Lynn Woolsey

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Thank you, Mr. Pallone, and to the other side of the aisle, for bringing this wonderful bill before us, H.R. 758, the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women and the leading cause of cancer death among women under the age of 40. Marin County, in my district, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, has the highest rate of breast cancer in the United States of America. Marin's rates are approximately 40 percent higher than national average, and about 30 percent higher than the rest of the Bay Area. My constituents are personally involved in our need to increase the funding for research so that we can learn more about what is causing breast cancer and how best to treat it. We must also pass H.R. 758, the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act, so that we can ensure that doctors are the ones making the decisions about medical care, not health insurance companies, not clerks. This bill, H.R. 758, will prohibit drive-through mastectomies. It will ensure that women receive the best possible care. The last thing a patient and her family needs to be dealing with when trying to fight breast cancer is battling with a health insurance company, battling about covering necessary medical treatment. Again, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 758, the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act, to leave the decisions about the medical care of breast cancer patients to doctors and their patients, not health insurance companies.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, ever since 9/11, the current administration has relied on military force alone to fight terrorism. This policy has been a disaster. There have been over 34,000 Americans killed or hurt in Iraq, but we aren't any safer. And now our troops in Afghanistan are facing a growing insurgency. The lesson we must learn from all this is that we cannot bomb and torture our way to friendship and cooperation around the world. We must eliminate the root causes of terrorism, which are poverty and despair. And to do that, we must focus on helping Nations like Iraq and Afghanistan to make social, economic, and political progress. Former Congressman Charlie Wilson is an actual expert on this subject. Congressman Wilson represented the Second District of Texas from 1973 to 1997. He was the subject of the popular recent movie, ``Charlie Wilson's War.'' The movie shows how Wilson helped the Afghans to beat back the Soviet invasion in their country in the 1980s. Charlie Wilson understands that military force alone is not the answer to the world's problems. He believes that diplomacy and development assistance are actually the best answers. Charlie described his position in an op-ed he wrote for The Washington Post last month. The op-ed is entitled, ``Charlie Wilson's Peace,'' and I hope that every Member of the House will read it. Wilson writes that after the defeat of the Soviets, his request for funds to rebuild Afghanistan was turned down. The result was a disaster for America. Wilson writes, ``Instead of intensifying our diplomatic and humanitarian efforts, we simply walked away, leaving a destroyed country that lacked roads, schools, and any plan or hope for rebuilding. ``Into this void marched the Taliban and al Qaeda. Had we remained engaged in Afghanistan, investing in education, health, and economic development, the world would be a very different place today.'' I want to repeat, Mr. Speaker, Wilson's point because it is an important one. He says that al Qaeda became more powerful because the Afghan people did not receive the right kind of assistance from the United States. Yes, we gave them weapons, but we left them in rubble, and that's where terrorism grows. Wilson goes on to say that ``we cannot afford to aspire to anything less than defeating poverty, disease, and ignorance wherever they exist. It is a relatively small but incredibly effective investment that helps ensure our future national security and economic prosperity.'' Charlie Wilson's experience in Afghanistan, Mr. Speaker, was over 20 years ago, but it is a real lesson for us today. It tells us that we won't defeat al Qaeda just by increasing the number of our troops in Afghanistan. We must focus our efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq on reconstruction. That means redeploying our troops out of Iraq on a firm timetable, and then working with regional and international partners to rebuild that devastated land. Electricity and water must be restored to every home. Jobs must be created. The shattered educational and health care systems must be rebuilt. The Iraqi Government must stop dragging its feet and spend the money it has budgeted for essential services. And this House ought to take every chance to promote reconciliation in Iraq. Representative Shays and I have introduced legislation, H.R. 5925, to support the United States Institute for Peace, which has been carrying out important reconciliation projects in Iraq since 2004. The institute has worked to prevent violence and promote the rule of law, and it deserves our help. Mr. Speaker, the current administration has only 4 months to go. I hope that the next administration will learn from this administration's mistakes. Starting next January 20, America must begin to export compassion and hope instead of war and occupation.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Thank you, Mr. Sarbanes, for yielding time. I rise in support of H.R. 3036, the No Child Left Inside Act. My district is just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, Marin and Sonoma Counties. We've been leaders in bringing environmental education into schools for quite some time now. These wonderful educators have done this through programs like the School Garden Projects and the Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed, the STRAW project. These programs have given children hands-on opportunities to learn about the environment, and it's given teachers an opportunity to integrate other subjects; they integrate math and science and writing so students see real world applications in what they are learning. This bill will help States. It will help them expand efforts to promote environmental education in our Nation's schools, and to promote efforts to teach our children to be good stewards of the Earth, and, in turn, they teach their parents, quite often. Environmental education is a great way to tie together all the important subjects and lessons for growing up, while also teaching students about the environment, how to play a key role in preserving it for our future, for their future and for their children's future. As we look for the best ways to prepare our children for the future, we cannot forget that the best education teaches the whole child. Children must continue to have access to all subjects, including environmental education. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3036, the No Child Left Inside Act.