i'm generally supportive. i do have some concern with the current amendment. i think while i'm supportive of trying to get students in rural areas more engaged in stem activities, i don't believe it is the role of nst to provide outreach for this industry, period. this amendment is part of a new duplicative stem industry internship intended to marry workforce with local college programming. there is a match associated with this grant and i think almost any -- if i can get these pages -- any outreach to prospective students or interns should be performed by the participating industry and school with non-federal money not with taxpayers' money. while i will be opposing the current amendment, i do not

oppose the others in this group. i reserve. the chair: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. gordon: i recognize mr. bishop for three minutes, a former administrator and a alum from long island college. . mr. bishop: this amendment calls on the nist to compile data to help respond how nanotechnologies with environmental health and safety risks. controlling matter on -- advancements in this field have the potential to create new materials and devices with a vast range of applications such as medicine, electronics and energy production.

i am proud to represent brookhaven national laboratory where many of these break throughs have been discovered. -- breakthroughs have been discovered. however, nanotechnology has the concerned of the impact of nanomaterials. this amendment will see how this affects our health and safety. mr. speaker, while we must do all we can to nurture competitiveness, we must balance and make consistent the commercialization of new technologies with our duty to protect and inform the public. mimed, therefore, helps -- my amendment, therefore, helps establish nanotechnology standards. i ask my colleagues to support my amendment and the underlying bill. let me also close by taking this opportunity to commend chairman gordon for his leadership on this issue and for a very distinguished career in congress, a career that has reflected a firm commitment to american competitiveness. thank you very much, mr. chairman.

i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from tennessee reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. hall: mr. chairman, i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. gordon: mr. chairman, i yield two minutes to the gentleman from georgia, mr. barrow. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia is recognized for two minutes. -- the chair: the gentleman from georgia is recognized for two minutes. mr. barrow: i spent many -- much time in my district. we rely a great deal on our manufacturing base. that base is threatened by competition from a broad and by a financial crisis at home. what has sustained us through the hard times lately has always been american innovation. the america competes act fosters that tradition and i'm proud to support it. i'm pleased to offer an amendment that i think makes this good bill a little bit better. in the 12th district of georgia we make everything from

lawnmower blades to jet airplanes. but the fundamentals of both industries are very similar. it all starts with education in science, math and engineering. my amendment simply requires that we include manufacturing education in our long-term strategic plan for manufacturing research and development. i think it makes good common sense and good business sense and i thank the chairman for his support. with that, mr. chairman, i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from tennessee reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. hall: mr. chairman, i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. gordon: mr. chairman, i yield two minutes to the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. altmire. the chair: the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized for two minutes. mr. altmire: mr. chairman, i rise in support of the america competes re-authorization act of 2010 and i'm a proud co-sponsor of this legislation to strengthen our nation's global competitiveness. foremost, this bill will create

jobs. for example, it will give small and medium-sized manufacturing companies putting cutting edge technology and giving them access to capital. it will prepare the next generation of americans for the jobs of tomorrow by improving science, technology, engineering and math education. it will also keep our nation on a path to doubling funding for scientific research in the next decade. i'm pleased to note that this bill also includes provisions to help women enter, science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. and, mr. chairman, i've offered an amendment to this legislation with my good friend from pennsylvania, congressman patrick murphy, that is in the en bloc amendment before us. our amendment would authorize competitive grants to the department of energy for colleges to provide degrees in energy-related fields. colleges and universities will be able to use this and put

funding toward expanding current programs. i'd like to point out that the community college, which my district has three, would also be eligible to compete for these grants. finally, authorizing these grants will not cost the taxpayers one penny. our amendment simply allows the department of energy to redirect some of its existing education funding towards this valuable new program. i urge support for the murray-altmire provision and for the overall america competes act, and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from tennessee reserves. the gentleman from texas. mr. hall: i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. gordon: i yield three minutes to the gentleman from new jersey, mr. holt. the chair: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized for three minutes. mr. holt: mr. chair, i strongly support the robust program of

science, technology, engineering and mathematics. my amendment would direct the white house to prepare a comprehensive national competitiveness and innovation strategy within one queer. we know that half or perhaps more of our growth in g.d.p. over the past century is attributable to our funding in research and development. our leadership in science and in engineering and innovation was unquestionable, but we can't pretend any more that this is a given. a year ago the information, technology and innovation foundation, using good methodology, found that 40 major nations or regions, the united states ranks not first but sixth in overall innovation and competitiveness. more importantly, over the last decade, every one of those 40 has improved their invasion

capacity at a great -- innovation capacity at a greater rate than we. it is outcompeting the united states already have national competitiveness or innovation strategies in place. altogether, at least 30 countries with whom we might compare ourselves have implemented plans to boost their competitiveness. the united states has yet to put forward a similar comprehensive road map for success. of course, it's not a panacea, but we have the tools and resources to lead the world in science and technology. we can't remain complacent as other nations race to the top. we need to know what is working and what needs improvement. we need to allocate our resources to improve efficient and productivity. we need to be able to measure whether our actions are having a positive effect. businesses, schools, governments need to be clear where we're going. my amendment requires a

