants have been rejected from nursing programs nationwide in the last few years. According to the League, the lack of capacity in nursing programs is due in part to a continuing shortage of nursing educators. It is vital that we support efforts to enhance existing education programs at both the baccalaureate and graduate level. Madam Speaker, once again I express my support for National Nurses Week and the focus on the contributions of our Nation's many nurses to our health care system. We honor the excellent work done by nurses and encourage them to continue making a difference each and every day. I thank the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson) for introducing this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 1261, recognizing National Nurses Week and recognizing the significant contributions that nurses make to our Nation's health care system. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H.R. 959 into the Record.

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in full support of H.R. 959, which offers financial assistance for higher education to the children of police officers, firefighters, and other first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Madam Speaker, it is an American responsibility to look after the children of our fallen heroes. A small but important gesture to fulfilling this commitment is to make a college education possible for the children who have lost a parent in the line of duty. These mothers and fathers have given their lives so that we might be safe. We should do all that we can to help their sons and daughters be successful. We know that the loss of a parent can make it difficult for families to make ends meet, let alone send their kids to college. Making their children eligible for the maximum Pell Grant is the way to thank the officers for their sacrifice and to give their children an education which they might not otherwise be able to afford. Under this bill, a child of a fallen police officer, firefighter, or other first responder who is eligible for a Pell Grant would become automatically eligible for the maximum Pell award. This legislation would waive the income eligibility requirements in such cases. With passage of the 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act, we expanded Pell Grants to survivors of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan in a similar manner. As a result, these children will be eligible for more than $20,000 in grants for college over 4 years. Whether it's a sacrifice made on a distant battlefield or protecting our citizens here at home, it's time we extended this benefit to all of the children of our fallen heroes. Our fallen heroes deserve our thanks and they deserve our respect, and we can honor them by supporting their children as they seek out a higher education. I ask that my colleagues join me in full support of H.R. 959, and to take a moment to appreciate the daily sacrifices made by America's police officers, firefighters, and first responders. I want to thank Representative Murphy for bringing this resolution to the floor, and I urge my colleagues to pass this resolution. I also want to thank Chairman Conyers of the Judiciary Committee for working with the Education and Labor Committee on allowing this bill to move expeditiously to the floor. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, DC, May 10, 2010. Hon. George Miller, Chairman, Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Miller: In recognition of the desire to expedite consideration of H.R. 959, the Officer Daniel Faulkner Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship Act of 2010, the Committee on the Judiciary agrees to waive formal consideration of the bill as to provisions that fall within its rule X jurisdiction. The Committee takes this action with our mutual understanding that by foregoing consideration of H.R. 959 at this time, it does not waive any jurisdiction over subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and that our Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as the bill or similar legislation moves forward, so that we may address any remaining issues in our jurisdiction. The Committee also reserves the right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving this or similar legislation, and requests your support for any such request. I would appreciate your including this letter in the Congressional Record during consideration of the bill on the House floor. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and for the cooperative working relationship between our two committees. Sincerely, John Conyers, Jr., Chairman.

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to recognize the author of H.R. 959, the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Congressman Patrick Murphy, for as much time as he may consume.

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 959) to increase Federal Pell Grants for the children of fallen public safety officers, and for other purposes, as amended.

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 959, which offers financial assistance for higher education to the children of police officers, firefighters, and other first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1333) expressing support for the goals and ideals of Children's Book Week.

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 1333 into the Record.

