Diane Watson

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 651) recognizing the warm friendship and expanding strategic relationship between the United States and Brazil, commending Brazil on successfully reducing its dependence on oil by finding alternative ways to satisfy its energy needs, and recognizing the importance of the March 9, 2007, United States-Brazil Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on biofuels cooperation, as amended.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Ms. WATSON

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

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, yesterday's hearing in the Government Reform Committee left me with many concerns. I am concerned about Blackwater's role when they get involved in U.S. military operations. In April and November of 2004, Blackwater personnel attached themselves to U.S. troops and engaged enemy positions. These actions may have set a bad precedent and may have been a catalyst that led to the September 16 shooting death of Iraqi civilians. I also am concerned about Blackwater's unprecedented rise in procurement of Federal Government contracts. Initially, Blackwater was awarded no-bid contracts for security services in August of 2003 and June of 2004 worth more than $73 million, and the President just today vetoed a bill for children's health that was worth $11 billion.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Thank you, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones; and thank you, Madam Speaker. I want to congratulate Congressman Meek, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick for putting together a most excellent Congressional Black Caucus annual legislative week. The event was very well attended, and the many issue forums were informative and enlightening. I held three issue forums, one on African American entrepreneurship in South Africa, and one on African American celebrities and their too often unreported commitment to social issues. And my third panel, entitled ``Finding Justice for the Black Cherokee Indian Freedmen,'' looked at the current Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma's efforts to expel its black Cherokee citizens. I was pleased to have a number of Cherokee citizens, including Joe Byrd, the former principal chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, Jon Velie, attorney for the Freedmen, and Marilyn Vann, president of the Freedmen Descendants Association. In the year 2000, the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma attempted to disenfranchise its Freedmen descendants. The circumstances were nearly identical to the current efforts of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma to rid itself of descendants of the Freedmen who are rightfully citizens of Cherokee Nation. The Bureau of Indian Affairs took a proactive stance against the Seminoles, cutting off their funding for nearly 2 years and also suspending their franchise to conduct gaming. Interestingly, the Bureau of Indian Affairs first declared the Cherokee Freedmen situation identical to that of the Seminole Freedmen. Then the bureau did a 180-degree flip flop, taking a hands-off approach to Cherokee Freedmen. The BIA chose to shirk its fiduciary responsibility, even as the Freedmen's rights were obviously being trampled on by the Cherokee leadership. In March of 2007, the Cherokee Nation held an election to expel the Cherokee Freedmen, in violation of the 1866 treaty which granted full citizenship rights to Cherokee Freedmen shortly after the Civil War. That is when the plight of the Cherokee Freedmen first came to my attention. I immediately wrote a letter to Assistant Secretary Artman of the Bureau of Indian Affairs requesting an interpretation of the vote. The letter was signed by 25 of my congressional colleagues. The response I received from Secretary Artman almost a month later was unsatisfactory. In effect, the Secretary said that the bureau had not taken any administrative action and would continue its careful evaluation of all facets of this matter. In effect, I was told that the BIA would continue to monitor a situation that didn't need further monitoring, but immediate action. It is only when I discovered that the BIA would not move proactively, that it would not forcibly and vigorously stand up for and protect the rights of Cherokee Freedmen as it had done for the Seminole Freedmen, I introduced H.R. 2824 to sever the United States relations with the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma until such time that it restores full citizenship rights to Cherokee Freedmen. My legislation has been characterized by Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma as a termination bill, which is blatantly false. There is not one sentence in the legislation that addresses terminating the Cherokee Nation's Federal recognition status. The Cherokee Nation has made the argument that Congress should not intervene until the courts have resolved the matter. It made this point the center piece of its public relations campaign to disenfranchise the Freedmen descendents. But the past actions of the Cherokee Nation belie its commitment to the rule of law. After the Cherokee Nation's tribal courts ruled in favor of Lucy Allen, a Freedmen descendant who sued for citizenship, the Cherokee Nation's leadership chose to dissolve the court and packed the newly constituted court with cronies who proceeded to approve a referendum to disenfranchise the Freedmen. The Cherokee Nation's leadership states that