comprehensive coordinated national strategy for improving our economic competitiveness through innovation and it ensures that we will continuously evaluate our progress in this area. our competitors are doing it already. we should too. i urge my colleagues to support this amendment and the underlying bill. this bill is a real testament to the good work of the fine chair of the science committee, mr. gordon, and i thank him for the good work. i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from tennessee reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. hall: mr. chairman, i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. gordon: mr. chairman, we have no further speakers, so let me conclude by saying that this is a good series of amendments. this makes a good bill even better, and i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. hall: i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields

back the balance of his time. the gentleman from tennessee. mr. gordon: i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is on the amendments en bloc offered by the gentleman from tennessee. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the en bloc amendments are agreed to. it is now in order to consider eam number 121 print in part b of house report 111-479. for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? mr. gingrey: mr. chairman, i have an amendment at the desk, number 21, made in order by the rule. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: part b, amendment number 21 printed in house report 111-479 offered by mr. gingrey of georgia. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 1344, the gentleman from georgia, mr. gingrey, and a member opposed. will each control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia. mr. gingrey: mr. chairman,

thank you, and i yield myself three minutes. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for three minutes. mr. gingrey: mr. chairman, the amendment i am offering today stems from legislation, the green chemistry research and development act, that was passed out of the house in each of the 108th, 109th and 110th congresses. this legislation has been stalled by our colleagues in the nat. therefore, in order to move this initiative forward, i am offering it as an amendment with my colleague from vermont, mr. welch, to the national science foundation title of h.r. 5116. this amendment would establish a green chemistry basic research program to encourage universities and academic institutions around the country to train future workers in green chemistry technology. mr. chairman, as a graduate of georgia tech with a bachelor of science in chemistry, i know that chemists can design chemicals to be safe just as

they can design to have other properties like color and texture. as chemists design products and the processes by which these products are manufactured, they can and they should factor in the possible creation of any hazardous biproducts. this technique of -- byproduct. this teak -- this technique, the environment in which they're created, is the basic definition of what we call green chemistry. this is the method of designing chemical products and processes that is the very least reduced and the very best eliminate hazardous substances. mr. chairman, the basic idea is this, preventing pollution and hazardous waste from the start of a design process is far preferable to cleaning up that pollution and waste at a later date. green chemistry does not just help protect our environment, it also helps protect our workers. the conditions under which

chemicals are created and used can prevent many risks to those who work on their production. i would urge all my colleagues to support this amendment, and i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? mr. gordon: i claim time in opposition to the amendment even though i am not in opposition to the amendment. the chair: without objection, the gentleman is recognized. mr. gordon: mr. chairman, this is a -- i rise in support of the amendment from my friend, the gentleman from georgia, mr. gingrey. this amendment establishes a green chemistry research program at the national science foundation. dr. gingrey has been an advocate for this on our committee as well as now. i commend him for that. the emerging field of green chemistry will contribute significantly while also driving innovation in the chemistry industry sector. green chemistry research will meet the challenges of protecting the human health and environment, meeting our energy needs and enhancing the

national security and strengthens the economy. i urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. gingrey: mr. chairman, may i ask how much time i have remaining? the chair: the gentleman from georgia has three minutes remaining. mr. gingrey: three minutes, mr. chairman. mr. chairman, i'd now like to yield two minutes to the ranking member, mr. hall. the chair: the gentleman from texas is recognized for two minutes. mr. hall: i rise in support of dr. gingrey's amendment. this amendment would establish a green chemistry basic research and development program at the national science foundation aimed at identifying scientific breakthroughs that could lead to clean, lead to safe and lead to economical alternatives to traditional chemical products. the science and technology committee has supported technology for green chemistry research in a bipartisan manner for many years, and dr. gingrey has been the leader on this from day one. his amendment simply builds on knows efforts. i thank him for offering this amendment, i urge my colleagues to support it.

i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. gingrey: mr. chairman, i myself the balance of the time. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. gingrey: mr. chairman, ultimately i believe this amendment will help promote education through collaborative research partnerships among universities and will provide training tools for undergraduate and graduate students in green chemistry technology. i want to thank my colleague from the energy and commerce committee, mr. welch, for his support and leadership on the issue. and i'd also like to thank the american chemical society for its endorsement of this amendment. actually, and certainly not least, i'd like to commend both science committee chairman bart gordon and ranking member hall on their leadership on green chemistry and their willingness to work with us on this particular amendment. an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and green chemistry promises a ton of

pollution prevention. again, mr. chairman, i urge all of my colleagues to support this important amendment and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from georgia. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. it is now in order to consider amendment number 26 printed in part b of house report 111-679 -- 479. -- 111-479. it is now in order to consider amendment number 34 printed in part b of house report 111-479. for what purpose does the gentleman from ohio seek recognition? mr. boccieri: i is have an amendment at the desk. the clerk: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: -- the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment.