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my friend Ralph Grossi of Marin County, California, who has recently retired as President of American Farmland Trust (AFT), an organization he co- founded. During his 23 years at the helm, AFT became the leading organization in the country focused on conserving farmland and local food systems while promoting environmental stewardship. Ralph has made AFT a major force in protecting farmland against development, especially around the urban edge--a growing crisis that can effect food availability. About 86 percent of U.S. fruits and vegetables and 65 percent of dairy products are produced in urban- influenced areas. Under Ralph's leadership, the American Farmland Trust has steadfastly fought against destroying our agricultural lands for roads, malls and housing developments. AFT has taken a comprehensive approach to further farmland preservation, providing policy assistance on the state and local level, and nationally lobbying for reform of agricultural subsidies programs and increased funding for conservation programs. Recognizing how the challenge of climate change intersects with farm preservation, AFT promotes ``buy local'' programs and has joined in the call for energy efficiency and the increased use of renewables. Policy models developed and/or promoted by AFT are now used across the nation, including a ``Right to Farm'' and ``no net loss of farmland'' ordinances, Agricultural District programs, special tax credits, mitigation for farmland loss, and, perhaps most widely, conservation easements, now commonly used by local land trusts. I can proudly say that Ralph pioneered the AFT amazing farm preservation tool box in Marin County, in my district. As a member of four generations in a family dairy and beef business, Ralph was a co- founder and chairman of Marin Agricultural Land Trust, the first such agency in the nation to preserve agricultural land by acquiring easements that enable local ranchers to maintain their land for farm uses. His years with MALT and the Marin County Farm Bureau, as well as his time working on the family ranch, shaped his dedication to protecting this vanishing resource. MALT's success demonstrated that environmentalists and ranchers working together can accomplish their mutual goals. ``We tried to develop a different system for protecting land,'' he said. ``You could be going along just great for a few years, and then the political nature of the county changes. We wanted to move away from the political area . . . and be fair to land owners.'' Protecting this land ensures our nation's food supply (``No farms, no food'' is the AFT catchphrase), while preserving our soil, water, wildlife, and rural beauty. Phyllis Faber, who developed the idea for MALT with rancher Ellen Straus, emphasized Ralph's key role in making the concept work. ``He was so respected by the ranchers,'' she says. ``By becoming the first Chair, he secured their interest and support. Ralph was the spark.'' Ralph's grandparents emigrated from Switzerland and began ranching in 1896. His father James, one of eleven children, continued the family tradition, as did many of his siblings, establishing the family ranch in 1917. James and his wife Rose, also from a Swiss family, had four children, who learned the business at a young age. Ralph described following his dad around from the age of four or five, then ``when we were about seven or eight years old, we got our first chores to do, feeding some calves or taking care of some small livestock.'' Ralph later graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, with a degree in agriculture. He continued working on the family ranch and developed the first methane digester West of the Mississippi, becoming an early innovator in converting cow manure into power. Along the way he married college sweetheart Judy Lamb, and the couple has three daughters Amy (married to Brian Carr), Erin, and Katie. Madam Speaker, although Ralph Grossi will be returning with Judy to the hills and meadows of Marin County to focus on the family's Marindale Ranch, he will continue to champion the cause of farmland preservation. Ralph led the way for so many of us and has been a partner to me in these efforts. I know we will continue to work together to ensure that we protect the lands that are the backbone of this country. I wish Ralph and Judy and their family the very best.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Chairman, sensible gun laws and reasonable restrictions are fully consistent with the second amendment. That's what the Supreme Court said when it ruled on the D.C. gun ban in June, and that's what this bill, H.R. 6842 does. However, the proposed substitute amendment to this bill undermines commonsense protections in our Nation's Capital, particularly at a time when gun violence threatens our children and their families. By legalizing semi-automatic assault weapons, repealing criminal and mental health restrictions for owning guns, and ending registration requirements for firearms, this amendment jeopardizes the safety of the families who live in Washington, D.C. and those who visit. This substitute goes so far as to eliminate the vision test for owning a gun and repeals D.C.'s safe storage laws preventing D.C. from prohibiting people from storing loaded firearms near children. Allowing people to go out and buy a gun the day after being released from a mental institution is reckless, not responsible; putting the same weapons in the hands that killed 32 students and faculty at Virginia Tech and 13 students and teachers at Columbine is reckless, it is not reasonable; removing the requirement that they register these guns is reckless, it is not reasonable. I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing this substitute amendment and support the underlying bill because the safety of every person who steps foot in this city depends on it.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, for a long time now, we've been waiting for the administration to make an announcement about troop withdrawals from Iraq. Well the big day came last week, and it went over like a lead balloon. The President said that he is going to leave troop levels basically steady. Mr. Speaker, the administration's decision to ``stay the course'' in Iraq is absolutely unacceptable. The American people know that invading Iraq was a mistake in the first place. And they want to bring all of our troops out, not just token forces. The President said that he can withdraw a handful of troops without the surge because the surge has been a success. But when he leaves office, troop levels will actually be higher than it was before the surge. That leads me to ask a simple question. If the surge has been so successful, why do we need more troops after the surge than before it? The President also said that normal life is returning to Iraq. Try telling that to the 4 million Iraqis who are still refugees and not able to return. Half of them are children. The President also told us that civilian deaths are down. Try telling that to the relatives of the 1,200 civilians who were killed in Iraq this summer. And what is an acceptable number of civilian deaths? This summer, an average of 13 Iraqi civilians were killed every day. If that happens in any State or any city in America, we would call it a crime wave. But if it happens in Iraq, the administration seems to think it's something to celebrate. The administration has also been telling us for a long time that the occupation of Iraq is making America safer. But that claim doesn't hold up, either. The independent and