Diane Watson

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, thanks to a 4-month investigation by the Washington Post, the world learned last week that our Nation's injured soldiers are not receiving the care they deserve once they return from active duty. The Post investigation described conditions at Walter Reed Hospital that are deplorable. One of the buildings at the facility, Building 18, showed signs of neglect everywhere: mouse droppings, cockroaches, stained carpets, cheap mattresses and mold on the ceilings. After the Post printed its findings last week, the Pentagon finally started renovating Building 18, but it should not have taken the embarrassment of this investigation for the Pentagon to do the right thing. American soldiers who have put their lives on the line for this Nation deserve better than what they are getting at Building 18. The Pentagon says it was forced into housing hundreds of troops there after all the other buildings were filled to capacity, and now the President wants to send more troops to Iraq. Mr. Speaker, it is critical that this Congress ensure that the Pentagon meets the needs of our injured soldiers.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise today to commend the University of Southern California, located in my district, Trojan football team for its victory in the 2007 Rose Bowl. The Trojans' Rose Bowl victory puts an exclamation mark on a successful 2006-2007 season as well as years of unparalleled Trojan football excellence. Let me cite just a few examples of the football team's long list of accomplishments: The USC Trojan football team achieved its fifth consecutive AP top 4 finish. Its appearance in the 2007 Rose Bowl marked an unprecedented fifth consecutive Bowl Championship Series bid. The team won an unprecedented fifth consecutive PAC-10 Conference championship. It maintained a top 10 ranking in the AP College Football Poll for the past 56 editions. And the football team won 56 of its last 60 games. It is noteworthy that the USC Trojan football team accomplished these feats while playing the second most difficult schedule in the Nation. The victory of the USC Trojan football team also exemplifies the excellence of the University of Southern California as not only an athletic powerhouse but also an academic institution of higher learning. USC has established itself as a leader in the fields of communications, media, the sciences, as well as the arts. It is home to one of the best, if not the best, schools of film in the United States. It also boasts a world-renowned school of music. USC is the oldest private research university in the West and is a critical part of the 33rd Congressional District of California. It is home to 33,000 students, 3,100 faculty, and 7,900 employees. It is the largest private employer in the City of Los Angeles. Its physicians serve more than 1 million patients a year. Its Educational Opportunity Programs Center has provided academic enrichment and support services to thousands of neighborhood residents. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I commend both the University of Southern California's football team for its victory in the 2007 Rose Bowl; its coach, Pete Carroll; its athletic director, Mike Garrett; as well as the coaches, students, alumni, and staff who were instrumental in USC's Rose Bowl victory. And I just need to add this: I want to also commend the University of Southern California and its president, Steven B. Sample, for taking in 130 students from New Orleans when their university had flooded. And they not only allowed them to come there and admitted them, but they gave them room and board at a time of great need. So USC and its president have played a major role in the continuous success of the University of Southern California; the City of Los Angeles; and the people of the Golden State, California.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, the escalation of the conflict in Iraq is an exercise in futility. It has been 3 years now since the President declared that our original mission was accomplished in Iraq. And then the President let victory escape from our grasp. He confused the toppling of Saddam Hussein with accomplishing the mission. But there is a more important question being raised here on the House floor. It is an issue which has confused our mission in Iraq from the beginning. And it is the preposterous argument that Iraq is part of the war against al Qaeda. The al Qaeda attack on America killed almost 3,000 innocent Americans in New York, at the Pentagon, and in a field outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania. We pursued al Qaeda into Afghanistan, dislodged the Taliban and cornered Osama bin Laden at Tora Bora. We had al Qaeda on the run. We had the world united against terror and in favor of freedom and democracy. But then the President switched his focus at a critical time. He dismissed the factors which had brought success in Afghanistan, a just cause, clear evidence, and a community of nations, and instead pursued his Iraqi adventure based on faulty intelligence and employing a strategy rejected by his own Army Chief of Staff and numerous other generals. Thus, the President gave al Qaeda breathing room; he let them regroup, because he lost focus on the war on al Qaeda, to wage war on Iraq. Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, al Qaeda and the Taliban regrouped. Iraq is not the central front in the war on al Qaeda. Iraq is a distraction from the war on al Qaeda. Each day we spend in Iraq is a day we are not working to bring the perpetrators of 9/11 to justice. Whatever happened to Osama bin Laden? Why aren't we looking for him? We have a direct connection to 9/11. The families of those who perished on 9/11 are still waiting for an answer. This escalation is an appalling display of our weakness. We are sending only 21,000 combat troops to Iraq because, after stretching our military thin for 4 years, that is all the troops we have available at the moment. The President cannot tell us what victory is or when he hopes to achieve it. What is really our goal in Iraq? What are we trying to achieve? And are we going to leave this mess for the next President? Today, Iraq is consumed by civil war. Her neighbors, including our allies, Jordan, Kuwait and Turkey, are overwhelmed with refugees, and Iran is strengthened and emboldened. If that is not already destabilized, then the word truly has no meaning. The occupation itself is what is destabilizing Iraq. The occupation is placing Americans on the killing fields. The occupation undermines American prestige and authority, and the occupation in Iraq makes it harder to defeat al Qaeda. The military battle is over. Our only hope is to change course, to acknowledge the reality that we have lost the military struggle in Iraq. Only then can we reengage with a strategy to give us a political victory. We must remove our forces and move forward with a political and diplomatic strategy to engage both our allies and our adversaries in the region. This will mean talking to Iran, not capitulating to Iran. Even at the height of the Cold War, Reagan was willing to talk to Moscow. Until we are willing to engage with Iran, our friends in the Middle East, who fear Iranian dominance as much as we do, will not believe we are serious about confronting the Iranian threats. Last, and most appalling, is the desperation accusation that we are going to cut off funds for our troops. Simply not true. This attack is especially galling when it has been a Republican Congress and a Republican President who, for 4 years, left our troops vulnerable, without proper equipment, without proper armor, and in an effort to fight this war on the cheap. I will never vote to leave our troops without the support they need. But neither will I vote to continue down a path that is putting them at needless risk. Vote for this bill.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, in June of 2006, the Bush administration announced a new plan for securing Baghdad by increasing the presence of Iraq security forces. That plan failed. In July, additional U.S. troops are moved in. By October, the Pentagon was admitting that the plan to secure Baghdad had failed. In the fall of 2005, the Bush administration increased troop levels by 22,000 around the time of the elections, and the escalation had little long-term impact on quelling sectarian violence. The New York Times had a story by a young troop member in Baghdad yesterday. You need to read it, because it talked about how the snipers killed one of their buddies and how they went in to get his body out and to get his helmet, and the blood spilled down the clothing of the rescuers. This is happening every day because we are fighting a war with an unknown enemy in the middle of sectarian violence. It must stop.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, in past State of the Union addresses, the President has promised the American people that he will strengthen America's security. Unfortunately, his policies have made the world more dangerous and America less safe. Now he wants to escalate the war in Iraq, despite the overwhelming opposition of the American people and many of his own generals. After years of insisting we ``stay the course'' in Iraq, the President has finally decided to make a change. Unfortunately, it is one that puts more Americans in danger and further compromises our security here at home. There is no doubt that the war in Iraq was the defining issue during last year's election. Americans overwhelmingly voted in favor of a change in course, but not the one now proposed by President Bush. Madam Speaker, tonight President Bush has a chance to show he has listened to the American people, his own generals, and Democratic and Republican Members of Congress.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, today Democrats will bring forward the final piece of legislation in the Six for 06 for America, the Clean Energy Act of 2007. This bill is vital in assuring the American taxpayers that the government will close loopholes and end giveaways in the tax code for major oil companies. In my work as Ranking Member on the Government Reform Subcommittee on Energy and Resources in the 109th Congress, I worked closely with my colleague Darrell Issa in investigating the overlooked but serious problems with the oil and gas royalty programs. The mismanagement of several of these leases potentially could cost America's taxpayers nearly twenty billion in royalties over the next 25 years because of errors in drafting the leases. Had the leases been negotiated properly, it is estimated that the government would have collected an additional $700 million in royalties in 2005 alone. Do the math. These funds would allow one American family to fill their Dodge Caravan minivan over 12 million times, even with the high gas prices we are facing now. Madam Speaker, our citizens should not pay for bureaucratic mistakes nor should they suffer the consequences of this administration not holding these companies accountable. H.R. 6 will be a start to fixing this and many other examples of government mismanagement in the energy sector. Madam Speaker, it is time for us to promote energy legislation that will lead to positive outcomes for the economy and the environment while protecting taxpayers and consumers. H.R. 6 does this and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this legislation.