the clerk: offered by mr. boccieri of ohio. the chair: pursuant to house res. rution 1344, the gentleman from ohio, mr. boccieri, and a member opposed each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from ohio. mr. boccieri: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. boccieri: thank you, mr. speaker. if you believe like i do that we need to be the producers of wealth, just not the movers of wealth, then you're going to like this amendment. but if you believe like i do that we need to invest in the innovative spirit of america, then you're going to like this amendment. if you believe like i do that we need to be investing in our national manufacturing in ohio and across the midwest, then you're going to like the amendment we have to offer. i rise today in support of the boccieri-schauer-davis amendment which will expand the federal loan guarantees for innovative technologies and manufacturing from $50 million to $100 million. this amendment is an investment in our nation's manufacturing base, the backbone of our

comming recovery that will give additional funding for firms to advance technology, innovation and retool and rebuild so we can compete on a global scale. 96% of ohio's exports come from the manufacturing base. $86 billion worth of goods and services and manufacturers in my ohio district have been hit hard by this economic recession and we need to do more to expand. companies like switch food corporation, barbersol shaving all need the resources and innovative spirit to move our economy down the field. we need to grow and create jobs not only in ohio but across our country. this will be the impetus for us leading us out of this recession. this amendment nearly authorizes $100 million to rebuild and retool our economy and at this time, mr. speaker, i will conclude.

thank you. the chair: the gentleman reserves. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. hall: mr. chairman, i raise to claim time in opposition to the amendment. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. hall: this amendment would double to $100 million annually the authorization of levels of the new never-done-before loan guarantee program created in the bill. i have major concerns with this program as it stands particularly because it's heavily redundant with existing loan guarantee programs such as those at the small business administration or small manufacturers can and do apply for support. doubling the amount and doubling this spending on an unnecessary and redundant program is not good policy. accordingly i owe poles the amendment and i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: -- oppose the amendment and i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves and the gentleman from ohio is recognized. mr. boccieri: i inquire how much time i have left. the chair: the gentleman has 3 1/2 minutes remaining. mr. boccieri: i yield to mr.

donnelly. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. donald donald thank you, mr. chairman. manufacturing provide -- donald donald -- mr. donnelly: thank you, mr. chairman. when i'm back in my district, hoosier manufacturers tell me they want to retool and reinvest so that we can be the best competition in the world. that we can compete with our overseas competition that we can grow and put people back to work. however, i often hear from manufacturers that the credit markets, which have been so tight, have made it very, very difficult to get a loan. this amendment helps those manufacturers to achieve that goal. c.b.o. estimates that for every dollar we provide in loan guarantees we can generate $6 in loans to manufacturers. meaning this amendment enables a department of commerce to generate $600 million in much-needed guaranteed loans to manufacturers who are seeking to innovate and put people back to

work. that's why i support this and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from ohio reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. hall: i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from ohio is recognized. mr. boccieri: mr. speaker, i would like to yield myself one minute. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. boccieri: thank you, mr. speaker. i understand that the gentleman from texas is rising in opposition to this amendment because he believes it unnecessary. but let me tell you what we're doing in ohio. with a community college that has worked closely with the local economy, making a bridge between the local innovation and investments and the research and development to create pipelines for jobs, rolls-royce corporations just announced they're moving their research from singapore to ohio and they have a pipeline there, they're creating a curriculum based on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. they need the resources, they need the tools to help to innovate and move us out of this recession so we can end our

dependence on foreign oil. this is a small example of how successful a program like this can be in our great state of ohio. and with that i'll yield back the balance of my time back and reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. hall: i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from ohio is recognized. mr. boccieri: mr. speaker, i would like to yield one half minute to the distinguished gentleman and the chair of the committee. the chair: the gentleman from tennessee is recognized for one half minute. mr. gordon: first let me compliment mr. boccieri and his partners for introducing this amendment. i want to clear up a matter concerning the duplication, title 5, section 502, page 185, p, under coordination, consumecation, i quote, to the maximum extent practicable, the secretary shall ensure that the activities carried out thunderstorm session are coordinated with and do not duplicate the efforts of other loan guarantee programs within the federal government. this is a good amendment that len able more small and medium sized manufacturers to take

advantage of the loan guarantee program for innovation, technologies at the department of commerce and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from ohio reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. hall: i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from ohio is recognized. mr. boccieri: i'd like to inquire how much time we have remaining, mr. speaker. the chair: the gentleman from has 1 1/4 minutes remaining. the gentleman from michigan is recognized for one minute. mr. schauer: thank you, mr. speaker. in michigan gaining access to needed capital is hard to come by. in many michigan businesses continue to be redlined for loans. in my district there's a need for loan programs to help manufactures -- manufacturers, such as production engineering in jackson, michigan. to help them have the opportunity to gain access to capital, to help them move forward, to retool the current manufacturing process with the