bipartisan Partnership For a Secure America issued a report last week which says that America is still ``dangerously vulnerable to chemical, biological and nuclear attacks.'' It also said that ``the threat of a new, major terrorist attack on the United States is still very real.'' And a joint report issued last week by the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Committee on Homeland Security found that the administration has not delivered on a myriad of critical homeland and national security mandates. It is clear, Mr. Speaker, that the administration's single-minded obsession with the occupation of Iraq has left our homeland open to another attack, an attack that could be much worse than 9/11. Today we commemorate the terrible anniversary of that terrible day-- not today, last week we did. It is outrageous that after 7 years we can't say that our citizens are safer than they were that day. And the administration's decision to stay the course in Iraq will only continue to make things worse. The only solution is to set a firm timetable for the safe redeployment of our troops out of Iraq. Giving the Iraqi people back their sovereignty will allow us to work with the international community to rebuild that shattered country. Iraq needs electricity, schools, roads, hospitals and water. And America needs to invest in health care, renewable energy, education and jobs. Those aren't just domestic needs. They are critical parts of our national security. The administration, Mr. Speaker, has tried to solve all of our problems with military force alone. That strategy has been a miserable failure. We cannot bomb or torture our way to victory in the fight against terrorism. We must work to end the poverty and the despair that caused it. The sooner we learn that lesson, the safer America will be.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this resolution recognizing the need to combat the global food crisis. Rising fuel prices and the effects of globalization exacerbate the problems related to the growing cost of food, causing populations of developing countries to experience great hardships in purchasing their basic necessities. This emergency has already affected millions and will increase the poverty levels endured by the most vulnerable groups worldwide. Children are especially susceptible to the effects of malnourishment, which weakens their immune systems, causing millions of children to suffer from infectious diseases, impaired brain development, and stunted growth. The dire situation of rising food prices has already led to unrest in some parts of the world. The U.N. has created a special task force and the World Food Program has called for $755 million in increased funding to cover the high costs of food and fuel. The United States must take an active role in coordinating international action through a world forum designed to determine what must be done to alleviate this crisis worldwide and protect the children and other vulnerable populations affected.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, after more than 5 years of occupation, America continues to have over 140,000 troops in Iraq. We continue to employ tens of thousands of military contractors. Over 1,200 Iraqi civilians died in the violence this summer alone, and there are still over 4 million refugees. Yet, Iraq is becoming the ``Forgotten War.'' We barely hear about it anymore. I have not forgotten Iraq. I will not forget it. I rise today to remind the House of two things: First, America continues to occupy a country that never attacked the United States and was never a security threat to us; and second, we continue to spend over $10 billion a month in Iraq, at a time when the American people are losing their homes, their health care, and their jobs. Everyone who is forgetting Iraq should read the recent report of the Government Accountability Office. GAO offers a harsh assessment of the administration's handling of the occupation, and warns that the security environment in Iraq remains volatile and dangerous. The GAO report describes many problems. Only 24 percent of the Iraqi funds budgeted for reconstruction have been spent. Essential services to the Iraqi people continue to lag. The daily supply of electricity meets only half the need. The Iraqi ministries responsible for essential services spent only 11 percent of their capital investment budgets in 2007. Many of the benchmarks for progress have just not been met. Perhaps worst of all, the administration has failed to develop a plan for improving the delivery of government services in Iraq. And to make matters worse, the GAO has urged the Defense Department and the State Department to work together to come up with such a plan, but both departments have refused to do so. Many of the points made by the GAO were also made by former Iraqi Prime Minister Allawi when he testified before Chairman Delahunt and the Foreign Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight just last month. Prime Minister Allawi said, ``Progress continues to be very slow, if not stagnant, for public services and the economy, which includes the provision of electricity, water supply, health services and creating job opportunities.'' Iraq continues to be a humanitarian disaster area, Mr. Speaker. A recent story in the press reported that Iraq needs 100,000 doctors, but has only 15,500. Many doctors fled after our invasion in 2003. A country that has seen over 5 years of bloodshed, obviously needs a good health care system. Iraq's health care system is in chaos. Mr. Speaker, we keep hearing that the Iraq occupation is making things better when, in reality, it's making things worse because it delays the day that Iraq can really get back on its feet. Ending the occupation would allow us to focus more resources on reconstruction and humanitarian efforts. It would allow regional and international partners to come into Iraq to help with reconstruction and reconciliation, because those countries simply won't get involved until we redeploy. Mr. Speaker, it's time to end the occupation once and for all. It's time to shake off our amnesia and remember the forgotten war.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today with my colleague Congressman Mike Thompson to honor a local hero from Santa Rosa, CA. Benny Friedman, a beloved philanthropist and the founder of Friedman's Home Improvement, passed away on July 9, 2008, at the age of 90, after a life that touched and inspired many. ``If we don't have it, you don't need it,'' the famous Friedman's slogan, is typical of Benny's way of doing business--with both humor and the needs of his customers in mind. And profits from the business were used to enhance the community through promotion and support of local organizations. Born in 1918 to a Russian Jewish family that had fled the pogroms, Benny worked hard throughout his youth. After his father's death, he left high school to support the family, learning about the hardware business by working in Mike Cohen's store. In 1940, he married Rosemary Zittin, a Russian immigrant, and shortly thereafter enlisted with his brother Joe to fight in WorId War II. After the war, the brothers purchased a junkyard in Petaluma and were later joined by their younger brother Harry. Over the decades, the business grew, thanks to the