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, this week Democrats will continue to meet the needs of the American people by introducing the legislation to cut student loans interest rates in half. The cost of attending college continues to skyrocket, putting college out of reach for more and more students. Tuition and fees at public universities have increased by 41 percent after inflation since the 2000-2001 academic year, and fees at private universities have jumped 17 percent after inflation. Today, the typical student borrower graduates from college with $17,500 in debt. According to the Department of Education, the rising cost of higher education will prevent 4.4 million high school graduates from attending a 4-year college over the next decade. Madam Speaker, more than ever the health of our economy rests on having a highly skilled and educated workforce. College access is key to America's future, and cutting student loan interest rates is key to making college more affordable to millions of Americans.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Thank you so much, Representative Waters, for allowing us this opportunity to express our feelings towards the escalation of the war, the war of choice, in Iraq. I am adamantly against this expansion. I see it as another provocation. I see Iraq now being the spawning ground that attracts all those who hate America to come and kill Americans. The President is asking for 21,500 more troops to go on the killing fields. We don't even know who the enemy is. We use the name insurgents. We don't even know the President's definition for victory. How do you measure victory? I remember the day that a great many Members stood up saluting the fact that Iraq had a democratic election. Apparently, there is no faith in those that were elected to administer the country of Iraq because they are talking about America losing the war. We were told by Rumsfeld that 368,000 Iraqis had been trained. Where are they? Do they run away in the heat of battle? There is a lot of mystery surrounding this whole debacle called the ``war against terrorism'' in Iraq. I thought we were looking for Osama bin Laden. All of a sudden we switched over to a nation of 28 million people, to Saddam Hussein, who didn't like Osama bin Laden. I really feel that we were misdirected, misguided and, really, bottom line, lied to. And I don't know if you knew this, but while the President was making his presentation last night on a new direction forward, U.S. forces entered the Iranian consulate in Iraq's Kurdish- dominated north and seized computers, documents, and other items. It was also reported that five staff members were taken into custody. This is during the time that the President was making his speech. Now, what I fear is that when the President said the axis of evil, Iran and North Korea, one down, the second one to come, and the third one very soon. Mr. Speaker, I wish to end with giving you this piece of information. What does that state? I understand right now that the United States has worked with the Iraqi Government to have a law where they will contract out their oil for the next 30 years and 75 percent of the proceeds will go to the contractors. Seventy-five percent. It is the major rip-off of all time. Was that the real reason why we invaded without provocation into Iraq?

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, as this session of Congress begins, one of the most important pieces of legislation is the one we have been discussing, and that is increasing the minimum wage. This bill is long overdue. During the first 100 hours, this Congress will vote to extend economic prosperity to 7.3 million Americans who have been left behind for far too long. It has been almost a decade since the Federal minimum wage has been increased. Today, a minimum wage worker is trying to make due on less than $11,000 a year. This is simply impossible; $5.15 an hour is simply not a fair and livable wage for hardworking Americans. In fact, the minimum wage is at its lowest purchasing level in over 50 years. It is time Washington stands up for the little guy and gives more than 6 million workers a much-deserved pay raise.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise today to announce the passing of a great American, Quincy Beaver, Sr. Quincy had been a resident of Carson, California, for 38 years. His contributions to his community, the State of California, and the world are legend. He was a passionate advocate for justice and equality and devoted countless hours working in political, civil rights and labor union movements. Quincy's community and social activism span nearly 7 decades. Upon receiving an honorable discharge from the military in 1945, Quincy returned to Los Angeles where he immediately began to serve his community. Given his passionate commitment to service, he was presented numerous accolades and awards that are too numerous to list. But a few of Quincy's leadership positions, honors and awards include Chair of the Employment Labor Committee of the Los Angeles chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality, referred to as CORE, board member of the South Central Welfare Planning Council, board member of the Charles R. Drew Community Advisory Council, founding member of the Carson/ Torrance NAACP, and Chair of the chapter's