newest technologies, to help make the high quality components for the military, heavy truck, construction equipment and material handlingip, industries that are known for -- and to help put them in a better position to capture their share of the global economy. this amendment is about jobs that we need now and i ask for your support of the boccieri-schauer amendment. the chair: the gentleman from ohio reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. hall: mr. chairman, i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from ohio is recognized. mr. boccieri: thank you, mr. speaker. at this time i would like to yield back the balance of our time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. hall: mr. chairman, i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from ohio. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18,

further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from ohio will be postponed. pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, proceedings will now resume on those amendments printed in part b of house report 111-479 on which further proceedings were postponed in the following order. amendment number 1 by mr. gordon of tennessee, amendment number 6 by mr. hall of texas, amendment number 10 by mr. markey of massachusetts, amendment number 12 by mr. miller of california, amendment number 13 by mr. reyes of texas. the chair will reduce to five minutes the time for any electronic vote after the first vote in the series. the unfinished business is the question for a recorded vote on amendment number 1 printed in part b of house report 111-479 by the gentleman from tennessee,

mr. gordon, on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the ace prevated -- ayes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk: amendment number 1 printed in part b of house

for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? mr. gordon: i move that the committee rise. the chair: the question son the motion -- the question is on the motion. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the motion is adopted. accordingly, the committee rises.

the speaker pro tempore: mr. chairman. the chair: mr. speaker, the committee of the whole house on the state of the union, having had under consideration h.r. 5116, directs me to report it has come to no resolution thereon. the speaker pro tempore: the chairman of the committee of the whole house on the state of the union reports that the committee has had under consideration h.r. 5116 and has come to no resolution thereon. the chair will receive a message. . the messenger: mr. speaker. a message from the president of the united states. the secretary: mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: mr. secretary. the secretary: i'm directed by the president of the united states to deliver to the house of representatives a message in writing.

the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which recorded votes or the

ayes and nays are ordered or on which the vote incurs objection under clause 6 of rule 20678 recorded votes on postponed questions will be taken later in the week. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? >> i move to suspend the rules and agree to the bill s. 1067. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 1067, a bill to support peace in uganda to support multilateral efforts to successfully protect civilians and eliminate the threat posed by the lord's resistance army and organize efforts for relief and reconstruction, for justice

and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. engel, and the gentlewoman from florida, ms. ros-lehtinen, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. engel: i ask annapolis consent that members have five -- i ask unanimous consent that members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill in consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, sord ord. mr. engel: i rise in support of the bill and yield myself such time as i may coon soum. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. engel: this is legislation offered by the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. mcgovern. i want to thank my good friend and colleague, mr. mcgovern, for championing the cause of the people of northern uganda, who have been victimized for over two decades by the lord's resistance army, a gupe designated as a terrorist organization by the secretary

of state. mr. speaker, it's almost impossible to describe the horrors that the lord's resistance army, also known as the l.r.a., has perpetrated on the people of northern uganda and more recently in several neighboring countries. the l.r.a. leader has led a militia group responsible for the slaughter of thousands of people and the displacement of thousands of others since it was formed in 2006. it is most notorious for abducting young children. an estimated 30,000 over the past two decades, and forcing them into armed service and sexual servitude. while claiming to represent the legitimate grievances of the people of northern uganda, they have exploited those grievances to justify what can only be described as madness in his pursuit of power. this is now the longest-running war in africa. the l.r.a. has been responsible

for widespread human rights violations, including murder, abduction, mutilation, sexual enslavement of women and children and forcing children to participate in killing of ewe began dans, often family members and neighbors. boys are kidnapped and turned into soldier, girls are kidnapped and used as sex slaves. to terrorize communities, the l.r.a. amputates limbs and disfigures bodies as so-called lessons learned for those who continue to resist. they signed an agreement in august of 2008 which provided for hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people to return home in safety. a final peace agreement was reached in 2008, but the leader refused to sign and the l.r.a. subsequently launched new attacks on civilians in eastern congo. despite the l.r.a.'s refusal to

sign the agreement, they have made an agreement to carry out reconstruction plans for northern uganda and implement those as a final peace agreement, not conditioned on the compliance of the l.r.a. mr. speaker, the united states government is a friend to the people of northern uganda and it is in our interest to help rid uganda and central africa of the l.r.a. this bill authorizes the president to provide additional assistance to respond to the humanitarian needs in the democratic republic of congo. southern sudan and central african republic affected by the activity. it also supports efforts by the people of northern ewe began dand the government to promote justice and reconciliation on both local and national levels. mr. speaker, it is important we pass the legislation today to draw attention to the l.r.a.'s reign of terror and demonstrate our support for the people of

uganda. i urge my colleagues to support this bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from florida rise? ms. ros-lehtinen: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. ros-lehtinen: i thank the gentleman. i strongly support the policy objectives of senator bill 1067, the lord's resistance army disarmament and northern uganda recovery act. for nearly 27 year the lord's resistance army, l.r.a., has been terrorizing civilians, leaving a trail of death and despondency in its wake. the l.r.a.'s leader is a soulless mass murderer who has perpetrated some of the most deplorable human rights atrocities known to man. the l.r.a. is a predatory guerrilla force. they mutilate, torture, rape, and murder with impunity.