brothers' philosophy of working hard and treating everyone, customers and employees, with fairness and respect. During this time, their children and grandchildren joined the business, and today there are stores in Santa Rosa, Sonoma, and Ukiah. Benny retired 20 years ago but continued to delight family, friends, and community with his warmth, humor, and good spirits. His wife Rosemary died in 2001, and in 2006, he married Irene, whom he had met at the senior lodge where they both lived. In Santa Rosa, Benny will be remembered as the cofounder of the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, now one of Sonoma's County major venues. With his wife Rosemary and brother Joe, he built the Friedman Center, a community hall at Congregation Beth Ami. He donated generously to other local causes, giving back to the community which had enabled an impoverished immigrant to achieve success for himself and his family. Benny is survived by his wife Irene, his brother Harry, his children Bill Friedman and Debbie Chapman, four grandchildren, and eight great- grandchildren. Madam Speaker, Benny Friedman's life is an example for all of us that hard work, honesty, and caring for others leads to success. But Benny went far beyond that in giving back to this community and to all who knew him. I will miss Benny, but I am thankful to have had the opportunity to be one who knew him.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today with my colleague Congressman Mike Thompson to honor the 100th anniversary of the Sonoma City Hall. This iconic building has long stood as a symbol of the unique community that is the city of Sonoma. City Hall sits in the center of the 8-acre Sonoma Plaza, the largest town square in the State of California. Dedicated on September 7, 1908, the city hall was built using local basalt stone and originally designed with four identical facades, allowing merchants from any side of the square to boast that city hall faced their business. Surrounding the city hall on Sonoma Plaza are many historical buildings, including the Mission San Francisco Solana, Captain Salvador Vallejo's Casa Grande, the Presidio of Sonoma, the Blue Wing Inn, the Sebastiani Theatre, and the Toscano Hotel. Not far from city hall, on the northeast corner of the plaza, John C. Fremont led the Bear Flag Revolt in 1846, which would lead to California becoming the 31st State 4 years later. The plaza has been a National Historic Landmark since 1960 and still serves as the town's focal point, hosting many community festivals and drawing tourists all year round. In honor of this anniversary, City of Sonoma Historian George McKale has organized a commemoration committee to help celebrate this event with the community. Over the last year, members of the committee have arranged for a photo exhibition, as well as sponsoring a poster contest for local students, a lecture series, and a historic quarry hike, all to honor Sonoma's City Hall. Madam Speaker, it is appropriate at this time that we acknowledge the 100th anniversary of Sonoma City Hall. In years to come, this beautiful and historic structure will continue to be one of the most memorable images of the city of Sonoma to residents and visitors alike.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of our dear friend, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones. Since her arrival here nearly 10 years ago as the first African-American woman elected to Congress by Ohio, she was a tireless advocate for the poor and our Nation's working families. Despite the tremendous personal losses she suffered, including the tragic loss of her sister, her parents, and her husband Mervyn of 26 years, she never wavered in her commitment to the people of Ohio. Stephanie Tubbs Jones will be remembered as a role model, an ardent and bold voice for progressive causes, and a champion for the rights of the disenfranchised. She will be a tough act to follow. Her remarkable passion and bravery continue to be an inspiration to us all, and we will all truly miss her presence in this Chamber.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1288, establishing September as National Campus Safety Awareness Month. Every college and university student should have the opportunity for a quality education on a campus where he or she feels safe and comfortable. We need to support efforts by our nation's higher education institutions to improve safety on our campuses. National Campus Safety Awareness Month will encourage institutions to participate in endeavors to increase campus safety. September, one of the first months back to school, is a perfect time to remind college and university students about the importance of campus and personal safety. During the month of September and throughout the year, colleges and universities will be motivated to inform students about critical campus issues like sexual assault, drug and alcohol abuse, hazing, and stalking. Schools will be encouraged to use preventative programming to address potential problems early. By increasing knowledge and prevention of these issues, I know students can receive the valuable educational experience they deserve. I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 1288.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1351. This resolution expresses the support for the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur. It also calls upon United Nation Member States and the international community to contribute the resources necessary to ensure the success of the mission. On July 8, 2008, seven U.N. peacekeepers were killed and an additional 22 were wounded while serving on the mission to bring peace and stability to the Darfur region of Sudan. This is only the latest in series of attacks on the peacekeepers. The severe lack of troops, police officers, and air transport limits the mission's effectiveness. Despite the deployment of 26,000 peacekeepers, their efforts are constantly thwarted by the Sudanese government and rebels. Clearly, the success of the mission depends on additional contributions of U.N. Member Nations and the international community. Therefore, I ask Congress to condemn the attacks on the U.N. peacekeepers in Darfur and I ask that the Sudanese government ensure that those responsible are brought to justice. We express our full commitment to the people of Darfur and call on all members of the international community to contribute the resources necessary to ensure the success of the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur. We cannot in good conscience turn away from this troubled region. It deserves our full support and attention to bring a halt to the atrocities committed in this area of the world.