First Executive Board, member of the Compton and Long Beach chapters of the NAACP, and board member of the Campaign for a Citizens' Police Review Board. Quincy was a major player in the creation of the Southern California Free South Africa movement and a founding member of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Democratic Club, and elected its first president in 1972. He worked in numerous local, State and national political campaigns; and during the 1972 campaign, Quincy formed the Black Workers for McGovern. In 1984, he founded and served as chairperson of the 31st Congressional District Jesse Jackson for President Campaign. For the last 44 years, Quincy was a member of the California Democratic Council, CDC, a state-wide organization of Democratic clubs where he held numerous positions in the organization, including immediate past president. Quincy was married to Geneva Phillips, who was his friend, his confidant, his caregiver, and the love of his life. They shared a passion for community service and grass-roots politics. He was the proud father of four children. We will sorely miss Quincy's unswerving commitment to community service, quality education, to jobs and to safe working conditions for all people. We will certainly miss his community activism. Dear Quincy, rest in peace.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, this week with pride the new Democratic House opens this congressional session by bringing ethics reform measures to the House floor that will sever the unhealthy ties between lawmakers and lobbyists. We made a promise to the American people that we would drain the swamp of unethical behavior here in Washington, and we begin this Congress by living up to that promise by banning travel and gifts from lobbyists, getting tough on special interest earmarks, and ending the abusive processes that have destroyed democracy. The American people sent us all a message last November. They want us to work for them and not for the special interests. I would hope that our agenda for reform would garner the support of both Democrats and Republicans. We should all be interested in policies that will ensure that the outrageous abuses of power that have taken place over the last couple of years do not continue. These important reforms are only the beginning.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, an international symposium on democracy and congress will be held in Taipei, Taiwan from December 8 through December 10. The symposium is sponsored by Democratic Pacific Union (DPU). DPU is a Taipei-based non-governmental organization founded in 2005. Its goal is to enhance dialogues and exchanges among members of parliaments from countries around the Pacific Rim. This year's symposium will include participants from Chile, Republic of the Philippines, El Salvador, Honduras, Tuvalu, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, the United States, and Republic of China. The symposium's agenda will include panel discussions on the legislative process, presidential systems, congressional elections, and other parliamentary issues. Mr. Speaker, the symposium will also enable U.S. participants to learn more about Taiwan, our unique bilateral relationship, and regional issues of common interest. I strongly urge my colleagues to support the symposium and to attend the symposium, if at all possible. I offer my best wishes and congratulations to Taiwan Vice President Annette Lu who has been the driving force behind this international symposium on democracy and congress.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, last Tuesday, Americans voted for a new direction in America. Among those voting were 10 million young Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 who were no doubt upset by the soaring costs of college tuition and the rise in student loan interest rates put into effect by Republicans in this body. This year alone Republicans raised student loan interest rates by 7 percent and cut $12 billion out of the higher education budget to pay for the massive tax cuts for the wealthy. These 10 million young voters, along with their parents and grandparents who share the growing financial burden of higher education, elected a Democratic majority in Congress because they know our party has continually stood for making a college education an affordable goal for all American students. Mr. Speaker, these families will soon see results. Within the first 100 hours of taking office next January, Democrats will broaden college opportunities for all students.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, since the beginning of the war in Iraq, congressional Republicans have refused to provide any oversight of the Bush administration in its handling of the war. When no weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq, House Republicans refused to investigate how the intelligence could have been so bad. When the administration sent our troops into combat without the proper body armor, House Republicans refused to hold anyone in the administration accountable. When milestone after milestone passed without things getting better in Iraq, congressional Republicans refused to hold oversight hearings and allowed the Bush administration to continue with the status quo when a change was clearly needed. Today, our Nation desperately needs for Congress to do its job and provide real oversight of the administration. When Democrats take control of Congress in January, we vow to provide proper oversight of the actions of this administration. It is something that is required of us all by the U.S. Constitution