they have abducted tens of thousands of civilians, mostly children, to service -- to serve as sole injuries or sex slaves. abducted children are forced to the front lines and those who manage to escape find it difficult, if not impossible to return home after being forced to commit atrocities in front of their very own families. while the l.r.a. has withdrawn from northern uganda and security conditions there have improved, it continues to wreak havoc on neighboring southern sudan, the democratic republic of the congo and the central african republic. recent reports indicate that rather than be weakened, the l.r.a. today is stronger and strategically more sophisticated than it was last year. the bill before us seeks to change that. it requires the president to develop a comprehensive strategy to deal with the

l.r.a. it offers political, economic, military and intelligence support for viable multilateral efforts to protect civilians, to apprehend or eliminate top l.r.a. commanders and disarm and demobilize remaining l.r.a. fighters. it then expresses a sense of congress that the united states should support humanitarian efforts in l.r.a.-affected areas as well as programs to advance transitional justice in northern uganda. i appreciate the chairman's efforts to ensure that this language does not represent an earmark in fund chg would conflict with republican members' commitment to the american taxpayer to exercise fiscal restraint and discipline. i also appreciate that the bill conditions future assistance to the government of uganda upon transparency and a substantial commitment of uganda's own

resources to support reconstruction efforts in the north. mr. speaker, the u.n. office for humanitarian affairs had said -- has said that this conflict is, quote, characterized by a level of cruelty seldom seen and few conflicts rival it for its sheer brutality, end quote. even so, it remains one of the most overlooked humanitarian and human rights crises in the world today. the fact that we're even debating this topic today is largely due to the tireless efforts of young advocates throughout the united states, including in my own congressional district, who have passionalityly taken up the cause of those whose lives have been destroyed by the l.r.a. i urge my colleagues to join them in supporting the objectives of this important bill and with that, mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of our time.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from new york. mr. engel: mr. speaker, it's now my pleasure to yield four minutes to the gentleman from massachusetts, the vice chairman of the rule committees, mr. mcgovern. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for four minutes. mr. mcgovern: i thank the gentleman from new york for yielding me the time. mr. speaker, this is a very important day for u.s. policy in africa. just about one year ago, on may 19, my friend and league from california, and the champion of human rights, congressman ed royce and i introduced h.r. 2478, the lord's resistance army disarmament and recovery act. in the senate, senators brownback and fine gold sponsored the same build, which is the bill before us for consideration today. today, h.r. 2478 has 200 bipartisan co-sponsors. when the house passes s. 1067 today, it will be sent directly

to the president's desk for his signature and for the first time, the u.s. will be required to design and implement a comprehensive strategy with our multilateral and regional partners to address the violence of the l.r.a., protect the victims of l.r.a. violence in uganda, the democratic republic of congo, southern sudan and the central african republic, strengthen state presence and capacity in these regions to the benefit of the vulnerable civilian populations and advance the recovery of northern uganda from decades of violence. mr. speaker, a great deal has happened across the country to ensure that this bill is before the house chamber today in scarcely one year. i want to especially recognize and thank the national networks, organizations and grass roots activists of invisible children, resolve uganda, the enough project and many other religious and human rights groups who have rallied in support of the people and

especially the children of this region of africa. these americans, thousands of them, high school and college students, understood that the children and people of northern uganda, the d.r.c., southern sudan, and c.a.r., have no voice in washington. so they were determined to become their voice. they realized that these african children and families were invisible to washington policymakers, so they decided to make them visible. they realized there is too much suffering, too much pain, too much destruction, too much killing in this region of africa, so many thousands of miles away. and that there was just too much silence here in washington. so they built a grass roots and national movement of hope for peace, for justice, for reconciliation, for the recoughry of the human spirit. they believe the people of northern uganda, the children of ewe began dark the d.r.c., southern sudan and the c.a.r.