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1333, a resolution in support of the goals and ideals of Children's Book Week, to be held from May 10 through May 16, 2010. Children's Book Week is a great time to highlight the importance of reading to our children and our students. Educators, librarians, booksellers, and families have long celebrated children's books and the love of reading. Since 1919 children's books and Children's Book Week have put an annual spotlight on this vitally important activity for a child's education and cognitive development. Through storytelling, parties, and author and illustrator appearances, this week helps to encourage a love of reading in our children. Today, even the very youngest child in America is growing up immersed in media, spending hours a day watching TV and playing video games. Parents and teachers promote better learning for these children when they turn off the TV and pull out a book and either sit with the child and read it or have the child read it on his or her own. This year, official Children's Book Week events will be hosted in 10 cities and in classrooms, libraries, bookstores, and homes all across this country. In addition, the Children's Choice Book Awards will honor important authors who bring their gifts of writing and imagination to our kids. Madam Speaker, once again I express my support for Children's Book Week and celebrate reading for students of all ages. I thank Representative Roe for introducing this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Minnesota for working with us on these last three resolutions. I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 1333, a resolution in support of the goals and ideals of Children's Book Week. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Chair, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5116, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act. I want to commend Chairman Gordon for his hard work in bringing this bipartisan bill to the floor, and I want to thank Ranking Member Hall for his help and his cooperation. I believe in science, and I believe that with enough support, our scientists can solve almost any problem put in front of them. But, Madam Chairwoman, at the end of the day, this bill is about jobs, investments in basic and applied research, green manufacturing jobs, high-risk, high-reward technologies that lay the groundwork for a clean energy economy and create thousands of new jobs in the United States of America, jobs that we will have a workforce prepared to fill because a central piece of this effort encourages more girls and unrepresented minorities to become involved in science, technology, engineering and math--STEM--education at the K through 12, undergraduate, and graduate levels. So then those students will be able to choose a STEM career. I'm pleased that this bill includes STEM provisions because without bringing women and minorities into the workforce with high tech engineering and math education, we won't have the workforce we need to compete worldwide. So, Madam Chairman, H.R. 5116 supports these innovations that will not only change the way we generate energy but will also leave a cleaner and healthier world for our children and for our grandchildren. So I urge my colleagues to join me and support Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member Hall in green jobs by voting for H.R. 5116.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, Monday, yesterday, was the most violent day so far this year in Iraq. In what the Associated Press called a ``relentless cascade of bombings and shootings,'' insurgents killed more than 100 people, not to mention hundreds of wounded and maimed, in a series of coordinated attacks. Both civilian and security forces came under siege: a bombing outside a restaurant in Kut province; another at the mayor's office in Tarmiya; another at a market in Suwayra; and security checkpoints throughout Baghdad hit by gunmen disguised as street cleaners. At a textile factory in the city of Hillah, the bombing was timed at the end of a shift, maximizing the bloodshed and the casualties. When people rushed to help the wounded, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives in the crowd, just adding to the carnage. According to the AP account, the wounded in Hillah could be heard cursing their government for its inability to protect them. A few years ago, you'll remember we were told the insurgency was in its ``last throes.'' But it is clearly capable of wreaking havoc--and doing so with precision and sophisticated planning. The continuing political instability in Iraq is contributing to the chaos, as the elections held more than 2 months ago have yet to produce a clear winner and a new government. There's real danger, Madam Speaker, that if the Sunnis are not given a stake in the new government, we could see the kind of sectarian strife bordering on civil war that exploded in Iraq just a few years ago. With most of the recent attention on Afghanistan, this onslaught serves as a chilling reminder of just how dangerous and unstable Iraq remains. Fear and violence remain a way of life. We can't become complacent, Madam Speaker. We can't forget about the role of the U.S.- led military occupation and what role that played in inflaming the insurgency in the first place and in provoking these kinds of attacks. Much was made of the supposed blow to the insurgency when two leaders of al Qaeda in Iraq were killed last month. Yesterday's horror just goes to show that killing terrorists and killing militants just makes it easier for al Qaeda to recruit new ones. Just a few hours ago comes word that top officials are apparently drawing exactly the wrong conclusion for Monday's attacks. They're talking about slowing down the pace of the redeployment of our troops out of Iraq. What we need instead, Madam Speaker, is an acceleration of the redeployment plan, because our continued military presence is a key factor in motivating militants to acts of unspeakable terror. We're doing as much to engender violence as to tamp it down. We're doing as much to undermine security as we are to contributing to it. Only by ending our military occupation and replacing it with a civilian surge can we hope to foster peace, stability, and democracy in Iraq. The men and women of our armed services have performed their duties with honor and courage. They are not to blame for a failed policy, Madam Speaker. But for their safety and for the good of Iraq and for the good of the future of the Iraqi civilians and their country, let's bring our troops home.