present glorious and merciful god we come today perfectly opening this session of the united states house of representatives offering thanksgiving to you we bless you magnify you you thank you and praise you for your world love and saving grace we pray that you are continually power and judgment and justice and clarity and unity for america are and and our global friends finally revealed and like lighten the best that in each of us so that we may use the pledge of allegiance will be led by the gentleman from ohio mr wilson all join dear friend a distinguished american and a wonderful clergyman to the house for the prayer and i want to thank you and my colleagues for your courtesy to him i am delighted to present to my colleagues the wonderful gentleman from ypsilanti the reverend s l roberson and i want to thank you for taking time to be with us today to ask as our guest chaplain he has dedicated his life to the service of his fellow men and as one of the most beloved and respected pastors and citizens of the state of michigan has been pastor the metropolitan memorial baptist church and it's a land he for thirty three years he has served his country with great distinction as a member of the united states marine corps of which he is very proud he has undergraduate degrees from eastern michigan university has studied at detroit bible college and has a doctorate of divinity from urban bible college so that he may more fully and better serve his fellow men in addition to his civic and spiritual service his work for ford motor company for thirty three years and in their labor relations and personal services industrial relations department he is found time to serve as president of the ypsilanti housing commission and  ypsilanti police department he is a wonderful individual to provide the opening prayer for the congress because of his great life experiences and his wonderful service to his country including distinguished service in the military he has given his fellow citizens over fifty years of spiritual guidance and he is administered the god's word to civil servants and citizens alike all across michigan i ask my colleagues to welcome this distinguished america madam speaker democrats are taking a new direction in america we realize that restoring the american dream begins with a quality education unfortunately over the last six years affording a four year college education has become increasingly difficult especially for the middle class that's why this congress is providing the single largest investment in higher education since the creation of the g i bill we make college more affordable for all americans by reducing the cost on student loans and increasing the size of and we do this all with no new cost to the taxpayers our investment in college students would be paid for by reducing the excessive federal subsidies to the student loan industry madam speaker this new democratic  to help restore the american dream by opening the doors of a college education to all to more americans we need to all work together to raise all boats i yield back the balance of my time  progress in iraq yesterday the general accounting office released its report this one report tells only a partial account we should base decision making on complete information from our military leaders the g a o report does not assess progress being made on the ground progress our military commanders have indicated as occurring the benchmarks outlined in the report or laudable goals assessed by dedicated officials developing democracy to protect american families takes time as we learned in so many in japan it took america thirteen years to adopt our constitution next week will receive a report from our top commander in the field general david petraeus and our top diplomat embassador ryan crocker we should remain open and receptive to what these professionals have to say we must protect american families by making difficult but important decisions in conclusion god bless our troops it will no forget september eleventh for what purposes the gentleman from wisconsin seek recognition with that objection the gentleman is recognized for one minute madam speaker how many years must we have before we can hear people cry last week the census bureau informs us that more americans than ever before in our nation's history are going without access to health care forty six million forty six million citizens have no health care coverage but this national nightmare is measured best not in numbers but in human lives families across wisconsin are going bankrupt because they cannot afford their medical bills teenagers across the country will go blind because they do not have access to the care they need for their diabetes congress doesn't need a census report to feel people's pain and as members of congress we must not wait for yet another census report before we act it is our duty and our moral responsibility to act now people in wisconsin and everywhere else in america demand we establish universal access to formal care for every citizen and working together we will for what purposes the gentleman from north carolina seek recognition that objection down  recognized for one minute by you madam chairman the right of the people to openly freely question their leaders and discuss solutions to common problems as a reason our democracy works held town hall meetings every august all across my district the saugus i had nine towns hall meetings i've had over seven hundred people come out to these meetings it's a wonderful time the overwhelming majority of my constituents had a clear message it's high time to change the way washington does business people in western north carolina or sis sick of wasteful spending in the broken tax code that funds it they've had it was incompetence and waste if you're in federal bureaucracies they're sick and tired of washington not securing the border and stopping illegal immigration again one of the my constituents for coming out of these town hall meetings it's a sincere pleasure to represent them in to try to fight for that change here in washington d c and madam speaker i want to thank them for coming out and making their voices heard and i've listened and i'm working to make that change time's expired gentleman from california seeks recognition and without objection the gentleman recognized one minute madam speaker last week i was fortunate to visit mexico city as a part of a bipartisan trip organized by the woodrow wilson international center for scholars our trip provided an excellent opportunity for my colleagues and me to meet with prominent mexican leaders in business journalism and government also provided a forum to discuss ongoing political and economic changes in mexico and ways in which we can improve the relationship between the united states and mexico we discussed civic and political life in both countries how we can work more closely with mexican partner institutions to help bring about a more open competitive and equitable society when example of the security issues we both face one which we share manage because our relationship with our friend and mexico is critically important cries out for more cooperation and engagement i want to thank the woodrow wilson center for scholars and its mexico institute for facilitating this important dialogue i know i was better able to get a picture of the state of democracy in mexico the shared goals and challenges that confront both of our countries how we can be better neighbors to one another so i hope we can continue this important conversation and build a better future for the united states and for mexico gentleman from arkansas seek recognition without objection the gentleman is recognized for one minute taco iraq toddler and thirteen of his army brothers passed away when the blackhawk he was in went down due to mechanical problems totter from the small town of lincoln arkansas was a sniper in the second  ttalion of the thirty fifth interject infantry regiment based out of a lie his closest friends describe him with as if such is bright a great soldier and a perfect gentleman i had the opportunity t this past saturday the outpouring of love and support from the people of lincoln is something our remember the rest of my life my prayers and those of my family are with tyler's parents bill and the and and his sister's care and krist i thank them for raising a man such as tyler and i thank tyler for a service to a grateful nation i yield back the balance of my time for what purposes the gentleman from georgia seek recognition gentleman is recognized for one minute you man speaker for months now this democratic congress has tried to change course in iraq but a step in president supported by a rubber stamp republican caucus in both the house and senate has made that impossible in the spring republican leaders set that by september which is now we should know that the president's troop escalation plan is working and it it wasn't the end they would be ready to explore a different course yesterday the g a o released a report concluding that the iraqi government had fallen short of meeting eleven of the eighteen benchmarks that president bush said they would have to meet the report also found that for the benchmark had only partially been met that means the iraqi government has met only three of eighteen benchmarks let's not forget that the main reason the president gave for the troop escalation earlier this year was to better secure the nation so that the iraqi government can meet these political objectives the g a o report concludes that quote violence remains high quote and that the political promises have not been kept madam speaker i would only hope that their republican colleagues would take a serious look and join us as they said they would in demanding a change of course in iraq and i yield back for what purposes the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition that objection can recognize one minute by the speaker the president's war has already cost the american people dealy in both the lives and tax dollars congress appropriated nearly four hundred seventy seven billion dollars for the war since march  and the u s is currently spending an estimated ten billion dollars a month on the war this spending continues this by reports the fifteen of eighteen benchmarks for success have not been met and casualties in the war are sixty five percent higher this year than last this democratic congress and the american people are ready for a new direction we believe it's time to bring our troops home and begin investing here in the u s if you took us some of the money we're spending in iraq and invest it here instead we we could take care of a lot of our seniors prescription drugs cause problems and for the cost of just one week in iraq we quote a high of fifty want thousand more police officers that make us streets safer what purposes the gentleman from maryland seek recognition on that objection to him recognized women madam speaker ten years ago the children's health insurance program was instituted and since then six million children have been given access to private health care insurance in this country it was absolutely the right thing to do but new evidence from the census bureau released last week suggests that we're now slipping backwards the number of children without health insurance in this coverage and coverage in this country increased from eight million in two thousand and five eight point seven million in two thousand and six that is why we passed four weeks ago the champ which would increase insurance coverage for children to an additional five million children in this country that's the direction we need to be going in unfortunately the president is threatening to veto the champ back i hope the president will reconsider stop posturing on this issue and do the right thing by america's children i yield back my time for what purposes the gentleman from washington seek recognition that objection gentleman is recognized for when not a speaker as we enter this period when the president is going to come before us when asked to extend the surge in iraq we ought to hear the story of jamie dean jamie dean was a twenty nine year old who came from hollywood maryland he enlisted he served four years including one year in f gana stan where he cleaned out caves and did all the tough things that went on there he came home severely depressed suffering from p t s d was being treated at the veterans hospital after his discharge his honorable discharge from the united states army and then he got the letter on the twenty sixth of november he received a letter that said pursuant to the executive order of fourteen september two thousand and one you were relieved from your present reserve component status and are ordered to report to duty he was going to be sent within two months into a rack a man who is suffering from p t s d this man broke he started to drink the day after christmas he had weapons holed up in his home he was surrounded by the police and was shot dead we are breaking the army we are breaking the marines there yes people should be thought about when we consider the extension you back  rating situation while asking for more money from congress and more personal sacrifice from our troops a report released by the white house in july claimed that progress had been made in eight of the eighteen benchmarks mandated by the congress but a new unbiased report from the government accountability office or g a o shows that the situation is even worse than the white house led us to believe according to the g a o report iraq is failed to meet all but three of the eighteen benchmarks required for political and military progress in iraq some of the reports most disconcerting findings include the fact that the capabilities of iraqi security forces have not improved and that via owens remains high madam speaker with the release of this