have the right to protection and to have a voice in their own destiny. today is a good day a very good day, mr. speaker, because today, hundreds of thousands of voices have brought this bill to the house floor today for final passage. the unresolved crisis with the lord's resistance army is one of africa's longest running and most gruesome militia driven conflicts. it is morphed into a a sadistic force, filling its ranks with abducted child soldiers and slaves. now at this critical juncture in the complex history and when the terror once focused no northern uganda is spreading throughout the countries, the united states must commit to a proactive strategy to help see this conflict to its end, protect vulnerable populations and support recovery efforts in northern uganda and the region. i thank the many americans, especially the young people

whombing supported this bill and i urge my colleagues to vote in support of s. 1067 and i ask unanimous consent to submit material into the record and i thank the gentleman from new york, again, for his leadership and i yield back the balance of my time. . the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. the gentlewoman from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: i yield four minutes to the the gentleman from new jersey, mr. smith. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. smith: i thank my good friend for yielding and i ask unanimous consent to extend and revise my remarks. i rise to the bill's goal of supporting protection and development in northern uganda. four years ago, i chaired a hearing on the african global rights subcommittee on the endangered children of northern

you gavenda. a woman named grace testified testified about her abduction at the age of 15. together with 138 classmates at a boarding school by the l.r.a., they and approximately 30,000 other children have endured atropical storm yits as child soldiers and sex slaves and she escaped and her story was recounted in the book entitled "girl sold year" and she co-authored. i recommend the book to my colleagues and anyone who wants to learn more about these incredible human rights violations and how we can work together to address and to stop them. grace stated back in 2006 that her story was not uncommon. and i sadly add that unfortunately it is still not uncommon.

the leader has conducted abuses including abduction, rape and killings of civilians and in the democratic republic of the congo and southern sudan. although he has been indicted by the international criminal court for these and other crimes against humanity. he has yet to be brought to justice. mr. speaker, we must do everything possible to stop the widespread suffering that he is inflicting and to help those who have survived to recover. in her testimony, she specifically asked for more resources to help people suffering because of this conflict, emphasizing that, quote, it will be important for the government of uganda and the international community to provide us with adequate resettlement assistance and support in restoring community

infrastructure so people can rebuild their lives. she went on to say, i ask for your help and the help of others to take action to end this war so that my sisters and brothers and all children of northern uganda can sleep in peace. mr. speaker, i ask that all of my colleagues respond to her heartfelt requests and i do hope this bill will pass. finally, i would like to engage my good friend and colleague, chairman from new york, mr. engel in a very short colloquy. i would like to -- clarification that neither the term reproductive help as it appears in the peace recovery and development plan for northern uganda referencing sections 6-b and 8-b nor the term sexual reproductive health strategic plan number 2 referenced nor any

other references in this act include access to abortion for purposes of s. 1067. mr. engel: yes, he is correct. mr. smith: i appreciate that. and i yield back the balance of my time to ms. ros-lehtinen. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york. mr. engel: thank you, mr. speaker. i now yield two minutes to the the gentleman from north carolina, mr. miller, who is a member of the foreign affairs committee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. miller: mr. speaker, i also rise in support of the l.r.a. disarmament and northern uganda recovery act of 2009. as members have said, for more than 20 years, the l.r.a. has terrorized and continues to abduct children across areas of northern uganda, south sudan, democratic republic of the congo

often targeting schools and churches. if the l.r.a. ever sought to right a wrong, it is long since been forgotten. the they are performing mr. barr:ism. 90% of the combatants are children often as young as 10. when the conflict ends, they must return to civilized society after learning as children to kill innocent human beings without hesitation or remorse. since the christmas day massacres in 2008, the l.r.a. has killed more than 1,000 people and abducted 2,000 others and forced 3,000 to flee their homes. the disarmament would support bring stability and peace to northern uganda and protect civilians from the l.r.a. this authorizes humanitarian

funding for communities victimized by the l.r.a. and assistance to help with recovery and reconciliation efforts in northern uganda. this would end the campaign of brutality and terror and help families rebuild their lives. please join me in supporting this legislation. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: i would like to yield four minutes to the the gentleman from california, mr. royce, ranking member of the foreign affairs subcommittee on terrorism, nonproliferation and trade. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. royce: i rise in support of this legislation to end the atropical stormities of the lord's resistance army and i'm an orange co-sponsor of this legislation. -- original co-sponsor of this legislation. this bill, which now goes to the

president's desk, we now are in a situation where his removal won't guarantee peace but will make it possible in the region. i would also just add that the legislation has made it this far. the fact that it has is a tribute to a group of young people, young professionals, who have come up on their own time and gone to universities in order to make people aware of the plight of these children in africa. and i really thank them for that work. mr. speaker, copey is perhaps the most wanted man in africa. he is an indicted war criminal and designated terrorist. many americans don't know his name but the children in uganda and central east africa certainly do. he is a sadistic figure and has an appeal to some.