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, every American was troubled to learn about the attempted terrorist bombing in Times Square last weekend, but we should all be heartened and we should all be proud of the swift action by law enforcement authorities to apprehend the suspect. By all accounts, the system worked seamlessly. New York City Police worked in tandem with the FBI, Customs and Border Patrol, the Department of Homeland Security, and other agencies, and the man was in custody by Monday. He was read his Miranda rights and continues to cooperate. And there is reason to believe he can provide valuable intelligence that will allow us to detain other terrorists. Everything by the books. No extralegal coercion. Rule of law and the Constitution upheld. This is the way to combat terrorism, Madam Speaker. You'll recall that the notion of counterterrorism as primarily a law enforcement operation has often been met by ridicule and by bluster on the other side of the aisle. This isn't police work, they've said. This is war. Well, we've now had 8\1/2\ years of war, and in addition to costing us thousands of American lives and hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars, it has not made terrorism go away. If anything, it has animated and emboldened the people who want to harm America. And as people have watched their home countries invaded and their communities destroyed at the hands of the U.S. military, they've become prime recruits for terrorist networks. The bottom line is that our current strategy isn't an antiterrorism strategy at all. By its very nature, it's spawning more terrorists than it's killing or detaining. What if we took just a fraction of our war budgets and used it to make our domestic counterterrorism infrastructure that much stronger? And what if we took another fraction and launched a smart security strategy that emphasized peaceful, civilian, humanitarian outreach instead of military occupation? Because contrary, Madam Speaker, to the assessment of our previous President, it appears that ``fighting them here'' is exactly the way to go. ``Fighting them there,'' on the other hand, leads to an endless cycle of violence, recrimination, and hatred. We all owe a debt of gratitude to everyone who played a role in the successful arrest of the Times Square bomber. Now let's give them even more tools, resources, and support. Let's bring the troops home and make the work of our talented law enforcement personnel the focal point of our struggle against terrorism.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I rise with sadness today to honor Everett H. Shapiro, who passed away April 24, 2010, at the age of 82. A beloved leader in Santa Rosa, CA, Mr. Shapiro was as well known for his sense of humor as for his community support and his active law practice. He was the embodiment of one of his favorite expressions, a ``quality human being.'' I.had the honor of entering remarks in the Congressional Record for Everett Shapiro eight years ago on the occasion of a tribute to his role as Trustee Emeritus of Social Advocates for Youth, SAY, an agency that serves children and their families. But the list of local, and some national, organizations which enjoyed his support is lengthy, including The Boy Scouts of America, Sonoma County Junior Achievement, B'nai Brith, Special Olympics, Red Cross, Kid's Street Theatre, Santa Rosa Human Rights Commission, Santa Rosa Parks and Recreation Commission, Canine Companions, Rotary Club, the Gray Foundation, the Schulz Museum, Congregation Beth Ami, the Brady Gun Control Commission, and the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. He received many awards over the years, but as a fan of Don Quixote, Snoopy, and the Marx brothers, Mr. Shapiro's focus was on doing good deeds with a sense of humor that was as strong as his sense of caring. To many of us who received his phone calls, he will always be known as ``God'' or ``Robert Redford,'' but generations of kids know he is really ``The Tootsie Roll Man.'' Over the past 60 years, he gave out more than 300,000 to children all over the community. Everett Shapiro founded Shapiro, Galvin, Shapiro & Moran, one of Santa Rosa's leading law firms, where he worked on a broad range of legal issues. He served in numerous professional organizations such as California Trial Lawyers Association, Sonoma County Bar Association, and American Arbitration Association. He also earned honors for his legal work, such as a ``Careers of Distinction'' award from the Sonoma County Bar Association. He retired from the firm in the 1990s and was pleased that his son Tad remained a partner. The son of Russian Jewish emigrants, Everett was proud to have lived his entire life in Santa Rosa. He dismissed as a technicality the fact that he was born in Stockton, CA, where his mother happened to be visiting when she gave birth. Everett and his wife Phyllis, whom he met at UC Berkeley, raised their two sons, Tad and David, in the Santa Rosa community. After graduating from UC Berkeley and serving two years in the army, he joined the family wool buying business. He learned to value the diverse agriculture of Sonoma County and appreciate the ranching lifestyle, but when Tad began kindergarten, Mr. Shapiro, with Phyllis' encouragement, began law school. He graduated just before his fortieth birthday. Years later he was able to sponsor both of his sons for membership in the Supreme Court Bar Association, a high point of his legal career. Everett Shapiro always valued spending time with his family and broad circle of friends. He is survived by Phyllis, his wife of 57 years; his sons Tad and David and their wives Debbie and Barbara; his brother Marvin and his wife Darryl; and five grandchildren. Madam Speaker, the community of Santa Rosa will miss Everett Shapiro's leadership, compassion, and warmth. We will take inspiration from the example he set and comfort from knowing that he felt God had been very good to him, and, in his words, ``I like to think I've been fair with Him or Her.''