discouraging and objective report republicans in this body must decide whether to continue rubber stamping the president's failed policy in iraq or begin working with democrats to bring our troops home you know back to what purpose is the gentleman from new york seek recognition gentlewoman from new york without objection the gentleman is recognized in one minute madam speaker as co chair and co founder of the hellenic caucus i rise today in strong support of the sarbanes resolution six two nine which expresses the condolences and sympathy of house of representatives to the government and the people of greece for the loss of sixty five lives and destruction caused by the deaths devastating fires raging through greece and which pledges our full support and solidarity to gree this disaster has affected all parts of greece thousands of people are homeless many of whom have lost all their possessions hundreds of thousands of acres of land has been app has been ravaged and our government has pledged one point three million to aid greece during this difficult time we have sent a professional help for equipment along with my colleagues in the hellenic caucus we will be urging the state department to remain in close contact with greek authorities so that the united states can continue to assist in every way with this effort greece has been a strong ally to our nation assisting us in times of need and including the terrible terrorist attacks on september eleventh and hurricane katrina we must now help greece in it bureau came out with a new report that shows a number of children living without health insurance increased last year by seven hundred thousand it's the second year in a row that the number of uninsured chose and has increased today a point seven million children in this country are going without the critical health care services they need to live a healthy and productive life fortunately this democratic congress has acted to reverse this disturbing trend last month this house passed the children's health and medicare protection act the legislation provides an additional fifty billion dollars in funding for the children's health insurance program which today provides six million children access to private health insurance unfortunately there are six million other children that are eligible for the program but are not currently enrolled our fifty billion dollar investment would allow us to reach almost every child who is currently el eligible which would significantly reduce the number of uninsured children in america madam speaker this minute madam speaker last week i talked to a father who lost his son in may in iraq and he was of course devastated and he asked me a question why did my son die in iraq and that's a question that will be on our all of our minds in the coming days when we receive this new report from iraq and when we look at that in a very calm dispassionate measure i hope will think about what's really going on in iraq what is really going on in iraq with the president has crowed about as a great success in these regions is what you might call the reset of my zation of iraq the president is going bragging about the sense that he's now giving more power to tribes and tribal sheikhs who had some point when we eventually leave iraq will be better equipped better armed to fight the center government that the president used purpose is the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition at the house one minute man and without objection the gentleman is recognized for one minute man a speaker president bush has threatened to veto a bill that would provide health care insurance to five million children who are currently uninsured the president's reason the bill is simply too expensive but what he ignores is the fact that the champ act is fully paid for this democratic house is concerned that too many children are growing up without health insurance making him it making it impossible for them to receive the regular checkups that they need to live long and healthy lives that champ back would strengthen the chip program a popular state and federal health care partnership so that we can reach nearly all of the children who are currently eligible for program now the price tag is fifty billion dollars additional dollars over five years again the president says it's simply too much money yet he has no problem asking this congress to rubber stamp a new iraq war emergency funding bill that press reports say could be as high as fifty billion dollars and that would only last about five months madam speaker it's time president bush prioritize the health care needs of our nation's children he should simply support the chant back for purpose is the gentleman from illinois the correct recognition good morning madam speaker i ask unanimous consent to insert a personal explanation at this point with respect to h r eight eleven although i am listed as a co sponsor  bill on further reflection i do not support the bill in intend to vote against the bill where the bill not already on the union calendar i would delete my name from the list of co sponsors thank you james without objection the gentle and statement will appear in the record the chairman's note for the record that under clause seven of rule seventeen it is not in order to bring to the attention of the house in occupant of the gallery pursuant to house resolution six eleven one hundred and tense congress and the order of the house of january fourth two thousand and seven the chair announces the speaker's appointment of the following members to the select committee to investigate the voting irregularities of august the second two massachusetts mr davis of alabama and his her herseth sandlin the south dakota the chair lays before the house a communication the honorable the speaker house of representatives madam pursuant to house resolution six eleven i am pleased to appoint the following members to the select committee on voting irregularities mr mike pence of indiana mr stephen ohio mr kenny hulshof of missouri these members have expressed interest in serving in this capacity and i am pleased to fulfil their request signs and certainly john boehner republican leader pursu clause eight of rule twenty the chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which were recorded vote or the a's and nays are ordered or on which the vote is objected to under clause six of rule twenty record votes on postpone questions will be taken later today for what purposes the gentleman from america samoa rice better speaker i move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution house resolution six to nine but the clerk will report the title of the resolution house resolution six twenty nine resolute in extending the condolences and sympathy of the house of representatives to the government and the people of greece for the grave loss of life and that destruction caused by the devastating fires raging through greece since june two thousand and seven members may have five legislative days to revise extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration that objection that speaker i write is strong support of this resolution and i am myself such time as i ma consume let me first thank the honorable my honorable colleague and dear friend from the state of maryland congressman sarbanes for introducing this timely resolution that extends sympathy to our greek friends and i want to also add my name  co sponsor of this proposed legislation that unspeakable many people across europe in the united states spent the month of august soaking up the summer sunshine and enjoying the vacations thousands of greeks were engaged in a desperate struggle to save their homes livestock and beautiful countryside from the devastating effect the wildfires americans watch an alarmist television footage showed flames ominously approaching the ruins of temples of stadiums in ancient olympia the birthplace of the olympic games they were saddened to see the worst fires in greece's living memory sweep across well known and picturesque tourist sites including court few in california in the west and the peloponnesian the south of the country speaker and their hearts ate at the personal stories of individuals who lost their homes as well as family members to their all consuming powers of the fires the sobering statistics highlight the true extent of the loss over a ten day period according to media reports as to made a cost to the destruction of homes and properties are well over a billion dollars here in the united states we all know too well how devastating the effects of mother nature can be as americans in utah montana launched their own battle against damage a while fires this summer and there's actually two years ago new orleans and other southern cities suffered from the destructive effects of hurricane katrina just as we value the aid of foreign nations in our difficult hours we stand ready to offer a helping hand to our greek friends during their time of need this house extends its deepest condolences to the government and people of greece following the vast destruction wrought by the wildfires we welcome the administration's pledge of financial aid as well as technical assistance and we express confidence in the ability of the greek people who have personified the strength of zeus throughout their history to overcome the hardships resulting from this tragedy i strongly support this such time as i may consume without objection thank you madam speaker i am pleased to be an original co sponsor of this important resolution and i thank the gentleman from maryland mr sarbanes the author of the resolute resolution as well as our chairman the foreign affairs committee mr lantos for their leadership in bringing this resolution quickly to the floor today this that resolution allows the members of this house the opportunity to extend our profound condolences to the people of greece and to their government over the tragic losses endured during the recent fires in greece which have claimed the lives of scores of people the human toll in casualties injuries and loss of property is difficult to bear with an estimated four thousand people having lost loved ones homes and indeed even communities moreover hundreds of thousands of acres of greek force and farmland have been obliterate obliterated and all of this madam speaker has occurred as a result of the more than three thousand force fires that have broken out in greece since june this massive tragedy has been bravely shouldered by the people of greece the heartfelt thoughts and prayers of the american people are with the families and friends of those who lost their lives in this tragedy and with all of the people of greece united in friendship the united states and greece have stood together on the same side of many of the world challenges throughout the last century it is appropriate therefore that we provide assistance and support to our friend and ally in this hour of need i therefore urge my colleagues to support this resolution and in so doing express their condolences and pledge their support for efforts to relieve the suffering and dured by the people of greece as a result of the tragic fires that have ravaged their nation with that madam speaker i reserve the balance of our time gentleman from america's most recognized by the speakers for pleasure that i yield such time as whatever time he needs as the chief sponsor of this proposed legislation the gentleman from maryland  sarbanes gentleman from maryland is recognized for time remaining i thank my colleague for yielding and for his support of this of this resolution madam speaker i rise today with my colleagues congresswoman maloney congresswoman bill iraq u s congressman congressman bill iraq is congressman space and many many others in this body in support of h r six twenty nine expressing the deepest of sympathy to the families who have incurred enormous loss and who continue to suffer the effects of the terrible fires that have raged across greece since june i also want to thank chairman lantos and ranking member ross l and their staff for their assistance in bringing this resolution to the floor official reports of damage from the greek government will be forthcoming in the next few weeks but on monday the new york times reported that over a ten day period an estimated four thousand people saw their homes destroyed by the wildfires which raised dozens of villages destroyed livestock and charred an estimated four hundred sixty nine thousand acres of mostly forest and farmland as of sunday the official death toll had risen to sixty five according to the greek fire brigade thousands have been rendered homeless and hundreds of thousands of acres of pristine forest have been destroyed the fire has also affected a substantial part of greece's agricultural sector according to reuters hundreds of thousands of mature olive trees vineyards and thousands of animals perished in the flames overall damage to the economy is estimated at one point two billion to four billion euros as the resolution reads we take this moment to stand with the people of greece invalid to come to their aid as they have done for us and others throughout the world time and time again there is no doubt that the people of greece will prevail in the face of this difficult time there is no doubt that they will succeed in the recovery effort my colleagues and i have been working to identify areas where the united states government can assist in the near term and as part of the longer commitment that will be needed in reversing the damage we are grateful that the u s government has already extended funding and other support in this regard and we are very proud of the commitment already demonstrated by our friends and organizations in the greek american community who are coordinating a substantial relief effort of their own i'd like to thank the greek ambassador ambassador mal