he heads a group called the lord's resistance army and under his two decades of leadership, that group has 30,000 children into this killing squad. and i can tell you as the former chairman of the africa subcommittee if you talk to parents in uganda or congo or south sudan or central african republic, the fear they have is the fear inspired by what he has been able to do. human rights groups report that this l.r.a. remains powerful. it has still the ability to kill and capture children. it may be even accelerating its program of fear and mind control over children. i'm reminded of the words of a recent researcher who interviewed a boy who escaped from the group and said he was

forced to kill eight other children in a five-week time span. those victims were surrounded in a circle. children were forced to take turns bashing them with a bat. that's eight times in five weeks. but the l.r.a.'s objective remains the same as it's been for a couple of generations now. kill, capture and resupply for its pillage. there is no other reason for its being. knows experts agree that the l.r.a. leader would decap tate this group. he has long fought the government of you landa and support of islamist government for that way which wanted to hit back for the leader's support and others who had been targeted by the islamist government in sudan. former l.r.a. commanders report that sudan has provided

ammunition and intelligence training for coney's group. more recently, there have been credible reports of the l.r.a. gaining sanctuary in darfur. it is looming next year. unless the l.r.a. is permanently dealt with, you can bet that khartoum will put this killing squad back to use next year in south sudan. mr. speaker, this civil war originally contained within uganda's borders is a regional crisis in four countries. this bipartisan legislation aims to spur the administration into deadvising a strategy in removing the l.r.a. leader and his commanders. some targeted assistance from the u.s. could make a world of difference. ms. ros-lehtinen: i would like

to yield an additional minute to the the gentleman from california. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. royce: the world's problems km seem overwhelming at times. it is fashionable to blame conflict in africa on factors, but sometimes getting rid of one person does make a big difference. history is full of captivating leaders with bad ideas who do great damage. it's a lesson i learned as chairman of the african is subcommittee when charles taylor ran a gangsster regime in western africa that brought havoc to neighboring sierra leone where he used child soldiers and the techniques that coney does now. after the removal of charles taylor and his imprisonment, that region is peaceful. mr. speaker, it isn't an

exaggeration to say that the fate of hundreds of thousands of people, 30,000 children, rests in the hands of a few men. the leader's removal won't guarantee peace. but it will make it possible. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york. mr. engel: i yield two minutes to the the gentlewoman from california, ms. davis. mrs. davis: one of the reasons we have this legislation before us is due to a group of young people who have dedicated their voices and energy to getting the heart-wrenching situation in uganda the attention it demands. the invisible children organization, which has its headquarters in my district, has brought the awful acts of the lord's resistance army to light.

the group has galvanized an entire generation of young people here to care about children halfway around the world. their activism has painted for many people in our country the grim, intense reality that is faced by so many ugandans, especially the children abducted by the l.r.a. and forced to become child soldiers. the volunteers have traveled to our cities, our schools, our businesses probably even to many of our offices here in washington to show their films and speak out against joseph coney and his army's brutality. these young members of the invisible children organization knows that no child should live in fear of being abducted, mutilated or killed. .

with that belief, they have helped make the children of uganda visible to us. now we have the chance to truly join in this cause. this bill will require the president to devise an interagency strategy to address this crisis and heighten our country's level of support for stopping the l.r.a. last august, i had the privilege of speaking with members of the invisible children organization who had come to san diego for their trarning -- training as what they call them roadies. ky not do justice to their passion, their commitment, and their dedication to do what is right. their energy absolutely ignites the room. mr. speaker, we cannot let them down, and more importantly, we cannot let down the suffering children this legislation will help. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from florida.

ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker, i have no further requests for time and i yield back the balance of our time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york. mr. engel: i have no further requests for time, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass senate 1067? those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the gentleman from new york. mr. engel: i move to suspend the rules and agree to resolution 1303 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1303, recognizing the close friendship and historic ties between the united kingdom and

the united states. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. engel, and the gentlewoman from florida, ms. ros-lehtinen, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. engel: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. engel: i rise in strong support of this resolution that recognizes the special relationship and historical ties between the united kingdom and the united states. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. engel: mr. speaker, i wish to thank my good friend, congressman lincoln diaz-balart from florida, for introducing this measure. the united kingdom and the united states have a long history born of shared values and experiences. british legal and philosophical traditions have greatly influenced american practices

while both nations remain committed to human rights, good laws and good governance. our countries are particularly intertwained -- intertwined, as became evident in the global financial crisis. britain is the largest investor in our economy, our two nations also share a proud military history. british and american soldiers have stood shoulder to shoulder throughout the major on flicts of the last 100 years. we confronted the challenges of nazrism and communism while today we fight against the scourge of international terrorism. we remain grateful for britain's active participation in the military and reconstruction efforts in iraq and afghanistan. in recent months, britain have -- some in britain have begun to question this, quote, special relationship, unquote.

as is the case of all relationships, the dynamic has evolved awe over time. however, it is clear that our relationship is unique, vitally important and must continue to be nurtured. the united kingdom remains an essential ally a valuable partner and a true friend. all british prime ministers and american presidents have forged effective working relationships in order to confront together the challenges facing the present day. on may 6, just a little while ago, the british people went to the polls. yesterday, we watched the political drama unfold as a coalition agreement was reached between the conservative and liberal democratic parties. the united states con gladge lates and stands ready to foerster a strong relationship with britain's new prime minister, david cameron this post-election period is an opportune moment to reflect on the strong ties that bind our nation, celebrate our