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, last week the Pentagon released its 6- month status update on the war in Afghanistan. It is a sobering report indeed, one that should make all of us question the very legitimacy of this mission. There has been a huge uptick in violence, including a 240 percent increase in roadside bomb attacks. The Karzai government's support has sunk to embarrassing lows as more than 80 percent of Afghan citizens say government corruption has an impact on their lives and barely one in four Afghans rate U.S. and NATO forces as ``good'' or ``very good.'' This isn't Lynn Woolsey or the Congressional Progressive Caucus talking at this moment, this is a report from the very people responsible for the strategy. And yet at the same time contrary to all apparent evidence, we continue to get the same spin and happy talk from the Pentagon. After the report was delivered to Congress last week, one senior defense official said: ``We have the beginning of the potential for real change.'' Madam Speaker, it is long past the moment when we should be talking about the ``beginning of the potential for real change.'' I think 8\1/ 2\ years is plenty of time for real change and not just the beginning of its potential. We have been patient. We have seen more than a thousand of our fellow Americans killed. We have seen about $270 billion in taxpayer money fly out of the Treasury. And after all that, Afghanistan is still a terrifyingly dangerous place that can't stand on its own two feet, unable to handle its own security, with an incompetent government that enjoys little confidence or credibility. The whole point of our counterinsurgency strategy was to get the people on the side of the government and our military forces. But, Madam Speaker, continued instability is instead driving the civilian population straight into the arms of the Taliban. Again, don't take it from me. The Pentagon report notes a ``ready supply of recruits is drawn from the frustrated population, where insurgents exploit poverty, tribal friction and lack of governance to grow their ranks.'' Mr. Speaker, with the Kandahar offensive about to begin, the situation figures to get even worse, especially given that more than 80 percent of the Kandahar population embraces the Taliban as ``Afghan brothers'' while 94 percent oppose U.S. troop presence. That is according to the Army's own research, as cited by defense scholar Michael Cohen. The security situation in Kandahar is already bad enough that the U.N. has pulled its people out. Madam Speaker, we need a complete reorientation of U.S. policy towards Afghanistan. We need a smart security approach that rebuilds the country instead of tearing it apart. We need to send legal scholars who can help establish rule of law and a functional judicial system. We need to send agricultural experts who can give Afghan farmers an alternative to the poppy trade which is controlled by the Taliban. Most of all, Madam Speaker, we need an immediate military redeployment. It is time to bring our troops home.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I want to compliment our chairman, Bart Gordon, and I would like to compliment Congresswoman Fudge and our ranking member, Mr. Hall, for this resolution because it is greatly important. I support H. Res. 1213, a resolution in support of improving participation in the STEM fields, STEM--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. As a member of the House Education and Labor Committee and of the House Science and Technology Committee, it is absolutely clear to me that our country's ability to develop, to prosper, and to compete will depend upon investing in our children's educations and in the scientific community. A central piece of this effort must be to encourage girls and underrepresented minorities to be involved in STEM at the K-12 undergrad and graduate levels so they can, if they choose, turn their educations into careers. They don't have to take the careers of STEM, but they have to be prepared to make those choices by the time they get to college. That is why I sponsored the Patsy T. Mink Fellowships, which President Bush signed into law in 2008 as part of the Higher Education Reauthorization Act. The Patsy T. Mink Fellowships provide encouragement for women and minorities to go into the graduate programs where they are represented, such as into the STEM programs, and then to move into teaching in these fields. I am also preparing to reintroduce a bill, Go Girl, as it has been previously entitled for the many, many years that I've been here, which will provide grants to schools to promote STEM education for girls, and we have included underrepresented minorities for K-12 students. Mr. Speaker, helping young women and minorities go into these STEM fields is an investment in our future as a country, so I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for H. Res. 1213.