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, together with my colleague Mike Thompson, I rise today to congratulate the more than 10,000 members of the Redwood Chapter of the Sierra Club on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. Named after Sequoia sempervirens, the Coastal Redwood, whose greatest forests are along the North Coast, the Chapter remains true to the visionary environmental ethic of Sierra Club founder, John Muir, striving daily to preserve and protect our lands, waters and wildlife. The Redwood Chapter, founded in 1958, is one of the earliest regional entities of the Sierra Club. With 6 local Groups in 9 Northwestern counties, it is a potent force for the environment. Over the years, the Redwood Chapter has marshaled grass roots forces to focus on forest preservation, protection of our spectacular coast, free-flowing rivers and verdant watersheds, sustainable growth management, endangered species protection, and the multifaceted challenge of global climate change. The Chapter played a strong supporting role in Sierra Club national initiatives to protect national environmental treasures like the Grand Canyon while safeguarding our water and air, and battling environmental rollbacks. Within the Chapter's 25,000 square miles, it has been particularly effective, playing major roles in the creation of the Redwood National Park, design and construction of the Coastal Trail, designation of Federal wilderness areas, including the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel, Snow Mountain, Yuki Sanhedrin, Cache Creek, King Range and Cedar Roughs Wildernesses; designation of numerous State and Federal designated Wild and Scenic Rivers, including portions of the Smith, Klamath, Gualala, Black Butte and Eel Rivers; preservation of the 7,400 acre Headwaters Forest; implementation of conservation management strategies on public lands; and development of recovery strategies for endangered and threatened species, including the marbled murrelet, the spotted owl and coastal salmon. In recent years, legislative achievements include the passage of the Cache Creek Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, 2005. I am especially grateful for the Redwood Chapter's support for Congressman Thompson's Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act, which was enacted in 2006, and my Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries Boundary Modification and Protection Act, which was passed by the House this year. Members of the Redwood Chapter have also had a profound influence on local politics and policies, through its participation in initiatives to protect open space and agricultural lands, create trails and community separators, protect coastal forests, provide new low carbon transportation alternatives and promotion of smart growth management and climate protection. The Club also has played a vital educational, service and recreational function. Over the past half century thousands of people have participated in the Chapter's ``Outings'' programs, which includes over 6,000 hikes, nature walks, backpacking journeys, canoe trips within the Chapter and elsewhere in California, as well as hundreds of trail building projects and other service activities. Madam Speaker, it is difficult to imagine what this area would be like without the Redwood Chapter's passionate resolve to protect the land and life that sustains us. What if there was no wilderness retreat in our coastal headlands? What if our cities were merged in endless sprawl? What if our pure rivers and streams were diverted, degraded and disrespected? We can be thankful that is not the case, and largely because the members of the Redwood Chapter have been such effective advocates for the environment. So today, Congressman Thompson and I congratulate the members of Redwood Chapter of the Sierra Club on their achievements in their first 50 years. And we look forward to the Chapter's continued active participation in public policy debates and to hearing their member's loud, clear, reasoned voice for a healthy, vibrant, natural world.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I am particularly pleased to have had an opportunity in this bill to honor my friend and mentor, the late Congresswoman Patsy Mink, who was a leader on guaranteeing equality for all by creating Patsy T. Mink Fellowships. While we have made great strides in providing educational opportunities for women and minorities, far too few are becoming college professors. The Mink Fellowships will be used to encourage women and minorities to become professors in fields where they are under-represented. In addition to providing more diversity and opportunity in graduate programs, we recognize the need for more opportunities to attain certificates and degrees in high-wage, high-skilled jobs. This bill helps colleges partner with local businesses to create ``for-credit'' classes focused on the skills and certificates needed for high-wage jobs in the local community. Also, many of our Nation's students enter college needing remedial education classes. Far too many get stuck taking those classes, never graduates. This bill fixes that. Let's pass it.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. As some of you may know, at one time I was a single mother raising three small children. I was working full time, but I still wasn't able to put food on the table, pay for doctors' visits, and care for the other needs of my children all on my own because my paycheck was for a 40-hour week but it did not cover our necessities. To make ends meet, I was forced to turn to public assistance. That was more than 35 years ago, but today there are still millions of single mothers in our country who are struggling to provide for their families, many while balancing full-time jobs. In fact, single mothers are twice as likely as fathers to raise their children in poverty. Unfortunately, so long as women continue to receive pennies on the dollar compared to their male counterparts, this statistic is unlikely to change any time soon. I want to thank my friend, Congresswoman DeLauro, for her work on this issue, and I would like to remind all of you that the Paycheck Fairness Act is about a lot more than fixing a couple of loopholes. It's about strengthening families, combating poverty, and finally recognizing that equal work deserves equal pay. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation, which will provide the additional tools that we need to stamp out gender-based wage discrimination once and for all.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Berman and Ranking Member Chabot for the time and for their leadership on human rights issues as well as Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen. I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 1370. In about a week, all eyes will turn to China. Athletes from around the world will converge on Beijing, except, it appears, seven of the 10 Iraqi athletes who are not allowed into the country for some reason. Many world leaders--such as British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and German Chancellor Angela Merkel--are taking a very bold step next week by boycotting the opening ceremonies. I am still hoping that our President will reconsider his decision to attend in light of China's poor human rights record. It's no secret, Madam Speaker, that China has long sought to sweep its human rights violations under the rug. With the help of western companies, the Chinese government blocks or scrubs Web sites that it deems as troublemakers. Sites like CNN and certain Google searches are being censored. Try looking up Tiananmen Square while in China. No pictures of the 1989 student protest, certainly not the iconic picture of one man facing down a tank. In fact today many students at Beijing University couldn't even identify the photo. Madam Speaker, as Chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, I'm especially concerned about the treatment of Chinese workers. We have learned that reeducation labor camps and dire working conditions are the norm, not the exception, in China. This year's Olympics offered China the opportunity to turn a corner, but instead China turned backward. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and call on the President to stand up for human rights in China.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, the members of the Out of Iraq Caucus, the Progressive Caucus, and many other Members of this body have demanded that the administration change course in Iraq for many years now. We have also urged the administration to build a new foreign policy based on peaceful engagement, not on war. For years the administration ignored us. We were voices in the wilderness. But today our ideas are winning wide acceptance, and they now occupy the center of the political debate. We called for a timetable for the responsible redeployment of our troops and military contractors out of Iraq. In recent days even the presumptive Republican nominee for President has embraced this idea. The White House has talked about a time horizon for withdrawal. The Iraqi leaders, who are eager to regain their national sovereignty, have called for a firm timetable. Perhaps most surprising, there has been sudden movement on the diplomatic front. A high-ranking State Department official sat down with Iran's nuclear negotiator, which the administration had stubbornly refused to do for over 6 years, and Secretary of State Rice met with her North Korean counterpart to urge North Korea to verify the dismantling of its nuclear weapons program. We can only wonder how much could have been achieved, and how many lives could have been saved, if the administration had emphasized diplomacy all along. These turn of events, however, didn't happen by themselves. They happened because so many of us in Congress and the American people demanded them. Now we must demand even more change. We must demand a whole new foreign policy. America must reject saber-rattling and wars of choice and instead use the far more effective tools of diplomacy and international cooperation to achieve our national security goals. I hope that our next President will turn the page on the failed policies of the past and choose a new course. I have offered a blueprint for change that can help us chart this course. It's a plan called SMART, which stands for Sensible, Multilateral American Response to Terrorism. I offer it again today because I believe that the American people are ready to support its principles. SMART was developed with the help of Physicians For Social Responsibility, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, and Women's Action For New Directions. SMART would end our isolation in the world and build strong international coalitions to fight terrorism and solve common challenges such as trade, the environment, and global health. It would strengthen our intelligence capabilities aimed at tracking and stopping terrorism. It would focus on stopping the spread of weapons of mass destruction with vigorous inspection regimes, regional security arrangements, and a renewed commitment to nonproliferation. It would renew our commitment to the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, a program which has been successful in securing loose nuclear material. It would address the root causes of terrorism through an ambitious international development program, a program that includes initiatives for better education and health, initiatives which are the building blocks of stability and peace and the best way to deny new recruits to the terrorists. And it would reshuffle our budget to include a serious effort to develop alternative energy and end the addiction of foreign oil that threatens our security. Madam Speaker, this is a time of profound change. The country is preparing for a new administration. Momentum is building for ending the occupation of Iraq sooner rather than later. We must begin now to answer the question, What happens after Iraq? I hope that my colleagues will consider SMART a good way to start answering that question. It would send a clear signal that America is once again ready to respect the rule of law and human rights and work for peace in the world.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, support is growing, finally, for setting a timetable for the responsible redeployment of American troops and military contractors from Iraq. Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki supports a timetable. A majority of the Iraqi Parliament supports a timetable. Both Houses of Congress have voted for a timetable. There is growing evidence that the majority of the Iraqi people support a timetable. And the American people certainly support a timetable. Even the administration, which has spent more than 5 years turning a deaf ear to the American people, can finally hear the steady drumbeat of support for a timetable. Last week the administration agreed to what it called a general time horizon for meeting aspirational goals in Iraq. This kind of statement is actually better than ``stay the course,'' which we have heard like a broken record from the White House for years. And it represents a victory for those who have been demanding a new direction in Iraq. But the administration's position still falls far short of what is needed. A general time horizon for meeting aspirational goals is far too vague. When would the time horizon be reached? Nobody knows. What is an aspirational goal? Nobody knows. I believe the fuzzy wording is deliberate. It is obvious that the administration wanted to say something that sounds like a withdrawal but isn't a withdrawal. The loopholes in the administration's position are big enough to drive a truck through. I am afraid that a general time horizon for meeting aspirational goals may just be another way of saying ``permanent occupation.'' Mr. Speaker, we need clarity in our policy. We need to set a firm timetable for redeployment and a firm date for complete redeployment. These dates should be set in a way that ensures the safety of our troops and guarantees that the redeployment will be orderly and responsible. And we need a clear statement that there will be no permanent U.S. bases in Iraq. A firm timetable for redeployment will accomplish many important goals. It will return full sovereignty to the Iraqi people. It will give the Iraqis incentives to step up the pace for political reconciliation. It will hasten the day that the Iraqis are capable of taking full responsibility for their own security. It will take an enormous strain off our own military, which has been stretched to the breaking point by the occupation of Iraq. It will relieve the strain on our overburdened military families. It will help to stabilize the Middle East, and help the United States to be a more effective broker in peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians. It will allow us to focus on a solution for Afghanistan, a solution that can win the hearts and minds of the Afghan people. It will allow us to take billions of dollars that are being spent on the Iraq occupation and use that money instead for domestic needs and to help the American people deal with current hard times. It will open the door for regional and for international partners to come into Iraq and to help with the reconstruction of that shattered nation. It will restore America's moral leadership in the world, and it will make us a more credible leader in the fight against terrorism. It will send a signal to the rest of the world that America is ready to be America again. That means a nation which respects the rule of law, that has compassion of the people of the world and that prefers peace over war. Mr. Speaker, the administration's time horizon isn't enough. After more than 5 years of occupation, the only thing that should be on the horizon is a firm timetable for redeployment. That's what the American people and the Iraqi people want.