funding cuts will hurt many Cherokees who depend on Federal funding. This past Friday, coinciding with the day of my issue forum, the Cherokee Nation took out a full page ad in Roll Call and in the Hill making this claim. What the Cherokee Nation doesn't tell you is that it has already spent $2.7 million or more lobbying against Freedmen and that the Cherokee Tribal Council recently debated allocating $4 million to lobby against the Freedmen. What they don't tell you is that a lot of this money has gone and will go to pay for services of high-priced public relations firms. It's too bad that the Cherokee Nation will not use its money to help those in its tribe who really need assistance, but instead will use millions of dollars to launch a hateful and vitriolic attack against African descendents of the Cherokee Nation who form a minority of its, there are only 2,800, they're a minority among its 270,000 thousand Members. And finally, my legislation was not an attack on Indian sovereignty or the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma's sovereignty. The Cherokee Nation receives roughly $300 million a year from the Federal Government. It also conducts highly lucrative gaming operations with a Federal gaming charter. The sovereign right to discriminate with our taxpayers' dollars is not a right at all. It's illegal. The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma argues that it should be treated like other tribes and have the exclusive right to determine its citizenship. Because the Cherokees signed a treaty with the Confederate States of America and fought against the United States to defend slavery, the conditions of the treaty of 1866 and reconstituting the relationship with the United States was that the former slaves and their descendents, called the Freedmen, would be citizens with full rights. My legislation only seeks redress for the Cherokee Nation for the restoration of their treaty rights that entitle them to citizenship, to vote, to hold office and to have equal rights with other Cherokee citizens. Madam Speaker and Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones, I appreciate the time you have given us, and I think we were very successful this weekend in gathering information and enlightening our public who attended from across the country and around our Nation. Thank you very much. General Leave

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, we have lost a popular and well-educated school administrator who was an outstanding student and gifted in music. Early on, her teachers would say of her, ``She could walk amongst kings and not lose her common touch.'' She moved easily among people, singing her way into star status, and even appeared on an early TV version of ``Star Search.'' Using her own talents of fashion, decorating and cooking, she was a role model for her students. Barbara Kaufman was a special education administrative secretary for Los Angeles County Schools for over 25 years. She was a champion for the rights of children with special needs and deeply loved working in her chosen profession. In addition, Barbara volunteered in the political campaigns of myself, and she accepted any job that would add to the improvement of the people's social, political and economic conditions. After many bouts with illness, Barbara's activities were limited. However, she participated as much as possible in her church, particularly enjoying Bible study and prayer support groups. Barbara Kaufman was a woman for all seasons and a witness for Christ. A life so well lived has to be recognized by our Congress so the record will show her life as a role model for others. BJ's star will forever shine in the lives of those who knew and loved her.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. I would like to congratulate the National Foundation for Women Legislators for working to distribute thousands of backpacks filled with school supplies in every U.S. State and Puerto Rico. These backpacks have been donated by Office Depot and are being distributed to at-risk and disadvantaged youth. As lawmakers we introduce and pass legislation every year that affects our Nation's youth. We talk about statistics and reading performance and free lunch programs, but we do not talk enough about ensuring that all students have the school supplies they need to perform both inside and out of the classroom. Office Depot's National Backpack Program, now in its seventh year, is designed to make a difference in communities across the country and put backpacks in the hands of underprivileged and ``at-risk'' children so they have the tools they need to start the school year. Beginning in 2001 with 80,000 backpacks donated nationwide, the program has expanded to deliver 100,000 backpacks in 2002 and in 2003 and 2004, the program was increased to 200,000 backpacks containing school supplies. In 2005, the program grew to 300,000 backpacks with school supplies and finally, in 2006, 300,000 backpacks were again donated by Office Depot across North America and in Puerto Rico, totaling more than 1 million backpacks in the hands of children since the inception of the program. Sadly, there are hundreds of thousands of children who can not afford the basic supplies they need for school. This backpack initiative not only alleviates some of the financial burden from the many single- family households that are stretching their budget and have enough to worry about paying for food and bills, but it also allows their children to have the pride of being able to start the school year the right way. I am proud to say that 1,000 backpacks will be delivered to the Bradley Elementary School in my home district. I ask all of my colleagues in this United States Congress to join me in recognizing the National Foundation for Women Legislators and their partnership with Office Depot, whose efforts to empower our children and provide them the tools they need to be successful in school and in life are to be commended.