Diane Watson

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1405) congratulating the people of the 17 African nations that in 2010 are marking the 50th year of their national independence, as amended.

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

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Rush for introducing this resolution that recognizes the 50th anniversary of independence for 17 African countries. In the scramble for Africa between 1880 and the First World War, European countries extended their political and economic rule over the vast territory and resources of Africa. The colonizing powers saw this as an opportunity to continue commerce between Europe and Africa following the end of the slave trade. At the Berlin Conference of 1884, the European powers carved up Africa among themselves to suit their demand for gold, diamonds, minerals, and spices. The age of European imperialism ravaged the human and natural resources of the African continent. In 1941, President Roosevelt introduced the principle of the Economy of Imperial Colonies to Prime Minister Winston Churchill and started the debate over British and eventually all European imperialism. In 1957, sub-Saharan Africa's post-colonial era began with the independence of Ghana. Over the following several decades, all other African countries won their independence and joined the international community of sovereign nations. Now, this resolution congratulates the people of the 17 African nations who celebrate their 50th year of national independence in 2010. The American people have benefited greatly from our relations with African nations during the past 50 years. African countries remain among our strongest allies in the world. We enjoy strong economic and political ties with many African countries, and we are the beneficiaries of strong cultural and social ties to Africa's people. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this important resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois, Bobby L. Rush.

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

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3104) to permanently authorize Radio Free Asia, and for other purposes.

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 to include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Ms. WATSON. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. I would like to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) for introducing this resolution, congratulating South Africa for its first two successful convictions of human trafficking. These convictions demonstrate South Africa's commitment to protecting the vulnerable within its borders. While important progress has been made, the resolution also urges the government of South Africa to take further steps to prevent human trafficking by enacting a more comprehensive anti-human trafficking law, pursuing its Child Protection Strategy, prioritizing enforcement during the World Cup, educating all relevant government officials about the problem, and providing rehabilitative care for those who are freed from forced labor in the sex industry. In May of 2004, South Africa was awarded the coveted World Cup Tournament, which is going on there today. Recognizing the nexus between major sporting events and crime, particularly prostitution, the South African government placed a high priority on public awareness and the anti-trafficking law. As the preparation for the soccer tournament got underway, the country's sex industry was simultaneously gearing up for the large influx of visitors and the trafficking of women, girls, men, and boys into city brothels to meet the expected demand. Mr. Speaker, after ridding itself of the hateful apartheid system, South Africa has been on a relentless drive to modernize its laws and make sure they protect their citizens and punish offenders. In spite of the many achievements since throwing off the burden of apartheid, the country, like others, is plagued by many ills that confront the rest of the world, including human trafficking. Because of daunting economic problems throughout Africa and its own endemic rural and urban poverty, South African cities are an attractive place for bad characters, including human traffickers and drug dealers. South Africa must confront both sides of the problem, as it is both a source and a destination for trafficking persons. People from impoverished areas throughout Africa are brought into the country to provide sexual services and all kinds of menial labor for little or no pay. Young boys are made to beg on the streets or work on farms while young girls are forced into domestic servitude or the illicit sex industry. At the same time, traffickers often target South Africans themselves, sending them off to Europe or the United States as laborers or domestic servants. Mr. Speaker, the Government of South Africa has invested in law enforcement, community education, and international cooperation to stem the tide of trafficked persons. African countries collectively are taking the crime of trafficking seriously. Last week, the African Union announced that it is establishing an AU Commission initiative against trafficking. This new campaign, announced on the Day of the African Child, will help ensure that member states are adopting and properly implementing international protocols to eliminate trafficking. To eradicate human trafficking--to find and free those who are living in shackles, to prevent vulnerable and marginalized people from falling captive to those who would commodify human life--is a challenge that must be shared by all governments. That is why I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and join me in recognizing the progress that South Africa is making. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1412) congratulating the Government of South Africa upon its first two successful convictions for human trafficking, as amended.