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank Chairman Berman and Chairman Payne and Ranking Members Ros-Lehtinen and Smith for their excellent leadership on global health issues and on this AIDS bill. I support H.R. 5501 because it is so very necessary. The statistics are staggering. In 2007, there were nearly 35 million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS. In that year alone, 2.5 million people became infected with HIV, 420,000 were children under the age of 15. And most tragically, there were 2.1 million deaths, 330,000 children under the age of 15. But Mr. Speaker, this is not only about statistics. This is about the child who must stay home from school to take care of her siblings when a parent dies of AIDS. We're talking about the mother, the mother who, because she lacked prenatal care, passed the disease onto her unborn child. Today we can make a difference. We can say that one more diagnosis of HIV, one more AIDS death, one more malaria case is absolutely unacceptable. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and take a strong stand against this horrific pandemic.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, together with my colleague Mike Thompson, I rise today to recognize my good friend, Bob Jehn, who retired from public office on July 4, 2008 after serving 14 years on the city council of Cloverdale, California. During Mr. Jehn's tenure on the council, he served four times as its mayor. He was also a three-term member of the board of directors on the League of California Cities, past chairman and the longest serving member of the Sonoma County Transportation Authority, past chairman and member of the North Coast Rail Authority and chairman and member of the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit Authority. He was the driving force behind the establishment of Cloverdale River Park, a 70-acre public access area along the Russian River, and led the successful effort to secure a permanent conservation easement for 250 acres of hillside overlooking Cloverdale. His other civic duties included service on the Cloverdale Planning Commission and former chair of the Cloverdale Economic Development Commission. He was an active member of the Cloverdale Rotary Club, the Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce, the Cloverdale Historical Society and the North Coast Association of Health Underwriters. He was honored by his community as volunteer of the year in 1994. Mr. Jehn and his wife of 30 years, Nancy, moved to California in 1977 and to Cloverdale in 1990. He is a graduate of the University of Texas and a Navy veteran, serving aboard the USS Force, MSO 445, an ocean mine sweeper, from June 1963 through May 1965. Mr. Jehn plans to devote his time and his energies to his health insurance business and to his family, focusing and doting on his three grandchildren, Grace, 8, Billy, 6 and Sophia, 3. Madam Speaker, Bob Jehn, has been an exceptional public servant. He has served the people of Cloverdale and Sonoma County well and it is fitting at this time that we honor him today and wish him well as he enters the next phase of his life.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of the brave firefighters from across California and around the country who have courageously risked their lives to halt the spread of wildfires that continue to devastate California. The dedication and determination of our Nation's first responders and firefighters have helped dramatically contain the nearly 1,800 wildfires that have burned over 829,000 acres, or 1,300 square miles, across California. These fires have been the most intense and widespread in California's history, and thousands of brave men and women have honored the call to protect our state from these fires. More than 150 firefighters from Sonoma County, in my Congressional District have responded to the fires, and firefighters from Santa Rosa served more than 22 days each, totaling 4,000 hours of their time in June. More than 80 Marin firefighters and other support personnel have been dispatched to fight fires throughout Northern California. In addition to the unrivaled contributions of the California's firefighters, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called up 2,400 National Guard troops join the fire crews. Furthermore, firefighters from 41 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have all offered their support, resources, and manpower during this crisis. The bravery of these committed first responders and the tremendous sacrifices they made to help fight California's fires have not gone unnoticed. Our firefighters deserve the highest commendation for putting themselves in the line of danger. That's why I am proud to support H. Res. 1322, a resolution honoring the firefighters from California and throughout the United States for their heroism and sacrifices in fighting the California wildfires. These brave men and women deserve no less.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1090 honoring Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela as he celebrates 90 years of life. Mr. Mandela was born on July 18, 1918, in Transkei, South Africa, where he was given the name Rolihlahla, meaning ``troublemaker,'' which would later seem so fitting. Throughout his early adulthood, he developed his own ideas about the oppression he had experienced which led him to join the African National Congress. His work with the ANC led him to be tried for treason. He was acquitted of the charges, but his strong opposition to South African apartheid continued. His fight against racial segregation came to a sudden halt when he was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for allegedly plotting to overthrow the South African government. However, 27 years in prison could not diminish the spirit of a great leader. Once released from prison, Mr. Mandela wasted no time in becoming involved with the ANC once again. It was no surprise that this revolutionary man would become the next President of the ANC in 1990, continuing to devote himself to a multi-racial democracy for his country. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Mandela embodies the dignity, strength, and leadership that all of us should strive for. Our country was founded on the values of freedom and liberty for all, personified undoubtedly by Mr. Mandela. He grasped these ideals and fought to make them a reality for South Africa through commitment unsurpassed by others. The dedication Mr. Mandela displayed, despite the many challenges he encountered, is deserving of our highest respect. Mr. Mandela has undisputedly contributed to tremendous change with his efforts to peacefully resolve conflicts throughout the world. It is with great pleasure that I commend Mr. Mandela for his lifetime commitment to promoting the vision of freedom and equality for the people of South Africa.