yosh for his leadership he's here with us today in the gallery in reaching out and helping to coordinate assistance to his country and madam speaker i'd like to tell a story briefly i had the opportunity to visit greece in hundred five more than twenty years ago with my grandmother who had not been there for almost thirty years and i remember her taking me by the hand as we walked through her village which is in the southern peloponnese and the peloponnese has been particularly hard hit by these fires and as we walk the paths of her childhood i remember that she was looking for a one particular olive tree that she remembered from not from thirty years prior but from sixty years before that she had played under as a small child it was a touchstone of her childhood and home her memories and it made an incredible impression on me the love the connection that she had to this village and to that land today for many greeks and for many greek americans these touchstones these sacred markers are gone up in flames beyond this the loss of life is tragic for these reasons americans all across this country are moved to reach out to the citizens of greece madam speaker the spirit of the greek people is indomitable it will triumph over this tragedy and with this resolution america it stands with greece and its people in this hour of need i yield back my time gentleman from florida is recognized a commander speaker i have no further requests for time and i thank the gentleman  thirds being in the affirmative the rules are suspended the reservation is agreed to and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid out and shake the gentleman from america gentleman from the american recognized better speaker i move to suspend the rules and agree to house resolution three zero six two as amended the clerk will report the title of bill h r three zero six two a bill to authorize appropriations to provide for south pacific exchanges provide technical and other assistance to countries in the pacific region for the united states agency for international development and authorize appropriations to provide for right scholarships for pacific for their support and their leadership in bringing this important legislation before the floor better speaker may i'm pleased to bring this to the floor today a bill that will benefit the entire pacific i'm proud to sponsor this legislation well that may be overlooked when listing our great allies the united states has long and profound relationships with the pacific island nations that stretch back more than two centuries operations to world war two and to their critical role that they played in the conduct of our nuclear testing and missile defense system that even today is critical to our overall military strategic interests in this important region of the world we work closely with the nations of the pacific to combat transnational threats but to clearly the rapidly increasing peril posed by global warming people of the pacific i've also fought and sacrificed side by side with american soldiers in conflicts from world war two to the current war in iraq but as we look towards the pacific we must step up both our multilateral and bilateral relationships and to provide critically needed assistance to ensure that other countries do not fill the void foreign assistance or scholarship offerings from other countries to the pacific island nations has increased dramatically in recent years such a comes with fewer requirements for good governance and few environmental or labor standards the bottom line madam speaker our public diplomacy public diplomacy program and educational and cultural exchanges with the pacific island nations is shameful and without excuse left unchecked such foreign assistance from other countries can cause further instability leaving these island nations to believe the united states no longer is interested to a system and thereby leave their vulnerable it vulnerability to establish friendships with countries that do not necessarily support our interests in this vast region of the world we must act now to fill the void and exert our influence madam speaker the subsidy economic an extension of development actor two thousand seven seeks to address the development needs of our allies in the pacific islands and to engage the united states in region more deeply this legislation pushes for greater activity in the pacific islands by authorizing the administrator the u s agency for international development to listen to the needs of the leaders of the pacific islands and to provide assistance accordingly this task would be significantly easier if usa id reestablished its presence syria's president of the civic island region something that has been long overdue legislation also authorizes funds to increase the number of fulbright scholars from the fifty islands making use of our most successful international educational program to increase the training of future leaders of the pacific islands fostering educational opportunities overseas as one of this government's strongest and most effective public diplomacy tools leveraging these grants would represent a tremendous way of engaging or really engaging with these critical allies in the pacific region under section two of th in this new world where shipping is vulnerable to terrorism and climate change is a top priority we need these percentage garden nations as much as they need us let's commit to reengaging with them to strengthen our allies with them and to eighty them in every way madam speaker i rise in support of h r thirty sixty two the south pacific economic and educational development act the island nations of the south pacific which include longstanding friends of the united states face continuing challenges in development and education i want to commend the chairman of the subcommittee on asia the pacific and the global environment mr falmouth vega for his leadership in introducing this legislation and for working with us in the committee to refine it during the committee process because the amended text deals with authorisations not mandates nor appropriations it signals congressional interest in deepening our cooperation with the people of the pacific islands while also allowing executive branch agencies appropriate discretion in carrying out such programs the text the force madam speaker will increase the amount authorized for u s educational and cultural exchanges with south pacific nations to one million dollars in each of the next two fiscal years it would establish a fulbright exchange program for pacific island students and it would underscore the interest of the united states congress in making appropriate usa id technical assistance available to pacific island governments i thank the gentleman my good friend from american samoa mr falmouth vega for accommodating some of our suggested changes and i am pleased to support the amend the text with that madam speaker i reserve the balance of my time gentleman from americans most recognize sympathy to the people in the government of greece for the grave loss of life and vast destruction caused by the raging fires that destroyed the homes villages farms livestock but not the spear of the country since june of this year the people and the government of greece has been battling forest fires due to extensive heat and lack of rain an estimated four hundred ninety five acres of mostly forest and farmland have been destroyed the worst solidarity to a close friend a strategic partner and a longstanding ally in this painful and difficult hour i applaud the administration's initiative to provide assistance and relief to the people of greece including its pledge of one million five hundred thousand dollars in aid as well as expert and technical assistance after confidence that greece and his people will succeed in overcoming the hardship incurred through this chad thank you very much mr chairman i yield back to the gentleman from statement will speakers and i yield back the balance of our time thank you mr felony the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h r thirty sixty two as amended those in favor say aye those opposed no in the opinion of the chair two thirds jones gentleman from american samoa is recognized as speaker i move to suspend the rules and agree to send a bill three seven seven as amended clerk will report by the senate three seventy seven an act seventy seven while serving the american i was in paris benjamin franklin discovered a brilliant polish military tactician his name was kashmir polanski a leader in poland's bitter campaign to beat back russia the noble horse brigades but ask his prowess a strategic skills in the revolutionary war became a noun so dedicated was he to our cause that when funding ran low among the colonials he used some of his own money to purchase equipment for his men general polanski who eventually went down in the history books as the father of the american calvary is just one of the many important polish figures who have contributed greatly to the united states and to the world the relationship between the people of our two countries has flourished in recent years since the fall of communism but it actually dates back centuries to the founding of our nation so today managed to make of this congress aims to help the people of poland in the next generation to have productive inventive and standout individuals this bill authorizing an educational exchange program between our two nations that promises to be mutually beneficial and strengthening the alliance between our two nations this program will be identical in its structure and cooperation to the successful congress bundestag exchange that was launched in one thousand nine hundred three over the last quarter century thousands of young americans and germans have seized the opportunity to spend an academic year living as study with other foreign peares as a result the secondary school students have gained a better understanding of each other's way of life and have begun developing into citizens of the world but the authorization and funding of the bilateral exchange initiative before us today we will extend the same opportunities to our young friends in poland maker cross cultural exchange is the most powerful way of recreating harmony among nations who study abroad programs represent the most powerful type of exchange because they foster understanding in education about other nations a early age a country of poland is one of our most important allies in europe and has supported us in our fight against terrorism stood with us by contributing troops to afghanistan and iraq and the polish people have made great strides since the fall of communism communism liberalize you their economy joining nato in one thousand nine hundred nine and becoming a member of the european union in two thousand and four it is hard time managed bigger that we recognize in advance bonus place in the world as well as our special relationship with that nation by initiating a robust educational exchange program and with that measure speaker i wholeheartedly support this proposed bill and i reserve the balance of my time gentlewoman from florida is this bill introduced by senator lugar and already passed by the senate in march what establish a formal parliamentary youth exchange program for american and polish secondary students the purpose of this exchange madam speaker is to demonstrate to the youth of poland and to the united states the benefits of friendly cooperation based on shared political and cultural values the united states and poland have enjoyed clo bilateral relations since the end of the cold war poland has supported u s led efforts to fight global terrorism has contributed troops to coalition forces in afghanistan and over and has cooperated closely with the united states to promote democracy and human rights around the world and to reform the united nations by focusing on the source of our common future our young people this bill will further cement the friendship and the ideals that our two nations already share therefore madam chairman madam speaker i urge my colleagues to support this worthwhile endeavor and with that i reserve the balance of my time i think my friend for yielding i rise in strong support today bill three seven seven the united states and poland parliamentary youth exchange program act poland as has been said by both of our previous speakers has demonstrated an amazing commitment both to democratic values and to their role as an ally of the united states i remember as a teenager if i might date myself watching in rapt attention as lech walesa and the solidarity movement defeated the communist party in poland in parliamentary elections and then watching will s to go on to become president of poland in one thousand nine hundred solidarity movement heralded the collapse of communism across eastern europe this united states and poland parliamentary youth exchange will allow american students to learn much more about this very important heritage of our neighbors in eastern europe eligible participants in the program will attend a public high school for one academic year and role in courses that place a particular emphasis on their host countries history  the establishment of its constitution the nation's birth and its political development though my last name might not give a hint to this i i'm a very proud polish american my mother's family emigrated from poland to new britain connecticut some generations ago and  if you have a chance to drive through the great state of connecticut you're looking for a great place to grab a bite to eat stop off in new britain connecticut go to broad street where we still have polish language store front selling some of the best polish food that you'll find in the eastern connecticut and i appreciate the gentleman we are we are very serious students of polish history in new britain connecticut and