Ms. WATSON

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

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, Democrats in Congress will continue to take America in a new direction, creating good American jobs, lowering taxes for the middle class and small businesses, and building a strong new foundation for the economy and for Main Street. We continue to see signs of economic recovery resulting from the economic policies of the Democratic Congress and the Obama administration responding to the Bush recession and the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. More must be done to create and save jobs, but the latest signs of recovery include the HIRE Act, a bipartisan bill to create 300 jobs; American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act, tax incentives to spur business innovation and tax cuts; the Small Business and Infrastructure Jobs Tax Act extends aid to States to provide subsidies to employers, including small businesses; and the Home Star bill, which creates much-needed jobs in the manufacturing sector by providing tax rebates to homeowners who install energy-saving products. Last week, the U.S. Department of Energy announced $29 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding to develop and expand weatherization training centers across the country. These projects will provide green job training for local workers in energy efficiency retrofitting and weatherization services. Congress and the President have worked together to enact an array of broad-based tax cuts for working and middle-class families and small business owners--ending an era of Republican tax breaks focused only on the wealthy. These tax cuts are injecting consumer demand into the economy and spurring job creation. All totaled, Congress has enacted more than $800 billion in tax cuts, with another $285 billion making their way through Congress, such as permanent estate tax relief and the R&D tax credit to spur business innovation. Republican Record of Failure Congressional Republicans threaten to take us back to the failed policies that created the economic crisis--siding with the special interests: Wall Street banks, credit card companies, Big Oil, and insurance companies. These economic and fiscal policies created the Bush recession--the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression--with job losses of nearly 800,000 a month--and nearly doubled our national debt. Republicans have voted against every major piece of economic legislation--from the Recovery Act to Wall Street reform--choosing the special interests over American workers, their families and small businesses. Democrats in Congress will continue to take America in a New Direction, working to create American jobs and a strong new foundation for the economy, protecting Main Street and the middle class. We're getting results. During the last 3 months of the Bush administration, we lost on average 726,000 jobs. In the last 3 months, we have created an average of 186,000 jobs. The current unemployment rate is 9.9 percent.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I want to put something on our minds. When President Obama, head of the executive branch of our Federal Government and as an invited guest speaker of the House of Representatives, has his remarks interrupted in defiance of the rules of the House by a Member of this House, shouting ``you lie''--and no amount of apology can remove the scar on this House's dignity--when the commander of the United States forces in Afghanistan--General McChrystal--and his subordinates feel free to make mocking criticisms of their Commander in Chief, Barack Obama, to the national media and when these acts of disrespect and insubordination are openly directed at President Obama, our Nation has entered into an era of negativity and cynicism unprecedented in this Republic's history. Only one question comes immediately and painfully to mind with these outrageous words and accusations, which would once have been universally deplored and which would have been far beyond and beneath the pale of what Americans and America are all about.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1350) recognizing June 20, 2010, as World Refugee Day, as amended.

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

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak today on H. Res. 1350, a resolution I introduced to recognize World Refugee Day as June 20, 2010. This special day, first marked in 2001, is held every year on June 20. Tens of thousands of people around the world take time to recognize the plight of forcibly displaced people throughout the world. The annual commemoration is marked by a variety of events in more than 100 countries involving government officials, humanitarian aid workers, celebrities, civilians, and those who were forcibly displaced themselves. With the humanitarian efforts of the United States, other nations, and organizations like the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Red Cross, the International Rescue Committee, and Refugees International, among so many others, refugees are able to flee from persecution, violence, and war in order to seek protection. Many have fled to the United States, a safe haven with a history of aiding those seeking protection from persecution, violence, and war. America has provided more assistance to refugees seeking protection than any other country. If you have ever met a refugee, you have encountered someone who has overcome great obstacles simply to just survive. Take the case of a Somali refugee, Abdul Samatar, a young man with a childhood full of tragedy and life-threatening experiences who eventually took refuge in the United States. Abdul was born in 1984 in Somalia, at that time a peaceful land of great beauty, promise, and resources. Now, however, Somalia is overwhelmed by famine, war and violence, leaving no persons unaffected. In 1992, Abdul's father, a religious leader in Mogadishu, the capital, was shot and killed during the civil war. After his death, Abdul lived the life of a nomad. He was afraid that, like his father, he would be killed by a rival tribe. He fled across the Somalia-Kenya border to Mandera, Kenya. Thanks to the generosity of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, he was provided with food and assistance in Mandera for 2\1/2\ years. Fortunately, while Abdul was in Nairobi, he was introduced to a refugee coordinator at the United States Embassy who, along with two other citizens, helped Abdul move to the United States. An example of success, Abdul graduated from high school in 2004 and graduated from university in May 2010 with a degree in American studies. With this education, Abdul intends to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate. Yes, Madam Speaker, stories like that of Abdul attest to the success of our refugee program and give merit to recognizing June 20, 2010, as World Refugee Day. And I just want to include that on last Friday, we were at the State Department. We had Abdul and his family there. And along with our Secretary of State, we celebrated, and we commended those who were involved in World Refugee Day. I urge my colleagues to support the bipartisan H. Res. 1350. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my cosponsor. I think that her stories, too, are very compelling. We join strongly together on this piece of legislation.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Madam 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 resolution under consideration.

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, last week the House passed H.J. Res. 86, a joint resolution commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Korean War. That resolution was introduced by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) and three other distinguished veterans of the Korean War: the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers), the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Johnson), and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble). We had hoped that the Senate would take up and pass the House version of the joint resolution and then send it over to the President for his signature before tomorrow's Korean War commemoration in Statuary Hall. However, the other body made a number of technical corrections to their version of the joint resolution subsequent to last week's House action, and, as a result, the only viable means for us to get the joint resolution to the President in a timely fashion was for the House to take up and pass the Senate Joint Resolution, which is the legislation before us today. Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the joint resolution (S.J. Res. 32) recognizing the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War and reaffirming the United States-Korea alliance.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1465) reaffirming the longstanding friendship and alliance between the United States and Colombia.