January 7, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H67 

York, Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Mr. Filner, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. 

Taylor, Mr. Cummings, Mrs. Tauscher, Mr. 

Boswell, Mr. Holden, Mr. Baird, Mr. Larsen 

of Washington, Mr. Capuano, Mr. Bishop of 

Utah, Mr. Michaud, Mr. Carnahan, Mrs. 

Napolitano, Mr. Lipinski, Ms. Hirono, Mr. 

Altmire, Mr. Walz, Mr. Shuler, Mr. Arcuri, 

Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Carney, Mr. Hall of New 

York, Mr. Kagen, Mr. Cohen, Ms. Richardson, Mr. Sires, Ms. Edwards of Maryland, Mr. 

Ortiz, Mr. Hare, Mr. Boccieri, Mr. Schauer, 

Ms. Markey of Colorado, Mr. Griffith, Mr. 

McMahon, Mr. Perriello, Ms. Titus, Mr. 

Teague. 

(6) COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS.—Mr. 

Stark, Mr. Levin, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Lewis 

of Georgia, Mr. Neal of Massachusetts, Mr. 

Tanner, Mr. Becerra, Mr. Doggett, Mr. Pomeroy, Mr. Thompson of California, Mr. 

Larson of Connecticut, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. 

Kind, Mr. Pascrell, Ms. Berkley, Mr. Crowley, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Meek of Florida, 

Ms. Schwartz of Pennsylvania, Mr. Davis of 

Alabama, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. 

Etheridge, Ms. Linda T. Sanchez of California, Mr. Higgins, Mr. Yarmuth. 

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut (during 

the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be 

considered as read and printed in the 

RECORD. 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there 

objection to the request of the gentleman from Connecticut? 

There was no objection. 

The resolution was agreed to. 

A motion to reconsider was laid on 

the table. 

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IN SUPPORT OF ISRAEL 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a 

previous order of the House, the gentleman from New York (Mr. ENGEL) is 

recognized for 5 minutes. 

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise this 

afternoon in support of the beleaguered 

people of the State of Israel. I rise in 

support of the only democracy in the 

Middle East. I rise in support of the 

country in the Middle East that has 

the same values that our great country, the United States of America, has, 

principles of democracy and principles 

that are so important to every man, 

woman and child. 

The people of Israel have for 60 years 

been vilified by undemocratic powers 

and by powers that would wish to destroy it. For the past several years, day 

in and day out the people of Israel have 

had to endure rocket attacks coming 

from the terrorist organization that 

runs Gaza called Hamas. Israel is supposed to just accept these attacks on 

its citizens and do little or nothing 

about it if you would listen to the 

United Nations, if you would listen to 

the international community, if you 

would listen to these hypocritical demonstrations going on in London and all 

the Arab capitals and everyplace else, 

and even some in the United States. 

Every country, every government’s 

primary responsibility is to protect its 

citizens, and the people of Israel and 

the Government of Israel should not be 

held to any other standard than that. 

The terrorist organization that runs 

Gaza called Hamas, bought and paid for 

by Iran, thinking that it can use terrorism as a way of somehow getting its 

state, must understand that in order to 

gain acceptance of nations in the free 

world, that it needs to renounce terror, 

that it needs to recognize Israel’s right 

to exist, and that it needs to abide by 

all previous resolutions that were 

signed by the Palestinian Authority. It 

doesn’t do it because it’s a terrorist 

state. It doesn’t do it because its vow is 

to destroy the Jewish State of Israel. It 

doesn’t do it because, like Hezbollah 

and like Osama bin Laden and like al 

Qaeda, it thinks it can use terrorism to 

establish its aims and goals, but it cannot. 

We stand in a bipartisan fashion with 

the people of Israel because if we in the 

United States had missiles being fired 

onto our innocent civilians from states 

across the border, we would move 

across the border and try to stop those 

terrorists from killing our people. 

That’s what Israel is doing. 