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate the National Foundation for Women Legislators for working to distribute thousands of backpacks filled with school supplies in every U.S. State and Puerto Rico. These backpacks have been donated by Office Depot and are being distributed to at-risk and disadvantaged youth. As lawmakers we introduce and pass legislation every year that affects our Nation's youth. We talk about statistics and reading performance and free lunch programs, but we do not talk enough about ensuring that all students have the school supplies they need to perform both inside and out of the classroom. Office Depot's National Backpack Program, now in its seventh year, is designed to make a difference in communities across the country and put backpacks in the hands of underprivileged and at-risk children so they have the tools they need to start the school year. Beginning in 2001 with 80,000 backpacks donated nationwide, the program has expanded to deliver 100,000 backpacks in 2002 and in 2003 and 2004, the program was increased to 200,000 backpacks containing school supplies. In 2005, the program grew to 300,000 backpacks with school supplies and finally, in 2006, 300,000 backpacks were again donated by Office Depot across North America and in Puerto Rico, totaling more than 1 million backpacks in the hands of children since the inception of the program. Sadly, there are hundreds of thousands of children who cannot afford the basic supplies they need for school. This backpack initiative not only alleviates some of the financial burden from the many single- family households that are stretching their budget and have enough to worry about paying for food and bills, but it also allows their children to have the pride of being able to start the school year the right way. I am proud to say that 1,000 backpacks will be delivered to the Bradley Elementary School in my home district. I ask all of my colleagues in this United States Congress to join me in recognizing the National Foundation for Women Legislators and their partnership with Office Depot, whose efforts to empower our children and provide them the tools they need to be successful in school and in life are to be commended.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, Congress will take up a continuing resolution to fund the Federal Government after September 30. While the House has passed all 12 of its appropriation bills, Senate Republicans continue to obstruct efforts to finish the process over in the other Chamber, making the continuing resolution necessary. In our appropriations bills, we rejected the President's most harmful cuts and made targeted investments in veterans care, education, health care, homeland security, and law enforcement. And we did this all by remaining fiscally responsible. This is something new around here. Past Republican Congresses refused to abide by the pay-as-you-go philosophy. As a result, they turned a $5.6 trillion 10-year surplus under the Clinton administration into a $3 trillion deficit today. Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan summarizes the Republican stewardship of the Federal budget best when he states in his new book: ``The Republicans in Congress lost their way.'' Mr. Speaker, House Democrats will continue to be fiscally responsible.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I want to give a special thanks to Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones for coordinating this. She certainly has shown her leadership ability in everything that becomes her responsibility. And I thank you for the time. I want to very quickly add my remarks to those of my colleagues referencing the Jena Six. I was horrified to see us take a step backwards into a period of time when there was fear and hatred displayed on people's faces and in their actions. And certainly we know that with every crime committed there is a punishment. But the symbol of justice in this country of ours, the United States of America, is a symbol that has a scale and a blindfold, because justice should be blind. And in a country that uses the rule of law as its guide post, how is it that we become so unjust when we are dealing with our young people? Certainly, things happen and anger builds up and children do things that are illegal and sometimes foolish. But rather than looking at them as adults, let's apply the law to them as young people and apply it equally so they can learn their lesson. With a stroke of the pen and destroying the lives of six young men, I think that sends the wrong message to the world. We are asking other countries to model their forms of government after ours here in America. And I would give a caution. We have made too many mistakes, and I would say don't take our mistakes as part of our Western-style democracy. They are truly mistakes of man, not mistakes of law. And so I would hope that, after the demonstrations, after the fury, justice will take place and people will be treated fairly. Mr. Speaker, our American health care system is failing. According to the Census Bureau, the number of American children who lack health insurance has reached a new high, 8.7 million. Worst of all, that number has actually increased by 1 million just over the previous 2 years. Meanwhile, our gross domestic product during that same period increased by $1.5 trillion. So at the same time our economy was growing by that amount, 1 million more children were losing their health insurance. Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely shameful that, in a Nation as wealthy as ours, we leave so many children sick and vulnerable. It is shameful that the richest Nation in the world has an infant mortality rate that ranks 35th, higher than any other rich nation. It is shameful that while we vote for tax giveaways for the richest Americans, the poorest, most vulnerable Americans are left in the lurch. I believe we were sent here to do more than just apply Band-Aids to this situation. I think we have the responsibility to make sure that every American, and certainly every child, can see a doctor when they are injured or fall ill. Politics is often about compromise, but which children should we decide not to allow the deserving health coverage? Which of us would be willing to choose between our own children, saying one can be healthy but another must be ill? I think this is a false, immoral choice; and I do not believe we should accept anything less than full coverage for every American child. In my district, the economics range from the dangerously poor to the superrich. And I say ``dangerously poor'' to describe the impact of poverty on children's health. Poor children are at risk from disease, from crime, from poor education, and many other negative influences that stem from a poverty environment. This list goes on. When we talk about homeland security, we really mean the people on the land. So providing a health delivery system for all our children is the only way to guarantee a strong Nation of future Americans. So let's invest in our children rather than in war that can take their lives too early, so regardless of income levels, our children have a birth right to grow up healthy and strong to face the challenges of a rapidly changing world. Thank you, Stephanie Tubbs Jones and Mr. Speaker, for the time allowed.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, during the course of the war in Iraq, the American people have paid a very heavy price, not just financially, although the war has already cost over 400 billion taxpayer dollars, but also through the tragic loss of at least 3,775 American lives, with countless more injured. And under the President's plan to continue our failed policy in Iraq, these immense sacrifices will continue. According to General Petraeus, if we go forward with this war as the President wants us to, on average, two U.S. men and women will die every day; another 15 will be wounded each day; and we will spend $300 million each and every day we are there. It seems that these massive losses do not register with some of my Republican colleagues who continue to support an open-ended commitment in Iraq. In fact, Republican Leader Boehner even said recently, when asked how much longer we should stay in Iraq, that the sacrifice being made will be a small price. I don't think so.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to address the recently completed Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement. The agreement was concluded on April 1 and now has been transmitted to Congress for consideration. The Korea-U.S. FTA is of great importance to my Congressional district located in Los Angeles, Culver City, and Hollywood, as well as the entire state of California, which has played a critical role in the Pacific Rim's rapid economic expansion. Today Korea is California's 5th largest trading partner and the Los Angeles Custom District's third largest trading partner, with nearly $18 billion in two-way trade in 2005. Expanded trade between Korea and the U.S. will translate into more jobs and business for Los Angeles County where, most significantly, the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach handle 43 percent of cargo containers shipped to the U.S. Madam Speaker, the Korea-U.S. FTA is also highly important to California's ethnic Korean community. As you know, California is home to the largest population of Koreans outside of Korea. In my 33rd Congressional district, Korean-Americans have built a thriving business and cultural area known as Koreatown. Many maintain close cultural, business, and family ties to their homeland. The entertainment industry is critical to the economic health of California, and I am particularly heartened that the concluded Korea- U.S. FTA contains expanded protection for copyrighted works in today's digital economy. The agreement protects music, videos, software, and text from widespread unauthorized sharing via the Internet and provides for extended terms of protection for copyrighted works consistent with emerging international standards. The agreement will also decrease the Korean TV content quota for film and animation. The Korea-U.S. FTA must now clear one final and most important hurdle: Congressional approval. It is my hope that accommodation can be quickly reached on those provisions of the FTA that remain problematic to certain U.S. business sectors. I look forward to reading the enacting legislation. Despite these remaining barriers, I am encouraged by the comprehensive and historic U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement that will promote economic growth, ensure that Los Angeles and California remain on the competitive cutting edge, and strengthen ties between the U.S. and the Republic of Korea.