i can't think of a better program than one such as this that will allow children of a community such as ours in new britain whose forefathers came from that country to be able to go there and strengthen their appreciation for that culture and that country's heritage i'd like to thank representative visclosky especially represent emanuel for bringing this legislation before the house floor today and of course to senator lugar for being such a champion in the senate this will mean a great deal  to our small community of new britain and the entire polish american community in the fifth district connecticut i yield back the balance of my time gentleman from florida gray ny madam speaker i have no further request for time and i yield back the balance of  a speaker i rise today a strong support of s three seventy seven of the united states and poland parliamentarian use change program act of two thousand and seven i am the sponsor of the house version of this legislation and i would like to thank my thirteen colonies including the gentleman from connecticut who are co sponsors of the measure i would especially like to thank the distinguished senior senator from the state of indiana richard lugar for originating at this legislation and introducing it in the other body and i would be remiss if i did not think the chairman of the subcommittee the gentleman from american samoa as well as the ranking member of the full committee the gentle lady from florida as well as mr lantos and the members of the committee for their consideration of the measure it is my sincere hope that this legislation will become the foundation for future use exchange programs around the world as technology and transportation makes the world more and more interconnected it is essential that our youth and future leaders have first hand experiences and other cultures when making decisions a lot can be learned about a different culture from a book or a picture but isn't that nearly the same as living studying and working in another culture for an entire year which is what the u s poland parliamentary youth exchange program will enable use from american employees high schools to do senator lugar has been a guiding light in promoting cultural exchange programs free tween america and countless other countries  his tenure and it has been my privilege to work with him on this legislation the senator's genuine interest in the cultures of the world is reflected in all his actions and he understands the priceless value of cultural exchange programs a in the us and poland parliament terry hughes exchange program this program will have a profound effect on the youth of our two countries and it can only strengthen the breakable friendship between the united states in poland i too am very proud of the polish community and indiana's first congressional district this product community is an integral part of the greater northwest area community in indiana and enhances the culture of my district in countless ways i am happy that the u s in poland the youth exchange program will allow all facets of the polish culture to be experienced first hand by american youth and speaker we should not delay in this opportunity for our use to be immersed parliamentary exchanges are outstanding as we remember less well and then the solidarity movement we do see the challenge for the shipyards there in poland but hopefully that they will be able to to sustain themselves i think that these various types of parliamentary exchanges do a great deal i visit a pole in one thousand nine hundred sixty seven and went back again in the pollution then and the communist system but with the breakdown of the warsaw pact and poland being able to have a democracy it's really a tremendous country and as a member of the house democratic assistance corporation here in the house we certainly strongly push for parliamentary exchanges  the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass senate three seven seven those in favor say aye those opposed no in the opinion of the chair two thirds being in the affirmative the rules are suspended the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table recognizing the seventy fifth birthday of desmond and m p lo to two south african anglican archbishop at cape town and nobel peace prize recipient a gentleman from america the most chairman of the committee gentleman from california mr lantos and our senior ranking member of the committee generated from forums rossley in for their support and bringing this legislation to the floor i would particularly like to thank my distinguish unquestionably one of the most important and accomplished advocates of human rights and peace on the face of this planet the past few years bishop tutu has worked tirelessly to promote religious freedom and self sovereignty around the world using his reputation and his work in south africa as a launching pad to do good for instance he has worked to highlight the horrendous human rights situation in burma or minimize and repeatedly call on the burmese government to free the champion of democracy there sang suu kyi but i've always worked for humankind is perhaps best known for chairing the south africa peace and reconciliation commission after the scourge of apartheid ended in that nation under the rule of the afrikaner nationalist party black south africans were subjected to unspeakable do human izing social policies and draconian laws these terrible measures separated families denied a decent education to millions of children and force hundreds of thousands from their homes to segregated territories bunted sense given the nature of the oppression south africa could have been a country washed in blood by black africans seeking revenge once white minority rule ended but through its characteristic patience and wisdom bishop tutu helped guide south africans black brown and white through a national process of reconciliation a forum where the horrors of apartheid were told by both victims and perpetrators and most importantly there was no retribution only truth and reconciliation bishop tutu and his college traveled throughout south africa from village to village and allowed apartheid victims to speak as long as they needed to tell their stories for days at a time he said and listen to stories of the hellish nightmare innocent victims of apartheid had to endure the process of simply telling proved an enormous healing experience for individuals in the south african nation and the stories have been achieved archives i'm sorry to that south africans in the future can know their past and can appreciate their present this effort in a spiritual leadership throughout the trying times of this nation made bishop tutu and international he room here is a human rights champion it has been the winner of numerous awards including the prestigious nobel peace prize in  hundred matters speaker as we celebrate bishop tutu seventy sixth birthday next month we should be mindful of the lessons he has brought in his service to mankind but to clearly in this troubling time when human rights violations are still so widespread around the world as he said famously in israel nobel peace acceptance speech oppression dehumanizing the oppressor as much as if not more the oppressed that action to me manage speaker a profound admonition to tyrants around the world and i cannot help manage speaker but to say that if you say something about bishop tutu you have to add his colleague nelson mandela here was a man that was imprisoned for twenty nine years almost thirty years and you would think that there's nothing more it is mind to seek vengeance and retribution against what the apartheid government did to him for all those years but instead as far as i'm concerned the most christ like person has ever come out of that prison mr mandela and for the leadership that he displayed in bringing all different factions nationalities in the listings in south africa together to build a good nation i remember years ago a matter speaker the world cup i don't know of my colleagues are familiar with the sport of rugby but the world cup rugby tournament is on and and france right now years ago the all blacks rugby national team representing new zealand had a very difficult time in playing against the springboks from south africa especially if they had a mari polynesian or someone polynesian as a member of that all blacks team the springboks of south africa refused to play the all blacks in new zealand simply because the two people of color that are members of the team representing new zealand it got to two countries pretty heated at times and say that it was no question about the bigotry the racism that existed at that time as far apart eyes is concerned speaker today we want to bishop desmond tutu and all that he represents and i call on my colleagues to vote to support this important legislation and i reserve the balance of my time gentlewoman from florida is recognized south africa and an outspoken advocate for peace equality and human rights around the globe while archbishop tutu is regarded by some as a controversial figure he is universally recognized as a hero in the struggle against the apartheid regime in south africa there he served as a beacon of hope committed to peace and unity in an era marked by violence and oppression he passionately advocated for nonviolent opposition to the racist apartheid regime while campaigning internationally for the imposition of economic sanctions against south africa and even in the face of the most egregious human rights abuses reinforced by draconian laws including the population registration act of one nine hundred fifty the south africans to believe that one day justice would prevail excuse me and freedom would come madam speaker i reserve the balance of our time gentleman of all thank my distinguished colleague the manager of the bill and a distinguished member of the foreign affairs committee chairman follow me in vega for the very kind words that he has offered and to the ranking member of the foreign affairs committee congresswoman ileana ross light them for her supporting words and chiefly two very important persons who have assisted in this legislation chairman lantos of for his support and the very excellent committee staff that have supported us along with i'll do your subcommittee chair donald payne who is renowned for his commitment to africa and certainly we appreciate his friendship and support of this legislation might i acknowledge the co sponsors who were eager to join to recognize this distinguished but bountiful with words and compassion and his small package of a man but yet his gigantic heart mind and spirit bishop him pilo to two who as you can see is a man that commands thousands for his vision we are proud to be able nearing the seventy six birthday egg knowledge his seventy fifth birthday and his seventy fifth year and so my day also express appreciation for my staff your highness to sigh and nina besser for their help in this legislation let me say to you madam speaker that archbishop tutu was not lost with words of passion and so he said i am not interested in picking up crumbs of compassion thrown from the table of someone who considers himself my master i want the full menu of rights he is a man of immense courage and vision he has long served the moral voice of the oppressed populations no one has ever met or spoken to or work with archbishop tutu is the same afterwards he is of course linked with father mandela arm in arm is father mandela maintained his life and his integrity for twenty nine years was bishop tutu who continued or had a voice steering the religious and faith community away from its closed attitude to open to the beatitudes that in fact blessid are the merciful for they shall receive mercy bishop tutu believed in that as a tireless advocate for ending discrimination desmond tutu's career is truly extraordinary hundred seventy five he became the first black african dean of mary's cathedral in johannesburg south africa and that was not an easy time and from one nine hundred seventy six to one nine hundred seventy eight he served as a secretary general of the south african council of churches once again being the first black african to do so he went on to head south africa's truth and reconciliation commission from one thousand nine hundred six to one thousand nine hundred eight investigating prior apartheid related crime it would be interesting if we were at that point in iraq but we must set the picture of what it means to bring together a commission that addresses the pain and hurt brutality and devastation of black africans at the right africans the south africans at the hands of apartheid it was not easy it would have been better to sit in accusatory fashion point things years and never resolved but it was the calm demeanor the spirit the religious face of bishop tutu that allowed this process to go forward and to allow it to go forward as others have now look back and said well done well done archbishop tutu is perhaps best known for his courageous opposition to the internationally condemned apartheid regime that persisted in his homeland until democratic elections in the campaign to resolve the problem of apartheid in south africa the committee went on to state the means by which this campaign is conducted is of vital importance for the whole of the continent of africa and for the cause of peace in the world in a press rel discussing the award the nobel committee wrote this year's awards should be seen as a renewed recognition of the courage and heroism shown by black south africans in the use of peaceful methods in the struggle against apartheid oh how wonderful it be that the conflicts around the world in the mideast would follow the straight and narrow path of a peaceful opposition this recognition is also directed to all who throughout the world use such methods to stand in the vanguard