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, this body took an important step today by passing the IMPROVE Acquisitions Act, which will bring badly needed reforms to the defense procurement process. The Pentagon, of course, is legendary for bureaucratic inefficiency, cost overruns, and even outright corruption in its purchasing practices. Remember the $640 toilet seat that the Navy bought back in the 1980s? Remember our soldiers in Iraq sifting through scrap heaps for makeshift body armor? For too long, Mr. Speaker, the Pentagon has been the irresponsible teenager who gets a ridiculously generous allowance, loses part of it, and then spends the rest on junk food. With this new bill, though, mom and dad will begin to exercise some oversight over that allowance. Given the size of the DOD budget and the nature of its mission, it is about time. It's remarkable that up until now, there's been no effective performance metric system to assure that taxpayers are getting value for their defense dollars. We're living through a time, Mr. Speaker, when nearly every American family is tightening its belt and making sure that every dollar it spends is on something it truly needs. We owe it to these families to ensure that the government agency charged with keeping them safe is doing the same. As pleased as I am with the passage of the IMPROVE Act, I can't help but think that we are nibbling around the edges of a much, much larger problem. The issue is not just a managerial one of how the Pentagon goes about its acquisitions. The more significant matter is the Nation's overall defense policy and budget priorities. For example, we continue to spend billions of dollars every year on sacred cow weapons systems that were designed for a bygone era. Finally, last year, we cut off funding for the F-22 Raptor, designed to neutralize the next generation of Soviet planes. I guess it took almost 20 years to figure out there has been no generation of Soviet plane because there's been no generation of the Soviet Union. But we're still throwing money at the V-22 Osprey, a plane so wasteful and unnecessary that even former Vice President Cheney was trying to kill it as far back as the late 1980s when he was Secretary of Defense. According to our analysis at the Congressional Progressive Caucus, we can save $60 billion, at least, a year by eliminating such Cold War relics. And, Mr. Speaker, then there's the biggest ticket item of all, purportedly keeping us safe but actually spending us into bankruptcy and undermining our national security interests. I'm referring to the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Every day, at a predicted price tag of around $1 trillion, we are sending American soldiers to die for a strategy that is a moral outrage and a practical failure. For a fraction of the cost, we could take a smarter approach by expanding poor countries' capacity to provide for their own people. That means more resources for democracy promotion, physical infrastructure, human capital development, et cetera, et cetera. That would be the way to fight terrorism--with compassion, not aggression; using diplomacy, not destruction; by investing, rather than invading. So let's do more than streamline procurement, because, Mr. Speaker, if we overhaul the way we go about protecting America and we redefine what it means to provide for the common defense as the Constitution instructs us to do, we will do the right thing, and the right thing will be to start by bringing our troops home.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, on April 26, 2010, I was unavoidably detained and was unable to record my vote for rollcall No. 221-223. Had I been present I would have voted: Rollcall No. 221: ``Yes''--Anthony J. Cortese Post Office Building. Rollcall No. 222: ``Yes''--Celebrating the life of Sam Houston on the 217th anniversary of his birth. Rollcall No. 223: ``Yes''--Steve Goodman Post Office Building.