Many of us on the Foreign Affairs 

Committee this morning met with the 

Israeli ambassador and we saw a tape 

where Israel takes great precaution to 

try to prevent civilian casualties. But 

what Hamas does is it builds its bomb 

factories and it builds its terror weapons in the heart of the densely populated areas of Gaza and uses its own 

people as human shields. And so when 

the Israelis destroy these missile-making and bomb-making terror factories, 

innocent civilians very unfortunately 

get killed. But it is the Palestinians 

that support Hamas. It’s the Hamas organization that is responsible for these 

killings. Israel has an absolute right to 

defend itself. 

Now, we all want a cease-fire. We all 

want peace in the region. And we all 

know that ultimately peace will come 

when there is a two-state solution, an 

Israeli Jewish state and a Palestinian 

Arab state. The problem is most 

Israelis do accept the fact that there 

ought to be a Palestinian state, but the 

Palestinians, Hamas, does not accept 

the viability of Israel as a Jewish 

state. 

And so let’s put things in perspective 

here. If you have people that want to 

destroy you and want to kill you and 

don’t recognize your right to exist, how 

can we have peace in the region? 

We ought to note that Israel pulled 

out of Gaza several years ago and left 

Gaza to the Palestinians. And what did 

it get in return? It got missiles fired on 

its citizens in Syrot and other places in 

return for Israel leaving Gaza. The Palestinians used to say, well, it’s the occupation, that’s what drives everything. What occupation is there in 

Gaza? There is none. Israel has left 

Gaza. And the people of Gaza could 

have built a democratic government 

living in peace with its neighbors; instead, they chose to embrace terrorism 

and try to kill as many Israelis as they 

can. 

So, in conclusion, Mr. Speaker, let 

me say that support for Israel in this 

Congress is strong and it is bipartisan 

and will remain so because we understand that the democratic nation of 

Israel has a right to exist, and the government of Israel has a right to protect 

its citizens. 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE 

CLERK OF THE HOUSE 

The SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following communication from the Clerk of the House of 

Representatives: 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 

OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL, 

Washington, DC, January 6, 2009. 

Hon. NANCY PELOSI, 

Speaker, House of Representatives, 

Washington, DC. 

DEAR MADAM SPEAKER: This is to notify 

you formally, pursuant to Rule VIII of the 

Rules of the House of Representatives, that I 

have been served with a civil subpoena, 

issued by the Superior Court for the District 

of Columbia, for the production of documents. 

After consultation with the Office of General Counsel, I will make the determinations 

required by Rule VIII. 

Sincerely, 

DANIEL P. BEARD, 

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Chief Administrative Officer. 

LEAVE OF ABSENCE 

By unanimous consent, leave of absence was granted to: 

Mr. BOUCHER (at the request of Mr. 

HOYER) for January 6 after 3:30 p.m. on 

account of family illness. 

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SPECIAL ORDERS GRANTED 

By unanimous consent, permission to 

address the House, following the legislative program and any special orders 

heretofore entered, was granted to: 

(The following Members (at the request of Mr. SHERMAN) to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material:) 

Mr. LANGEVIN, for 5 minutes, today. 

Mr. ENGEL, for 5 minutes, today. 

Ms. NORTON, for 5 minutes, today. 

Ms. WOOLSEY, for 5 minutes, today. 

Ms. KAPTUR, for 5 minutes, today. 

(The following Members (at the request of Mr. POE of Texas) to revise and 

extend their remarks and include extraneous material:) 

Mr. POE of Texas, for 5 minutes, January 14. 

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, for 5 minutes, 

January 8. 

Mr. JONES, for 5 minutes, January 14. 

(The following Members (at their own 

request) to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material:) 

Mr. KENNEDY, for 5 minutes, today. 

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama, for 5 minutes, today. 

Mr. WOLF, for 5 minutes, today. 

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ADJOURNMENT 

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I move 

that the House do now adjourn. 

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 3 o’clock and 14 minutes 


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