of the campaign for racial equality as a human right a recognition of his vast intellectual ability desmond tutu has received numerous honorary doctorates from several universities including harvard can't columbia aberdeen and how it might also say that he has one minute when minute i thank you let me also indicate as well that he has won the order of meritorious goal of war the martin luther king sr martin luther king jr nonviolent peace of ward and a number of others he has also been a survivor of cancer he is someone who has no never stopped teaching working and understanding and for those of us who are products of america's civil rights movement i thought it would be appropriate to bring to light into attention the reflection of two giants rosa parks and bishop tutu bringing together the trials and tribulations the struggle of african americans in the united states was someone who fully understood what struggle was all about i am delighted to join my colleagues asking for your full support in honoring bishop in pile o two to a man who stood between the schism of two oceans bringing america and africa together through the idea of unity peace generosity justice and opportunity for all congratulations  and i asked my colleagues to support this legislation are you back gentlewoman from florida is recognized thank you madam speaker i yield myself such time as i may consider that objection manner speaker in recognition of his efforts to peacefully protest an immoral and unjust system while leading some twenty million south africans toward freedom desmond tutu was awarded the nobel peace prize in one thousand nine hundred four and in presenting the award the chairman of the region noble committee nobel committee recognized that the repression of the apartheid regime was so brutal that a violent rebellion would be an understandable reaction however he stated on a broad front a campaign that is being fought with the weapons of spirit and reason a campaign for truth freedom and justice the contribution that desmond tutu has made and is still making represents a hope for the future he is an exponent of the only form of conflict solving which is worthy of civilized nations with that i reserve the balance of our time gentleman from american samoa and recognize m on the africa subcommittee i rise to speak in support of h rest thirty for a resolution recognizing the seventy fifth birthday of desmond bishop desmond tutu archbishop tutu will celebrate a seventy sixth birthday on october the seventh of this year and the legacy he has created during three quarters of a century on this earth is truly inspiring it is no exaggeration to say that without his c commitment and leadership the south africa we now today may not exist for over four decades bishop tutu was a vocal advocate and activists for democracy and human rights in south africa he defended the rights of not only for black south africans but for brown and white south africans as well as i mentioned earlier senator lugar gave the deciding vote to override the veto of president reagan of the comprehensive anti apartheid act which therefore put sanctions on south africa which helped to move towards a free democratic south africa nonracial his support tutu for regime change to reconciliation between the different ethnic groups in south africa as well noam and i believe should serve as a model not only for africa but in eastern europe the middle east and asia and i believe that the work as chairman of the truth and reconciliation commission helped prevent open violence and bloodshed in south africa in the wake of apartheid following it truly archbishop t practice what he preached what amazed me about bishop tutu is his tireless effort on behalf of those who are disadvantaged disenfranchised and dis opposed many men who would have taken a rest after seeing a vision they worked so hard to achieve come to few wishing but not him not bishop tutu he continues to advocate for people around the world from west zimbabwe has that efforts to bring attention to the spread of aids d n a aids and the dangers of extreme drug resistant tuberculosis x d r as a matter of fact bishop to the wrote me a letter in february bringing out the fact that fifty people of fifty three in south africa died from this disease and i had a hearing long before the person of the united states traveled around the world with this x d r drug resistan tutu that brought it to my attention as a matter of fact we raise it with the foreign operations appropriations committee and we were able to increase the funding for this disease by fifty million and this year's appropriations bill the m t r and and the extreme x the r t b a something that it was bishop tutu who brought it to our attention and so his latest endeavor will serve as he is serving as chairman of the elders council of elders a group formed by the former south african president nelson and mandela this past july bishop tutu worked with rev an alum both sack years ago and and mr olive a tomb who was chairman of the a n c archbishop tutu starless work behalf of the people of south africa and indeed the world is inspiring he should serve as an example to all of us of what compassion and commitment myself such time as i may consume that objection following that this man feeling of the apartheid regime and the conduct of south africa's first democratically contested multi party elections in one nine hundred ninety four archbishop t was appointed to chair south africa's truth and reconciliation commission tasked with investigating the gross human rights violations that had occurred over the preceding thirty four years it was feared that the t r c would reopen old wounds and once again plunge the country into crisis however archbishop tutu use this platform to urge forgiveness and reconciliation rather than revenge for past injustices it therefore comes as no surprise the south africa's t r c now serves as a model for post conflict resolutions around the globe and at nearly seventy six years of age archbishop tutu has not slowed down the bit given his continued advocacy for peace and human rights in africa and beyond it is appropriate that this body honor him again today i'd like to thank the sponsor ms jackson lee for introducing this important resolution and for agreeing to change it changes so that it reflects a celebration of his upcoming seventy sixth birthday which will be celebrated by all of us on october seventh man or speaker thank you for giving us the opportunity to bring house resolution thirty four to the floor today and i urge my colleagues to vote yes on this passage with that i reserve the balance of our time and i yield back the the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution thirty four those in favor as amended those in favor say aye though those opposed no in the opinion of the chair two thirds being in the affirmative the rules are suspended the resolution is agreed to and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table without objection the title is amended security alliance between the government of japan and the united states and expressing appreciation to japan for its role in enhancing stability in the asia pacific region and its efforts in the global war against terrorism and extend every margin include extraneous material and resolution under consideration without objection the speaker rajah strong support of his proposed bill and you myself such time as i may consume without objection and again i want to express my appreciation to the leadership of the house foreign affairs committee distinguished chairman the general from california mr lantos and our distinguished senior ranking member mistranslating from freude for their support of this proposed bill and let me also thank our distinguished colleague from the great state of new jersey a senior member of the armed services committee as well as a natural resources committee my good friend mr saxton for his sponsorship of this resolution where world war two came to a close the relationship between the united states and japan could not have been worse both sides sustained heavy human losses at the hands of the other's military but together starting in the late one nine hundred forty s the united states and the japanese people rebuilt a war torn japanese nation brick by brick industry by industry the alliance between the united states and japan has grown steadily since then and now it could hardly be stronger japan today is one of our closest allies in the asia pacific region a strong and enduring partnership we developed when that war thankfully came to an end bridges economic military and political realms our military alliance helped prevent another world conflict during the cold war and our two nations jointly help fast to the ideas of democracy and freedom in the face of the menacing communist threat in this asian region today that u s military security alliance with japan is not just a not only just the backbone of the relationship between our two great nations but it is the bedrock of peace and security throughout the asia pacific region upon this foundation we continue to work together to advance our shared values we jointly promote open markets open societies and open and transparent governments in asia and around the world japan's economic success is a beacon and example to the entire planet now being the second most powerful economy in the whole world we also tackled some of the most difficult challenges of our time working together in the crucial six party talks to denuclearize north korea and stabilize northeast asia japan is a reliable and generous friend quick to assist the united states in time of need to plan is provided support not just will support for the current war in iraq it is on the front lines in international efforts to combat terrorism by providing support to operations in afghanistan as strong as our relationship is now we look forward to an even stronger partnership for the future our two countries are brought together by shared interests and shared values and we are bound together by mutual respect and friendship this resolution celebrates this friendship by recognizing the strong security alliance between japan and the united states as well as japan's critical role in and has bring stability in the asia pacific region today the house we have firms that we value higher than our alliance with good friend mr saxton of new jersey and i'd like to congratulate him for offering this resolution before us today because the united states security objective in the asia pacific region could not be achieved without the staunch of our friends and allies in tokyo the united states japanese japan alliance is as this resolution recognizes the cornerstone of regional stability and prosperity when p r nyan tested a nuclear weapon last fall we relied heavily on our good friend japan which was then serving as president of the un security council together we achieved passage of security council resolution seventeen eighteen condemning north korea's reckless action and imposing a series of sanctions we must continue to work with tokyo to resolve the north korean nuclear crisis in order to ensure regional peace and stability japan has also been an irreplaceable partner in support of our efforts to fight global terrorism also in the year two thousand and two tokyo graciously offered to host the international conference on reconstruction assistance to afghanistan following the ouster of the taliban regime we're also very grateful to japan's maritime self defense forces for continuing to provide logistical support in the indian ocean to coalition efforts waging the international war on terrorism most recently the japanese diet approved a two year extension of the special measures law  iraq which provides continued funding for the reconstruction of a peaceful and stable iraq it was also recently reported that three japanese banks have stopped engaging in any new business with iran and the japanese financial institutions are restricting loans and rejecting an iranian request to pay for oil imports in currencies other than dollars we are proud of the us japan alliance and deeply grateful for the friendship of the people of japan i am proud to be a co sponsor of this resolution madam speaker which is of vital importance to the security of both the united states and japan and with that man speak i reserve the balance of my gentlemen reserves gentlemen from american samoa much because i continue to reserve gentlemen continue to reserve general as in florida i would like to yield such time as he may consume to the author of this on the resolution i rise today in support of house resolution five zero eight obviously which recognizes the strong security alliance between japan and the united states and expresses appreciation for japan's role in hansing stability in the asia pacific region in combat in terrorism and specifically in japan very significant contribution toward a global missile defense i pleased to highlight our special relationship with japan following world war two our alliances served as a valuable conduit allowing the united states to achieve our security goals throughout east asia this dynamic nation is the world's second largest economy one of our top trading partners provides six hundred thousand us jobs and is actively engaged with many other democracies our two countries have encountered similar challenges and fought shared threats while working to guarantee political and economic freedoms for our citizens and for many others this goal of spreading democracy based prosperity became particularly evident following the tragic events of september eleventh following these deplorable attacks japan readily provided support for u s and allied forces their effort included invaluable maritime operations  the indian ocean aircraft to conduct support missions for our troops in iraq and logistical support that