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, the Government Accountability Office issued a report on Monday that should worry every single Member of the House. The GAO said that the government isn't moving quickly enough to ensure that radioactive materials don't get into the hands of terrorists. Last year the GAO ran a sting operation to see how easy it would be for anyone to get a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to buy enough radioactive materials to create a dirty bomb. They set up a bogus company with only a post office box number and got the license within a month. The government then promised to tighten up on its requirements for the purchase of radioactive materials, but the GAO report found this effort is still years behind schedule. So while the government takes what looks like its sweet time, we live under the threat of a dirty bomb that could kill many Americans and devastate our economy. But as outrageous as this situation is, it is only a prime example of how our country's real security needs are being ignored. Another example is the occupation of Iraq because the administration continues to have tunnel vision when it comes to Iraq. While the administration devotes most of our military resources and troops on the occupation of another country, an occupation that actually makes no sense whatsoever, it is blind to the real threats to our security in Afghanistan. Even Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has admitted that we are focusing on the wrong place. Earlier this month he said, ``I don't have troops that I can send into Afghanistan until I have a reduced requirement in Iraq. We don't have enough troops in Afghanistan to hold, and that is key clearly to the future of being able to succeed in Afghanistan.'' Mr. Speaker, al Qaeda is growing stronger along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Even Ryan Crocker, our ambassador to Iraq, admitted when he testified before Congress in March that stopping al Qaeda in Afghanistan should be our top priority, not the occupation of Iraq. Yet we have five times more troops in Iraq than Afghanistan. That doesn't make military sense; it doesn't make common sense. We can have two reactions to this tragic situation. We can scratch our heads and wonder at the folly of it all, or we can take action. Of course I prefer action. That is why I have offered a SMART Security plan which would defeat terrorism through strong international alliances, aggressive diplomacy, improved intelligence, and initiatives to address the root causes of terrorism. In addition, I and my colleague, Representative Barbara Lee from California, asked Members of Congress to sign a letter to Prime Minister al-Maliki of Iraq last week. Thirty-one Members signed the letter, and I thank them. The letter states, ``We, the undersigned Members of the United States House of Representatives, support the sovereign right of the government of Iraq to insist that any security agreement between the United States and Iraq include a timetable for the complete redeployment of U.S. Armed Forces and military contractors out of Iraq.'' Prime Minister al-Maliki has called for such a timetable. We should work with him to make it happen. This is a great opportunity to end our disastrous and counterproductive occupation of Iraq. Yesterday, The Washington Post released a poll that shows that 63 percent of the American people believe that the war in Iraq was not worth fighting. Let's listen to the American people, Mr. Speaker. Let's bring our troops and military contractors out of Iraq, but let's not repeat the same military folly in other parts of the region.

Ms. WOOLSEY

Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, most of our Nation's students are on summer vacation right now. They are enjoying camp, swimming, playing, or just hanging out and relaxing. Some are even earning a few dollars at a summer job. For their counterparts in Iraq, the school break is just now beginning. Iraqi students have just wrapped up their final exams. This year we learned was very different from last year's exam period. According to reports from relief organizations and a recent article in the Christian Science Monitor, last year's tests were marred by unprecedented incidents of mass cheating, bribe-taking, and sheer lawlessness. In many places, Mr. Speaker, last year we heard that militiamen and insurgents strolled casually into exam centers and forced officials, often at gun point, to allow cheating. Parents feared sending their children to exams. The challenges of just getting to school, making it past militia roadblocks and suicide attackers was one thing; making it through a day full of cheating, intimidation and violence was quite another. One test proctor overseeing a geography high school exam at Baghdad University told the Christian Science Monitor, ``Last year the outlaws took advantage of the brittle security situation and caused unprecedented chaos during the final exams. It was truly a mark of utter shame on our education system as a whole.'' Another Iraqi reported that militiamen stormed into an exam hall to force proctors to let students cheat. When one headmaster objected, he was briefly kidnapped and threatened by the militiamen until he relented. Students were woefully underprepared for their exams, Mr. Speaker. One observer told the media that anguished-looking girls came out of the exam room complaining not only about how difficult the questions were, but also about their preparation. They said it is not fair, we didn't even have a chemistry teacher all year, and we are being tested on chemistry. This year, thankfully, it appears that the neighborhoods are much more secure. An overwhelming presence of military and law enforcement appears to have kept interfering forces at bay during the testing. The situation is still not ideal, however, because many students have to travel great distances daily. But generally, the situation is somewhat, if not a great deal, better. Iraq has a rich educational history, Mr. Speaker. Until the years of the first Gulf War, Iraq led the region in academics and produced internationally recognized leaders in the fields of law, medicine and theology. But the challenges are still great. The Ministry of Human Rights reported at the end of June that 340 academics were killed in and around Iraq from 2005 to 2007. And according to the Ministry of Education, 28 percent of Iraq's 17 year olds in the center and southern part of the country took their final exams in the year 2007, but only 40 percent passed. That was a decrease from 2006 when the figure was 60 percent passing. We already know that this administration gets a failing grade on its Iraq policy. However, we don't need to condemn a generation of Iraq's future leaders. We should be investing in schools, not in tanks and guns. We must redeploy our troops and military contractors from Iraq, and we must work peacefully to help with their reconciliation. Mr. Speaker, let's send the children to school, not to war.