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise with great sadness to announce the untimely passing of my good friend Melanie Lomax. The City of Los Angeles, California, and our Nation have lost one of the strongest advocates for civil rights. Attorney Melanie Lomax was a dedicated leader and committed fighter for the rights of the poor and voiceless. When Melanie witnessed injustice towards others she spoke out vociferously regardless of who was involved. She was especially determined to hold the LAPD accountable for acts of excessive force and brutality while serving as President of the Los Angeles Police Commission. Bright, articulate and focused, Melanie, goddaughter to former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, never wavered in her mission to help others. She felt deeply and emotionally about defenseless people and often found herself isolated while fighting unpopular causes. But she would always forge ahead in the cause of justice. Melanie's untimely death is a substantial loss to all of us. It is hard to imagine anyone else stepping into the void she leaves with the same gusto, vigor, and fervor. She will be sorely missed.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, it is with much sadness that I rise today to announce the passing of my very good friend and colleague, Perry Conrade Parks, Jr. Perry Parks was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1908, to Professors Perry C. Parks, Sr. and Sophia Parker Parks on the campus of Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia. The family moved to East Chicago, Indiana, where Perry attended school. Perry Parks later attended Tennessee State College and transferred to Wiley College in Marshall, Texas where he lettered in four sports (football, basketball, track, and tennis) and graduated in 1934. After graduation he joined his family in Los Angeles and took a job as a social worker for the California State Relief Administration. Soon after establishing himself in California, he married his college sweetheart, Artemisia Stilwell. Perry Parks later worked for the Federal Postal Service, from 1936 to 1971. He was a founding member of the United Public Workers CIO, as well as an organizer of the National Alliance of Postal Workers. He was in the forefront of the struggle to implement a merit system in employee evaluations and promotions. He was also a champion of equal opportunity for women. He filed the first successful anti-discrimination claim against the Los Angles Post Master for failure to promote him to Supervisor. His discrimination claim paved the way for equal employment opportunities for people of color, leading to the appointment of the first African- American Post Master in Los Angeles. Perry was an ardent warrior in the pursuit of fairness, inclusion, and representation in the civic process. He stood on the front line of the civil rights movement in the 1960s as an early organizer of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Southern California. Mr. Parks served as Vice President of the Barrio Defense Committee, President of the South Central Welfare Planning Council, and a board member of the Los Angeles Urban League and United Civil Rights Committee. He was a founding member of the Brotherhood Crusade. After his retirement, Perry Parks continued to serve his community as Field Representative for Congresswoman Yvonne B. Burke and Assemblywoman Teresa Hughes. Perry Parks was a proud army veteran of World War II and a devoted member of Holman United Methodist Church. He is survived by his two sons, Perry C. Parks III and Henry Stilwell Parks; his two sisters, Lucy Hamilton and Carrie Jones, all of Los Angeles; his grandsons, Perry C. Parks IV of Atlanta, Georgia, and Oren Callan Jeffries of Los Angeles; nieces Patricia Parks White, Frances Jones Taylor, Muriel Jones Parker of Los Angeles and a host of other devoted relatives and friends.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, we have all heard about the do-nothing Congress of 1948 that met only 101 days. Well, Mr. Speaker, I am sad to report that this Republican-led Congress will go down in history as the do-less-than-nothing Congress. Today is only the 78th day that we have met for legislative business. And yet the Republican leadership insists on recessing at the end of this week to allow extra time for campaigning. Democrats believe we should not adjourn this body until we address this needs of all Americans, not just major corporations and the wealthy few. To do that, we must deal with the issue of the skyrocketing college tuition costs that are plaguing so many students and their families. Democrats are fighting to restore the $12 million in student aid recently cut by the Republican Congress, and to finally expand the size of available Pell Grants that those on the other side of the aisle have been blocking for so many years. Mr. Speaker, since Republicans in this body have no plans to address college affordability, before they head back to campaign, I ask for unanimous consent to bring up a revised Labor, Health and Human Services budget bill that ends the Republican raid on student aid.