even continues to this very day these actions reveal japan's dedicated and very determined effort caused by sponsors of terrorism japan's maritime self defense forces have provided roughly thirty percent of the fuel used by u s and coalition warships they are the third largest donor and in country for relief and reconstruction in afghanistan and they have provided billions of dollars for reconstruction in iraq and japan continues to renew the anti terrorism special measures law that allows for these activities to take place i applaud them for recognizing that the international threats of terror will require the cooperation of the world's strongest team ocracy democracies to effect effectively combat the growing capabilities and support systems of terrorist organizations our strategic relationship extends beyond japan's involvement in the middle east japan offers financial and material resources to the u s deployed forces fifty thousand of which are stationed in the country several years ago our two countries agreed to redefine and strengthen the missions of both of our military forces my resolution mentions examples of this coordination sixteen and a half minutes my speaker and i'd like to have as much time as i may consume with you again compliment and to commend my good friend the gentleman from new jersey for his insight and certainly as a senior member of the armed services committee  no one knows better more our the importance of our strategic and military interests in this important region of the world and especially within an alliance in a partnership with the great country of japan that they've always stood beside us always been there when we needed assistance so again i want to commend my good friend from new jersey for his comments and sponsorship of this legislation and i thank my good friend the gentle lady from florida as a senior ranking to help us manage this with the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution five away as amended those in favor say aye those opposed no in the opinion of the chair two thirds being in the affirmative the rules are suspended the resolution is agreed commending the people and the government of the hashemite kingdom of jordan for their continued commitment to holding elections and broadening political participation and for other purposes pursuant to the rule of the gentleman from america samoa mr fall in love a guy and a gen distinguished chairman from california mr lantos and my good friend the gentle lady from troy to miss ross late in the senior ranking member of the committee for their support and leadership in bringing this proposed legislation before the floor i also would like to thank the chief sponsor of this proposed bill my good friend from state of washington to bear for introducing this thoughtful and timely measure commending the the hashemite kingdom of jordan and its commitment to holding elections and to broadening the sphere of political participation in the country kingdom of jordan is an oasis of stability in the middle eastern desert full of difficulties and crisis jordan is beset by most of the same threats that confront the whole middle eastern region such as terrorism and extremism but it also faces some distinct challenges for example the flood of the flood of iraqi asylum seekers numbering nearly one million these refugees are now straining the infrastructure of a nation of only six million citizens despite its difficult challenges and unlike other regional states they uses islamic extremism as an excuse to restrict democratic freedoms the hashemite kingdom of jordan has courageously taken significant steps to broaden political participation at the same time he continues to hold the line against terrorism and this balance is exemplary member speaker jordan has long been a leader in the arab world in enhancing women's political involvement and is continuing along that path thanks to recent reforms twenty percent of the municipal council seats determined in jordan's july elections were reserved for women jordan also vote claiming that the system was unfairly stacked against them however based on the evidence i've been able to gather from the state department from other staffers who visited jordan shortly after the elections these elections were largely free and fair marred only by minor irregularities that almost certainly had little or no impact on the final result it now appears that slimmest were more concerned about an embarrassment eminent defeat than they were about democratic procedures last month after the minutes  m the second announced that parliamentary elections will be held on november twenty eighth that jordan continues to pursue its path towards greater democracy it is indeed impressive that jordan keeps extremism at bay while expanding political participation but it is a no coincidence by embracing reform jordan has encouraged moderation that is a lesson that unfortunately too many middle eastern regimes have failed to understand we encourage jordan in its efforts to implement political reform and we look forward to the kingdom's further progress towards achieving the comprehensive and ambitious vicious set of goals put forth last year as part of george national agenda house resolution five seventy five which commands the people and the government of jordan for their commitment to democracy today much of the middle east is sadly pervaded by tyranny radical and extremist islam terrorism and hatred of the united states and israel however jordan continues to stand out as a nation committed to moderation to modernity to democracy and to peace with the united states and israel madam speaker jordan has taken the road less traveled in the middle east demonstrating to other nations the benefits of embracing democratic principles and the norm since one thousand nine hundred eighty nine jordan has held four elections for its parliament and king abdullah has committed to holding the next set of elections by november of this year under a new election law passed in february jordanians went to the polls in late july for the first time to elect the mayors and the councils of every city every city and town in that country jordan has also recognized the democracy is much more than just holding elections there jame government is acting to establish the rule of law to build civil society to build strong institutions and to broaden political participation to meaningfully engage citizens from all walks of life one example of this commitment menem speaker is the decision of the government of jordan to lower the voting age from nineteen to eighteen and to mandate that women fill at least twenty percent of the council seats this is a positive first step and i hope that it will lead to further reforms and political participation king abdullah himself has courageously spoken out and led the way for abdullah recently stated we in jordan and many others throughout the middle east are working hard to create a civic environment in which our people will thrive the basic requirement is inclusive democratic civil society one that guarantees rights delegates responsibilities honors merit and rewards achievement the foundation stones on which we build our peace and stability basic civil and political rights essential services freedom of expression and the rule of law end quote madam speaker a stable peaceful and free middle east is in the interest of the united states and indeed to the entire world and while much remains to be done jordan is serving as a model for other nations it deserves our friendship and encouragement house resolution five seventy five is particularly important it expresses the house's desire that jordan's progress toward democracy continue and flourishes as a model for other arab countries it also c people for upholding women's rights and enhanced seeing the participation of women in the political process finally madam speaker it reaffirms the special relationship that exists between the citizens of our two nations as well as our ongoing commitment to helping jordan should so desire in promoting democratic reform i am proud to be a co sponsor of this measure madam speaker and i urge my colleagues to render their full support for its a gentleman from wash is recognized for six minutes madam speaker it is indeed an honor for me to be here along with such distinguished colleagues giving just praise and recognition to a nation which is a leader in a very very difficult environment i want to thank miss ross layton and the distinguished gentleman from american samoa and particular want to thank the chair of the committee mr lantos for supporting in introducing this resolution as i mentioned and we all know the middle east is a region which is fraught with difficulties and if ever there is a region that needs and deserves models of courage of integrity and vision that is such a region and if ever there were such models of integrity vision and courage jordan abdullah the second are precisely those models in the most recent municipal elections we saw not only a commitment to democratic reforms but a commitment to moving forward with women's rights and as many of us who had the privilege to travel to jordan kno the kingdom has been a real leader in this region not only in promoting democratic reforms but seeing that women are promoted to high positions of office within the cabinet and within the parliament it's a law in that not only  nations within the middle east but within the world at large could benefit from in addition the kingdom of jordan and king abdullah the second have led efforts to try to bring islamic scholars from around the world to craft new visions for moderate  progressive visions of islam and the mon declaration which does not get nearly the tension it deserves has been i think a visionary statement guiding many people and inspiring many people throughout the region in addition i think it is worth saying that the kingdom of jordan has stepped up to try to help in the region as we deal with the conflict in iraq they have provided valuable training to the iraqi police and others and one of the challenges jordan faces right now is the influx of nearly a million refugees as was mentioned this is a country that faces challenges in terms of energy costs water availability etc and still and still with all the challenges they face they have reached out to try to assist others we've talked a lot in this body and elsewhere about the need for models in the middle east in the hope that iraq could one day become a model of democracy i certainly share that hope but i would say to my colleagues we already have some very very good models in that region and it is deserved that we would commend them and recognize them today jordan is precisely such a model king abdullah is precisely such a leader and i am grateful that my colleagues today would take the time and the effort to recognize such achievements by such a courageous leader in such a wonderful country and i would urge my colleagues to visit jordan to meet with their king with their members of their parliament and their cabinet officials and they i'm sure will share my sense of deep admiration and respect for what has been happening there so i urge passage of this legislation i hope it marks a positive step not only in recognition of jordan but a step in which this body finds ways to acknowledge the many positive achievements that are taking place in a region which we all know has many difficulties but if we only focus on the difficulties of the bad news and when neglect the good news and the accomplishments particularly when they are achieved by nations and individuals of such prestige and courage as jordan we would be missing a golden opportunity thankfully today this house of representatives will not miss that opportunity we will acknowledge those opposed no in the opinion of the chair two thirds being in the affirmative the rules are suspended the resolution is agreed to and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table the title is amended without objection for what purpose does the gentleman from vermont ride madam speaker move that the house suspend the rules in agree to h r nine fifty four the clerk will report the title of bill h r nine fifty four a bill to designate facility of the united states postal service located at three sixty five west one twenty fifth street in new york new york as the percy sutton post office building pursuant to the rules the gentleman from vermont mr welch and the gentleman from georgia mr mitt westmoreland each will control twenty minutes the chair recognizes the gentleman from vermont thank you madam speaker i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks without objection ma'am speaker is a member of the committee on oversight and government reform i rise in support of h r nine fifty four which designates the facility of the united states postal service located at three sixty five west one hundred twenty fifth street in new york at new york city as the percy sutton post office building this measure which have the support of the new york delegation unanimously reported from our committee on july nineteenth two thousand and seven am speaker i have many remarks that i can tell you about mr sutton somebody that i don't know but read about as a young man growing up in of all places massachusetts and then vermont but whatever i say is not worth listening to when we have another member of the new york delegation remarkable in his own right who actually knows mr sutton and i expect is going to share some of his good qualities and be somewhat silent on anything else that may not be appropriate a story about the interactions of these two triffitt men so i'm going to reserve my time and when the appropriate moment comes allow the distinguish member from new york to speak on behalf of the merits of mr sutton where he will be forever commemorated by having his name on a post office