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, we have had some fierce debates here in the Congress about our occupation of Iraq. Many Republicans insist that redeploying our troops from Iraq will lead to failure there. My Democratic colleagues and I see it much differently. We see clearly that our continued occupation is a debacle that prevents Iraqis taking control of their own nation and destiny. But what Democrats and Republicans can agree on is that Iraq is not America's only national security concern. America faces several potent strategic challenges: al Qaeda. Afghanistan. Iran. North Korea. If we continue to exhaust our military in Iraq, we risk being at a disadvantage facing these other dangerous threats. This bill ensures that our troops get the rest, recuperation and retraining they need to be most effective. If we fail to provide our troops with the time they need to rest, refit, and retrain at home, we are putting them at a disadvantage when they return to theater. Furthermore, the common sense provisions in this bill mean that we are paying attention to another group that has borne the brunt of this war: our soldiers' families. It has been said that there are two ways to break the military: you can break the soldier, or you can break the family. Our troops agreed to accept a certain level of hardship when they enlisted. The least we can do in return is make sure that we have their back, and are giving them the time they need to recuperate. The strength of our armed forces comes from the strength of our men and women in uniform. If we fail to pass this bill, we risk weakening American national security. We face a host of threats beyond Iraq. Pass this bill to keep America strong and prepared.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Chairman, childhood obesity is a growing problem in our country. We already know that obesity leads to a greater risk of heart disease, diabetes and a host of other cardiovascular problems. According to data from a California physical fitness testing program, among fifth, seventh and eighth graders in Los Angeles County public schools, 22 percent of students are overweight. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in Los Angeles high schools, 16 percent of students were overweight and 18 percent are at risk of becoming overweight. Mr. Chairman, this alarming trend in childhood obesity is not only a problem for Los Angeles, but for our Nation. Seventeen percent of our Nation's children aged 12 through 19 are overweight. Overweight children and adolescents are more likely to become obese as adults. If we want to reverse this trend and effectively reduce childhood obesity, we need to ensure that school breakfasts and school lunch programs clearly communicate the dangers of obesity and the importance of nutrition and physical fitness. Mr. Chairman, I am very pleased that the Chair has agreed to take the Jackson-Lee amendment to underscore the importance of this issue.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, as you just heard, this week House Democrats unveiled the Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act, a bill that reauthorizes SCHIP, ensures millions of children receive the care they need, and protects Medicare for America's seniors. The introduction of the CHAMP program comes days after the National Governors Association, made up of both Democrats and Republicans, called for urgent action to reauthorize the SCHIP program. Unfortunately, while strengthening SCHIP has broad bipartisan support from our Nation's Governors and in the U.S. Senate, the Bush administration and some congressional Republicans oppose efforts to strengthen the program so it does not continuously run out of money. Instead, they are proposing to underfund the program significantly, which would cause millions of children to lose coverage. Mr. Speaker, insuring America's children is an affordable goal. It costs less than $3.50 a day to cover a child through SCHIP.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2929. From the beginning of the President's invasion and occupation of Iraq, he has insisted that the United States has no intention of permanently occupying that country. I think there is no better way to reassure both our friends and our adversaries that the United States does not intend to become an imperial occupier of Iraq than to make clear that the U.S. will not build permanent military bases there. The American people are seeking clear assurance that their government has a plan for leaving Iraq. If the President fails to embrace this legislation, it would only confirm for many Americans that the President has no strategy for bringing our troops home and, in fact, intends to keep them there forever. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I hope the President will listen to the American people and sign it into law.