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, it is nice to see that we really and finally are hearing the truth from the Bush administration about the Iraq war and its impact on the overall global war on terror. The problem is we didn't hear it from the President himself. No. It comes from a top secret intelligence document that I am sure the President hoped never saw the light of day. For the better part of a month now, President Bush has been trying to persuade the American people that we are safer today than we were before 9/11. This national intelligence report contradicts the President's statements and says that the war in Iraq has actually made our fight against terrorism even more difficult. So the question is, why would the President go out and say we are safer if his intelligence agencies refute these claims? Either President Bush has not personally read the top secret report or he is not leveling with the American people about the real worldwide threat we continue to face and how Iraq has made those threats even worse.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 5092. This bill does not protect small businesses. In fact, it victimizes them, and the general public, because it would make it more difficult for the Federal government to shut down the rogue gun dealers who are arming the gangs that plague our neighborhoods. Mr. Speaker, the vast majority of American gun dealers are legitimate businesspeople. They play by the rules, and deserve to have their government support them rather than harass them. The problem is that H.R. 5092 doesn't protect legitimate gun dealers. In fact, there is absolutely no evidence that legitimate gun dealers are falling victim to an overzealous Federal government. In reality, H.R. 5092 is a giveaway to those few gun dealers who just can't be bothered to comply with the law. As such, H.R. 5092 doesn't help average, law-abiding gun dealers. Instead, it puts them at a disadvantage to the few bad actors who see dollar signs in the carnage that plagues our neighborhoods. Most gun dealers know that they have a unique responsibility to make sure their products do not fall into the wrong hands. And so, they put in the extra effort to make sure they keep track of the guns in their inventory. But why should any small businessperson put in the effort to comply with their responsibilities if the Federal government cannot shut down the guy across the street who acts irresponsibly? Why would anyone take the time and expense to do the right thing if they are going to be run out of business by the few bad apples doing the wrong thing? This is the danger we face if H.R. 5092 becomes law. This law will not protect law-abiding gun dealers. In fact, it will make them victims of the lawbreakers, by tying the hands of the hard-working Federal agents who work to keep illegal guns off our streets. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.R. 5092, and protect small businesspeople and the general public from those few gun dealers who are too irresponsible to comply with the law.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, Republicans support the Bush promise to stay the course in Iraq with an open-ended commitment and no questions asked. This stay-the-course strategy has strained our military, compromised our readiness, cost nearly 2,700 American lives and almost $400 billion, and diverted attention and resources away from the real war on terror. Stay the course is not a strategy, and it is not working. Republicans refuse to face the fact that the reality on the ground is that we are not winning. We have no end game plan. Today, we are bogged down in the middle of a civil war, one where 100 people are killed every day. From May 20 through August 11, the average number of attacks per week against Americans and Iraqis was 792, the highest number since the war began. Meanwhile, the war in Iraq is distracting us from the overall global threat of terror. Over the past 3 years while we have been fighting in Iraq, the number of worldwide terrorist attacks have grown dramatically and the Taliban is growing in strength in Afghanistan. The President has to stop looking and face the facts.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I announce the passing my dear friend and colleague, Linda Butler Costigan. Linda Butler Costigan passed away peacefully on Sept. 6, 2006 at Sutter Roseville Medical Center after a long battle with metastatic breast cancer. She was born on Dec. 20, 1946 in White Plains, NY to the late George and Faye Butler. She is survived by her beloved husband of 42 years, Richard S. Costigan, Jr. (Dick) of Granite Bay, CA and sons, Richard, III and wife Gloria of Granite Bay, CA and Chris and wife Gabby, who now live in Hong Kong. She was the devoted ``Gram'' to her three grandchildren, Eric Samuel, Emma Laraine and Andrew Butler, of Granite Bay, CA. She is also survived by her sister, Mary Catherine Butler-Adkins and husband, Frank of Virginia Beach, VA. Linda spent the first half of her life in Norfolk, VA., but she lived in many places, including Miami, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Sydney Australia, and Danville, CA, before settling in Granite Bay over 16 years ago. Though Linda would want to be remembered as a loving wife, mother and grandmother, she made many contributions to the communities in which she lived. In Norfolk, VA she was President of the local Catholic Youth Organization. In Danville, she was president of the St. Isidore's PTA and started a fund raising auction at De La Salle in Concord that is still going on; she replicated that program for La Salle College High school when the family moved to Philadelphia. During those years, she was very active in Marriage Encounter and served on various boards. She loved college football, becoming a devoted follower of the University of Georgia where Richard and Gloria attended and the University of Alabama where Chris was a wide receiver on the 1989 SEC Championship team. She and Dick would often travel to both schools from