in the great city of new york so i met him speak i reserve the balance of my time gentleman achievements in his lifetime today we honor percy sutton with the naming of a post office in his home town neighborhood of harlem new york born in one nine hundred twenty and san antonio texas he was the youngest of fifteen children raised in a family with strong values and education he found his niche at a young age with the boy scouts and rose to the rank of eagle scout he attended prairie view a and m university tuskegee institute in hampton institute and he earned his law degree from brooklyn law school as a teenager he learned a flask small planes and worked as a stunt pilot a county fairs upon the u s s involvement in more war to the enlisted with the army air corps but was rejected because of his race shortly after he moved to new york where he was accepted into the course and flew with the legendary tuskegee airman his military service award him combat stars as an intelligence officer with a three thirty second fighter group black ninety nine pursuit squadron percy sutton gained national recognition during the one nine hundred fifty s and one nine hundred sixty s as a close friend and lawyer the civil rights leader malcolm x s moved to the harlem area man had informed his own law firm with the help of his brother and a close friend there you as well as his farm quickly became closely associated with civil rights movement and current politics of the era sutton ran unsuccessfully for public office so he formed his own democratic organization with other notable harlem community leaders called the harlem club house he tried many cases during the one nine hundred sixty s defending the rights of many fellow african americans in the southern states still heavily interested in public service he ran for and won an election to serve in the new york state assembly in one thousand nine hundred sixty four his political career continued through the years in ended in the late  seventy s over time and was still practicing law he expand his business of buying a radio station the famous apollo theater a local newspaper and a cable television franchise the on his success in business  president bill clinton has his offices and also one of the institutions as driving the apollo theater it's there because percy sutton brought it back from the ashes and so when tourists come and they see this wonderful new community that's come back there will be able to look at our post office and maybe ask the question but who was percy not too long ago the president denied his stage george bush right here in the capital gave the presidents and congressional gold medal and my brothers and sisters every day that we are fortunate to live in this great country we fail to realize that we are making history especially those of us whose on it to be elected and as the house black and his african american as they were were denied the opportunity to join the united states army air force in order to fight the enemies of the united states of a america under great protest they were allowed to try a pilot project into ski in order to see whether the rages charges that they were cowardly that they could learn and they never would be able to manipulate these fighter pilots and wiley shadid all of the myths and turned out to be one of the most decorated outfits that survived world war two the president as he looked at them right here in statutory hall reminded them that he knew that even though they became offices that many of the enlisted men refused to return the salutes to them because of prejudice racism and discrimination but the president said that on behalf of the people of the united states of america allow him to salute them it was so moving there wasn't a dry eye in the whole group as these warriors these courageous fighter pilots that have done so much for this country was able to hear the president commander in chief and president of the united states to thank them and so in a way we are privileged by naming this post office not to be able to thank each and every one of thank at least one arm that comes from the village of harlem that you would say that your thank you may not be a salute from the commander in chief but with saying thank you for having confidence in this country and haven't confidence in this democracy and given us a chance to honor prosy sutton he came back home got involved in the end double a c p got involved in politics became  power president and became a well known business person but no matter what parts of the united states you come from we have to take time out to thank those of us who made the sacrifice this one of them so i'm glad that this committee has come together to pay tribute to him because by doing this we pay tribute to ourselves and for those people who we don't know their names but  made sacrifices so that we would have to on that to serve this great country and i yield back but balance of my time was the embodiment of the american dream and he did it as a man who grew up with the kind of prejudice that the chairman just alluded to in it's just a an honor i think for all of us to have the kind of inspiration that a person like percy sutton is provided to our country service in the military and really the most decorated service unit in the whole war and accomplishing that against enormous obstacles people didn't want and serve yet they did and they had confidence and often our country despite the fact that many in our country did not have confidence or even respect for them and then his array of accomplishments in business and politics as a civic leader a  commitment to this community harlem which the chairman called a village in many other times had really tough times and this man had confidence that that community in the people in it had as much a future is any other american and he then acted with the skills that he possessed the energy that he had made harlem into what is now a very vital community in the in the city of new york so the committee on government operations with  support of both sides of the aisle is very proud to be bringing to the house for its full consideration the naming of this post office in honor of the great american and i yield back the balance of my time chairman yields back all time is expired the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h r ninety five for those in favor say aye those opposed no in the opinion of the chair two thirds being in the affirmative the rules are a suspended the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table  recognizes the gentleman from vermont thank you madam speaker i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks without objection as a member of the house committee on oversight and government reform i'm pleased to join strongly support house resolution six zero six introduced by by my colleague congressman ellison my friend and fellow minnesotan congressman ellison represents the fifth congressional of minnesota which includes the which includes the city of minneapolis i'm grateful to congressm ellison for his work in introducing this resolution and getting it to the floor in a in a quick manner on august first the interstate thirty five w bridge collapsed over the mississippi river the images of that disaster are now etched in our collective memories in this country we can all recall the strange and sir real side of a bridge length crumpled and broken laying in that great river and we can all recall the images of vehicles that were crushed by the debris and as well as those like the school bus that was full of children that sat amongst all that disaster and carnage and who occupants thankfully escaped unharmed unfortunately not everyone on the i thirty five bridge that wednesday made it home safely thirteen of our fellow minnesotans husbands wives sons daughters grandchildren grandparents were killed in the tragedy that those numbers were not higher was new and no small part to the hundreds of firefighters police emergency personnel and ordinary citizens who rushed to the aid of their fellow citizens the direct action of the civil servants and citizens immediately following this tragedy undoubtedly saved countless lives in the suffering ordinary residents of the city of minneapolis displayed extraordinary courage and compassion on august first this resolution recognizes the outstanding work and effort of the first responders the city officials and the residents of minnesota for their quick and compassionate response i am pleased to join congressman ellison and all of the minnesota delegation in this effort and i extend my gratitude to those who dedication and duty was so evident on august first i ellison of minnesota this resolution recognizes the city of minneapolis first responders and the citizens of the state of minnesota for their selfless actions in responding to the collapse of the interstate route thirty five mississippi river bridge the first responders to the scene acted without hesitation risking their safety in the dangerous conditions to rescue the victims of this tragedy this resolution honors their sacrifice in the immediate aftermath of the bridge collapse and their commitment to save lives regardless of the  themselves additionally this resolution is fitting combination to the people of minneapolis for the hero ism and compassion for their fellow citizens i extend my heartfelt sympathy to those affected by this tragedy and to their families as support the resolution  colleagues to do the same manner speaker i would have the balance of my time and all men from minnesota madam speaker i thank my colleague from missouri for the kind words and compassionate response to the overwhelming response the members of this body was truly heart belt and truly put action into words in getting minnesota in minneapolis moving forward at this time madam speaker i am pleased to yield five minutes to the main sponsor of this bill the distinguished gentleman from minnesota mr ellison and my colleague and friend is showing great leadership great compassion in responding to this disaster that occurred in his district and i yield him five minutes gentleman is recognized for five minutes madam speaker i am proud to rise on the floor today to speak on behalf of a frist six o six a resolution that honors the city of minneapolis and the first responders and citizens of minnesota for their valiant efforts in responding to the horrific collapse of interstate thirty five w mississippi river bridge madam speaker while we honored city of minneapolis there are also numerous cities in the area of minneapolis such as new hope golden valley and many many others all that sent their first responders to the aid of the victims in each and all of the city cities deserved honor and respect and thank you at six o five p m on august first two thousand and seven interstate thirty five w bridge in minneapolis minnesota collapsed into the mississippi river killing thirteen people in injuring nearly one hundred people the thirteen victims were mothers fathers children workers good people each and all i'm honored today to stand with my colleagues from minnesota to honor the work of the first responders and the entire community of minnesota and the nation for stepping up to the plate to assist our community on august first in responding to the horrific bridge collapse without any hesitation in any regard or consideration for their own safety minnesota first responders firefighters police emergency medical personnel all rushed to the bridge collapsing and it is clear that the commitment and heroism in the minutes and hours that followed the tragedy saved countless lives additionally scores of ordinary minnesotans became good samaritans for example madam speaker jeremy hernandez a twenty year old employee of the minneapolis nonprofit organization was riding on the school bus with over fifty children when the bus dropped towards the mississippi river gorge as the bridge collapsed jeremy immediately took charge in evacuated the bus ensuring that all staff and children got off the bus safely this is america in minnesota at its best when ordinary citizens become extraordinary citizens but let me conclude madam speaker but respectfully asking this congress to regard this true edge of the is a national call to act focus our public inner g e on the reconstruction of our public infrastructure on august first we as a nation were united in grief for the victims and we were united in the recovery healing efforts now let us all stand united in rebuilding our country's ailing public infrastructure for if the nation is a body our infrastructure is the skeleton that holds it up i look forward to working with members of congress i think you madam speaker think you mr walls for your excellent energy and i also would be remiss if i did not commend your community our community in southern minnesota for its own tragedy that we suffered collectively and we stand with the people of southern minnesota in solidarity and in brother and sister hood thank you thank you very much gentlemen yells back down in from missouri  mr bachmann sorry gentleman is recognized for four minutes like thank you man and speaker and i thank my gear colleagues for allowing me these moments to address the body i to offer my condolences and sympathy to the members and families our minnesota community who endured one of the most terrific losses that anyone can imagine when it's a beautiful wonderful evening in minnesota and august august ninth when people are on their way to the twins game and home from work their their minds around the barbecue and what they're going to do it at when they go home what they're going to say to their husband what they're going to say to their wife going to their child's t ball game or their soccer game those are the kind of things that were on the minds of minnesotans when all of a sudden this bridge this the most traveled bridge in