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Madam Chairman, I would first like to thank Chairman Obey both for his help securing this funding and for giving me this opportunity to defend it here on the floor. The entertainment industry in Los Angeles is what the auto industry is to Detroit or the oil industry is to Houston, a source of skilled, high-wage jobs for average working class families. The On Location training program at West Los Angeles Community College seeks to make sure that Los Angeles youth get the skills they need to fill these jobs. The skills we are talking about here are film editing, electrical wiring, lighting, and set design and construction. At a time when more and more film production is moving offshore, this program ensures that L.A. retains its number one competitive advantage, the highest quality film production workforce in the world. In 1996, when we worked out the welfare reform program for California, we placed the retraining of those coming off welfare in the community colleges, and this is one of the programs that is located there, because we find that people who are returning to the workforce and our veterans, average age 27 years, go to the community college. Young people in Los Angeles County suffer from one of the highest rates of youth unemployment and violence in the Nation. At last count, the unemployment rate for young people in L.A. County was close to 12 percent. The On Location program creates opportunities for Los Angeles young people while supporting the most important industry to the southern California economy. This program makes sure that kids of average means can get the technical skills they need to get good jobs working in film and television production. Earlier, I approached Mr. Hensarling, who announced his opposition in a press release, and explained that the money in this project doesn't go to Hollywood studios, it goes to West Los Angeles Community College, and the program trains youth in the skills needed in this industry. I could draw parallels to other community college programs in other people's districts, but I won't do that. So what we want to do is to use these Federal funds, because it is connected to the Federal welfare reform program, to allow this college to prepare our young people to work in an industry that really is the fuel to the economy. It is a $600 billion industry. It not only fuels the economy in California, but it fuels the economy nationwide. So, we need critical investments in education and job training so that we can compete in the global economy. Rather than seeking to defend the tax cuts for the wealthy, let us work together to support needed investments in job training like the effective On Location program that benefits the average family and the unemployed youth of California. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WATSON. Madam Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and I yield myself as much time as I may consume. H. Res. 294, as amended, commends the government of Lesotho for changing its laws to effectively eliminate legal discrimination against women in Lesotho's legal system. In many parts of the world, women's rights are extremely limited, or barely exist, compared to the rights of men. While women and girls constitute 51 percent of the world's population and make up 70 percent of all agricultural workers, they continue to suffer more from poverty, chronic hunger, HIV/AIDS, and lack of access to education. Women often constitute the highest percentage of those dispossessed of their land, disadvantaged by customary law and traditions which privilege men. Women are often subject to discriminatory laws that restrict their civil, economic and property rights. Until the passage of this law in Lesotho, women were defined as legal in Lesotho after marriage. Lesotho women had no rights to enter into economic transactions without the consent of their husbands. They could not purchase or inherit property and had no standing in the courts. Customary law in Lesotho ensured that property belonged to the husband, or was entrusted to a male relative. In many instances, after the death of a parent or spouse, or in the event of a divorce or after an out-of-court settlement, many married women got nothing other than their personal effects. In November of 2006, His Majesty King Letsie III and the government of Lesotho took a major step towards correcting this grave injustice against women citizens by enacting the Legal Capacity of Married Persons Act, giving Lesotho women many of the rights they have long been denied. If faithfully implemented, the Legal Capacity of Married Persons Act will be an important vehicle for gender equality in Lesotho. It will certainly go a long way towards reducing the risk of women, particularly widows, divorcees and their children from falling into extreme poverty, which will increase their risk of exposure to the HIV/ AIDS pandemic which has devastated the country's poorest population. In a country where nearly 25 percent of adults are infected with HIV/ AIDS and the life expectancy of women is 44 years, this new law is crucial to removing barriers to access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services for women and girls. There is still progress that needs to be made on gender equity in Lesotho. According to the State Department, ``a woman married under customary law has no standing in civil court. Under the country's dual legal system, marriages which occur under customary law must be legalized in the civil system to have legal standing.'' But I believe the efforts of the government of Lesotho are showing real progress in the area of promoting equal rights for women, and I believe it's our responsibility to acknowledge the efforts of those people seeking to empower individuals from all walks of society. As right and overdue as it might be to make these changes, that does not make them easy changes in a society that has done things a certain way for so long a time. Hence, if we wish to see more political leaders around the world stand up and make the effort to change their societies for