California. She was involved in California politics for years, including serving as the State Private Sector Chair of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) for the state of California for a number of years and as the national Private Sector Chair in the early 1990s. For her service, she received the Thomas Jefferson Award. She ran an event planning company that helped to bring policy makers together with advocates and those impacted by policy decisions. Her clients included Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson. She was also the secretary of the Granite Bay Municipal Advisory Council for a number of years when Dick served as the Chair. She also served on Board of the Arthritis Foundation of Northern California. In 2001, after her husband became sick, they moved to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina where they thought they would spend the rest of their lives. When she was rediagnosed with cancer in 2004, they moved back to Granite Bay. She was greatly admired by many and continued to positively touch many lives even in her last days fighting this disease. Her legacy as a devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, and dear friend will be remembered and cherished by all she touched.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Very quickly, I want to thank you, Mr. Larson, for having us come to herald the fact that we are indulging in an unwinnable battle, because the war against terrorism is a war against an ideology, and the only way you are going to change an ideology is to change people's hearts and minds. You will never do that at the end of a barrel. Thank you so much for gathering us.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, what a fraud, what a sham. I am embarrassed to be part of a House where they spring on us a bill that neither the American people nor few of my colleagues have had a chance to review. American workers and their families have been waiting 9 long years for an increase in the minimum wage. I represent those people. Maybe you don't. The real inflation-adjusted value of the minimum wage is at its lowest point in 50 years. Democrats have been desperately trying for years to bring an increase in the minimum wage to the floor, but the Republican leadership has sought to block it at every turn. While working families have seen their wages fall, the U.S. Congress has received nine wage raises. Mr. Speaker, as a result, this bill will not become law and, hence, we will not help any of the almost 15 million minimum-wage earners in the United States. What a fraud. Shame on us.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 5319, the Deleting Online Predators Act, because it sends the wrong message to our children, our parents, teachers and librarians. The bill would curb Internet usage as a means to protect children, a counterproductive method to achieving such an important goal. Rather than restricting Internet usage, parents, teachers and librarians need to teach children how to use our ever changing technology. The information age in which we live offers so much potential to our children, if they know how to use it. Last month, I met with Sister Elizabeth Thoman, one of my constituents, who founded the Center for Media Literacy. It is an organization that creates and implements innovative tools to educate children on the art of media literacy. Just like students need to know how to differentiate between good research and bad research on Web sites, they need to know how to utilize chat rooms and other media so they will not become victims of online predators. Her ``Media Lit Kit/A Framework for Learning and Teaching in a Media Age'' is offered in the Los Angeles Unified School District with much success. It is also available on her Web site free of charge. Rather than adding an extra administrative task to already overworked teachers and librarians, we should be providing grant moneys to implement programs like Sister Thoman's so our children can learn right from wrong and good information from bad information. Yes, safeguards for our children need to be in place. MySpace.com is working to create tougher controls for adults to e- mail children. Yes, we need to fully fund police departments across the Nation to monitor online predators; and, yes, consumer alerts and learning tools need to be offered to parents and teachers alike to inform students of the dangers of the Internet; and, yes, parents and teachers and librarians need to take an active role in monitoring students; but a law aimed at universal service-run schools is not the answer. It is parents and teachers and librarians who should decide where children in their care should be able to access. As another constituent in my district pointed out in a recent e-mail, school districts and libraries already have the power to block access to social networking sites and chat rooms, and many of them have done so already. I worry that a bill of this magnitude will send us down the slippery slope of legislating even more Web sites and infringing on our right to information. We live in busy times, and I know many homes in my district and across the Nation are single-parent households, with some parents working two or even three jobs. I understand parents can't be with their children all the time, but it is the responsibility of parents and teachers and librarians to impose rules in their own homes and schools. Just like teaching children how to cross the street to avoid hazards, parents need to be able to teach their children how to cross an Internet Web site without getting hit.