the state of minnesota went down something no one would ever imagined could happen happened and i know the saturday after the bridge collapse occurred i had the opportunity to be able to go back and meet with some of the first responders as my colleagues did as well and i think to a person we can say what we saw that day was nothing short of just the joy in the grief all the emotions mixed together on the faces of the firemen face their faces the policemen faces of the healthcare professionals as well who were there who saw that horror firsthand and did what we expect that they would do be first responders seems like an ordinary thing that they should do their job but it's never an ordinary thing to lay down your life for your fellow man that's what a police officer does every day when they put on that uniform that's not a fireman does every day when they put on that uniform and that day they were called upon to do that duty make that sacrifice they did it and i'll tell you what i could not be more proud of those first responders and it was wonderful to madam speaker to see how in this body this wasn't a republican or democrat issue this was about being human this was about loving our fellow man and i can't say enough about the effort of the two parties to come together and unanimously making the right decision and that authorized that money for this bridge to get it up and built again and then hopefully now appropriate that money to get it up again but i commend congressman ellison i commend congressman walz i commend congresswoman mccollum and everyone in our delegation who came together to get behind this bridge but more importantly it's the first responders who came together and laid down their lives one of the people who did that was a constituent of mine i just want to mention him a little bit his name was gary babineau twenty four years old live is up and blind is a construction worker gary was coming home from from work that night like most minnesotans thinking about what he was going to do his wife is due with their first baby two weeks later and that's when he was thinking about that new little baby that was about to come two weeks from now when all of a sudden he was right across from that yellow school bus that we all saw on the news and gary's truck was on the bridge and he felt the bridge go down and in a moment of time his black pickup truck fell thirty feet down to the bottom and he never thought he would wake up again he never thought he'd open his eyes again but he did and he couldn't believe it he could move his back was severely hurt but he could move he got out of that truck and he went me help person after person get out of their vehicle carried people to safety and then gary remarkably jumped off the bridge onto the ground then jumped back up on the bridge yield additional two minutes max bigger gentleman has an additional two minutes thank you man a speaker unbelievably here in the midst of having severely injured back he jumped off the bridge got on to the ground got back on to the bridge not knowing at the bridge would be stable got on that bridge and went immediately to that yellow school bus and he then as sr had those fifty children from getting off that bus and as a matter of fact it was reported in the paper it said gary babineau said i could see the whole bridge going down and i was going down to he said i have a baby coming in two weeks and that's all i could think about we hit bottom and i couldn't believe that i could open my eyes i couldn't believe that i could move gary babineau was an ordinary man but he became a first responder and he help save lives i've at the moment that he was needed he did it we kind of expect that that's what americans would do we're just good people we help each other in time of need and here in this tragedy as we've seen other tragedies that have brought the fallen our nation when things didn't go exactly right and the recovery effort here in minnesota we saw that things were right it happened right and the reason why it happened right were because the first responders officials first responders non official route first responders but they did what was right because the acted out of love out of a heart a love for their fellow man so i thank those first responders the firemen the policeman the average joes the gary braben all those in their truck and i think the federal officials our president our members of congress i think the county officials the city officials the state officials everybody did what was right but think you congressman ellison this was the right resolution to bring forward today to honor these selfless individuals who none of us could live without thank you first responders and i encourage my colleagues to give as unanimous vote to this wonderful resolution thank you madam speaker  the gentleman from minnesota thank you madam speaker we in minnesota rarely refer to to minneapolis without mentioning her sister city of st paul are twin cities and we're fortunate that these two cities have excellent representation in their two representatives it's a real wallace that would go without saying that the twin cities my district is doing whatever we can in support both with volunteers with thoughts with prayer hours and with anything that would come forward in us in a special session to support the tragedy has taken place in southern minnesota and much of what we can say about our first responders we could also say about the first responders in your district men and speaker it's been just over a month since we saw the unthinkable happened and in minneapolis the collapse of the i thirty five w bridge into the mississippi river shocked our nation for minnesotans it was the only beginning of an ordeal that we will never forget in the hours and days that followed we waited quietly for the word of missing loved ones we watched anxiously as skilled navy and f b i divers searched the treacherous wreckage and felt our hearts grow heavy again when we heard the news of each recovered victim a month later we continue to grieve for the thirteen who lost their lives that evening six of them my constituents our prayers are with the survivors whose deep physical and emotional injuries have yet to heal but along with the twisted metal and sunken concrete the aftermath of the bridge collapse also brought us the unforgettable images of courage and hope the off duty firefighter without any diving you're going under the water again and again to search cars for trapped victims the bus driver counselors and others on the bridge who threw open the emergency exit of a yellow school bus and made sure that all sixty one of the children got to safety the bridges collapse may have shocked the nation but the response of minnesota's emergency personnel public servants an ordinary citizens inspired the nation again a my colleagues in congress have approached me to express their amazement at the compassion and strength of our community madam speaker this resolution honors the courage and selflessness of all minnesotans involved in this disaster or it honors the first responders who rushed to the scene evacuating scores of victims and saving countless lives and honors the medical personnel who have worked and still work tirelessly to heal the injured it honors the local and national recovery teams who carried out the excruciating and difficult search of the wreckage and bringing closure to the families and friends of the victims it honors ordinary minnesotans who were at every step of the way from those who don't go into the water to save lives immediately after the collapse to those who continue to offer time material support emotional comfort for grieving families today our recovery effort is not over yet the twin cities community will feel the consequences of the bridges collapse for years to come as we turn to the task of adjusting our daily commutes and planning to rebuild the bridge we must also begin to prepare and rebuild the other bridges in infrastructure in minnesota that are in danger we also must work to rebuild the infrastructure across this nation this resolution honors the strength the sympathy the steadfastness of the people of minnesota and we saw so clearly in the wake of this tragedy and i have faith that these same courageous qualities will see as through the challenges ahead and with that i yield back and a woman yield back the gentleman from missouri they managed to gradual three minutes to congressman bravely risk their lives in the face of this catastrophe i had the privilege of meeting that many of the first responders volunteer organizations local and state officials in my tours of the site of the collapse the first emerged the personnel on the scene respond to the tragedy without hesitation as has been discussed my colleagues here today they risk their health and safety to rescue this victims and provide emergency care to the injured scores of ordinary people did indeed become extraordinary citizens following the tragedy of our rushing to the aid of their fellow minnesotans the outpouring of support and assistance from surrounding communities including more than fifty volunteer organizations was tremendous throughout the rescue and recovery mission there have been countless stories of the generosity about the citizens of minnesota from organizing blood drives to caring for the needs of the bridge recovery workers minnesotans continue to go above and beyond the call of duty in a time of sadness and sorrow for so many we remain thankful for the true kindness and compassion of minnesotans amount of speaker i'd like to take just a minute here to discuss as some of my colleagues have alluded to another catastrophe which struck the state of minnesota in mr wallace his district my family has farm down in his to minnesota in the very southeastern tip and i spent three days there at the end of the august break and it is it is distressing it is an awesome power that we saw when those creeks and rivers flooded in the destruction is  immense and again it's not just the first responders in minneapolis in the surrounding communities but i'm sure that my friend and colleague from the first district mr mr wallace can attest to the fact that person responders throughout the state came to the aid of those in southeast minnesota so madam speaker as always we're mindful of the lives that were lost in both tragedies and our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the victims and their families and with all minnesotans as recover and rebuild i want to thank the gentleman my colleague mr ellison for offering this legislation and bring it forward mr wallace for his leadership and i yield back the balance of my time daniele's back to the gentleman from minnesota at this time manage beaker i have no gentleman from minnesota thank you madam speaker up first of all to my colleague from missouri i thank him so much for helping manage on this the point comments made by my my fellow minnesotans was heartfelt and i think put best maybe by  issue truly brought us together and i want to tip a special thank you to this entire body for the response that was given to the people of minnesota in light of this tragedy as we speak the dean of our delegation chairman oberstar holding hearings on this very issue of bridges across america to make sure we don't have a repeat of this incident and understand everything that we can do to hopefully prevent this type of tragedy and he's he's meeting with secretary of transportation peters and the mayor of minneapolis mayor ryback is in town talking on this very issue so it's appropriate that we we honor those that sacrificing gave so much in light of this tragedy and it's appropriate that we move forward to prevent it in the future i also thank my colleague  friend mr kline from minnesota for the kind words he's very familiar with my district his family has roots there and he has a farm there and he knows firsthand the devastation that was wrought on those counties we lost seven of our of our fellow southern minnesotans we had seven counties that are national disasters the response has been fantastic from both state local and federal officials when you get seventeen inches of rain in twenty four hours it brings great tragedy and president bush was kind enough and showed leadership in coming to minnesota promising a quick response and delivered and he also made a comment and made sure that one of our towns that was virtually destroyed rushford minnesota needed to get back defending their state football championship and i'm glad to report that they won friday night quite convincingly  this disaster and the response from at the silver lining of this is the great human qualities of compassion courage selfless service were shown by our first responders and everyone involved it's a pleasure for me to to put my name to a piece of legislation like those in favor say aye those opposed no in the opinion of the chair two thirds being in the affirmative the rules are suspended the resolution is agreed to and without objection the motion to reconsider  laid upon the table pursuant to clause eight of rule twenty proceedings will resume on motions to suspend the rules previously postponed votes will be taken in the following order  vote will be conducted as a fifteen minute vote remaining electronic votes will be conducted as a five minute vote the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from georgia mr marshall to suspend the rules and agree to h read as five five two on which the a's unaids were ordered the clerk will report the title of the resolution house resolution five fifty two resolution calling on the government of the people's republic of china to remove barriers to united states financial services firms doing business in china the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to the resolution members will record their votes by electronic device this is a fifteen minute