the better, we should be making as much of an effort here to support those efforts. The actions of the Lesotho government, to guarantee equity for women under the law, will serve as an important model for other African Nations in addressing their national health and poverty challenges, and I look forward to the replication of this law across the continent of Africa. And that is why this resolution also acknowledges another factor in making this change to empower the women of Lesotho. It was through the work of the Millennium Challenge Corporation that we were able to encourage the best instincts of Lesotho's political leadership to make these changes into law. It is instructive to pay attention to how the MCC's leadership convinced Lesotho to make these changes. They did not demand a change as a quid pro quo for MCC assistance. Instead, they appealed to the Lesotho Government's sense of reason, by convincing them that any assistance provided by the United States for economic development would be only half as effective if half of Lesotho's population was excluded from the formal economy. I know we have had some concerns here in Congress about the MCC and its effectiveness, and I think it's important for us to look very carefully at the MCC and our entire U.S. foreign assistance delivery system, because I fear there has been a dreadful lack of effective leadership over this avowed pillar of U.S. foreign policy. But I think there are a great deal of positive lessons to draw from the success of the MCC, and I hope we can support the MCC as it works to strengthen and expand its efforts. I think the MCC's concept and directions are promising, and I hope the MCC's future efforts will bring more opportunities to introduce resolutions such as this one, and I am really proud to have presented this resolution, because that was one of the locations that I was asked to go to as an ambassador. Instead, I went to Micronesia, so I am really, really interested in how they make progress, and particularly how they empower their women. I urge all my colleagues to do the same and support this resolution. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas, Representative Ruben Hinojosa.

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill and yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, the U.S. passport system is broken and the average Americans are paying the price. We have heard their call for help and are here today to pass the Passport Backlog Reduction Act to help the State Department address this bureaucratic crisis. Every citizen of our Nation has the right to hold a passport and getting one should only take a few weeks at most, but millions of Americans have had to wait for months on end simply for the right to travel abroad. People are lining up at dawn every day at passport offices around the country trying to salvage trips at the last minute. They are desperate to get the one document that will let them see ailing relatives overseas, conduct important business, or begin studying abroad programs. A passport is much more than a travel document, and these delays are much more than an inconvenience. A passport is proof of American identity and, for many Americans with immigrant heritage, a passport is proof of their identity and commitment to America and the American idea. A passport must be available to any American citizen who requests one, and delays that are currently clogging our system are preventing American citizens from fully exercising their right of citizenship as well as freedom of travel. Three years ago, Congress passed the law requiring travelers to show passports if they were returning from anywhere in the Western hemisphere. Demand for passports in the last year has been at record highs, but poor planning by top officials meant that the State Department was unprepared to cope with the surge in applications. My colleagues and I on the Foreign Affairs Committee have been outraged by this poor planning and the resulting bottleneck. Last week the committee held a hearing on passport delays, and we heard testimony about the hard-working employees who are working through the night and giving up their weekends to clear the backlog of applications. At passport bureaus across the country the State Department has shipped in junior staff, government fellows, and rehired retirees to meet the crushing demand. Yet, phone calls to regional passport bureaus and to consular affairs offices have often gone unanswered on tens of thousands of occasions. Meanwhile, congressional offices are being flooded with phone calls from outraged citizens. They wonder if their passports have simply disappeared. The Passport Backlog Reduction Act will assist the State Department's efforts to get all of the filed passports back to waiting travelers, and keep up with the demand in the coming months. This bill lifts legal impediments so that the agency can hire retired foreign service officers to process passport applications. Some of these officers will also be permitted to assist the officials who investigate passport fraud to ensure that passports only go to those citizens who are eligible for them and who do not pose a security risk. Endless delays in exercising every citizen's right to a passport are outrageous and absolutely unacceptable. So, I urge my colleagues to support this bill so the House can take one additional step to ensure that our citizens' demands for their passports are met expeditiously. Madam Speaker, I strongly support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.