friendship and to recommit ourselveses to continued cooperation in the future. much work needs to be done and the united states has no better partner in the world than the united kingdom. mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to support this resolution and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. ros-lehtinen: i thank the speaker. i am so pleased to rise in enthusiastic support of this important resolution authored by my florida colleague, the gentleman, congressman lincoln diaz-balart. this resolution recognizes the unsurpassed friendship and abiding special relationship between the united states and the united kingdom. throughout the history of our alliance and our friendship, we have stood by each other with a level of military, economic, and diplomatic commitment and coordination of such an

unparalleled extent that it has even been referred to as the special relationship. the united kingdom has been a true friend of the united states, even to the extraordinary measures of sharing and even jointly operating military bases overseas and being one of the few nato allies in afghanistan without restrictions on its troops' ability to engage in combat operations. the united kingdom has also been a significant partner in efforts to prevent an iranian nuclear weapons capability and has led efforts to convince the e.u. to adopt strong sanctions against the iranian regime. further, our economic bilateral relationship is without comparison, as our nations common sense of entrepreneurship and strong

belief in free market principles has fostered extraordinary levels of trade and resulted in each country being the largest investor in the other's economy. in recent years, there's been some debate about the state of this special relationship and whether it is as solid today as it was in the days of president franklin roosevelt and prime minister winston churchill, or in the days of president ronald reagan and prime minister margaret thatcher. i am indeed concerned that some members in each of the three major british political parties have asserted a need to re-evaluate our special relationship, citing their perception that the united states has already begun to back away from its close relationship toward the united kingdom. i believe, however, mr. speaker, that the special nature of our relationship is

not solely dependent on the level of camaraderie between our political leaders at any given time. it is, instead, based on the bedrock ideals of democracy, of economic liberty, and respect for the rule of law that we both share. as with all close allies, it is incumbent upon both parties to continually work to improve and to strengthen the relationship. i think that there is something of substance in our two countries irelationship, something based on those shared principles and cultural connections that endures. with passage of this resolution, mr. speaker, the house of representatives will send a strong message of our commitment to that special relation shitch with our closest ally across the atlantic, the united kingdom. i therefore urge my colleagues

to join me in supporting this important resolution and with that, mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from new york. mr. engel: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i'm pleased to yield such time as he may consume to my good friend, the gentleman from florida, mr. diaz-balart, the ranking member of the rules subcommittee on legislative and budget process and the author of the resolution before us. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. diaz-balart: i thank my dear friend, ms. ros-lehtinen, and also my friend mr. engel, for their help in getting this resolution to the floor and their strong support of this important resolution. i take this opportunity, mr. speaker, to congratulate the united kingdom's new prime

minister, david cameron, as he, as head of the conservative party, forms a new government with the liberal democrats. we wish him and all the british people all the best. it's important that we in congress take the time to recognize that great friend and ally of the united states. it is important that we recognize the special friendship and all the -- and all that the united kingdom has done to stand with the united states. this resolution recognizes the special relationship between the united kingdom and the united states. i points out the strong influence that english philosophers and economists, jurists and other leaders have

had on american political thought, on the united states legal system, and on our government. this strong special relationship, founded on our shared history, continues into the modern day. the united kingdom has repeatedly demonstrated the strength of its camaraderie with the united states. within the last decade, the united kingdom joined forces with us against the taliban as part of operation enduring freedom, and u.k. soldiers have fought alongside american soldiers in iraq. the united kingdom has suffered tragic loss of life as a result. as of march, 273 u.k. military and civilian personnel have given their lives in afghanistan, and 179 have given the last full measure of of

devotion in iraq. i am very proud, mr. speaker, to have introduced this resolution highlighting the strong ties that bind our countries together. the united kingdom is a great friend and ally of the united states. reflecting on our relationship, winston churchill said, in this century of storm and tragedy, i contemplate with high satisfaction the constant factor of the inter-- interwoveb an upward progress of our people. our comradeship and brotherhood in war were unexampled. we stood together and because of that fact, the free world now stands. nor has our partnership any exclusive nature. the atlantic community is a dream that can well be fulfilled to the detriment of none. and to the enduring benefit and honor of the great democracies. during the most trying times in the history of the united

states, we have had no truer friend than the united kingdom. i sincerely hope that our futures will continue to reflect our histories, deepen our friendship, and continually refresh our commitment to the shared values of the rule of law and democratic principles. i urge all of my colleagues to support this important and, i believe, timely resolution and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from new york. mr. engel: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: i'd like to yield myself 30 seconds to point out that today, on the first day in office of a new british government, let us send to prime minister david cameron and the people of the united kingdom a clear message of our friendship and commitment to this special relationship.

i ask my colleagues to join me in support of this important measure and with that, i yield back the balance of our time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back her time. the gentleman from new york. mr. engel: before yielding back my time, i yield 30 seconds to myself to say that anyone who has gone to the united kingdom, you feel this special relationship as we mentioned on both sides of the aisle you feel the camaraderie and you do feel a special bond and i would say, tongue in cheek, sort of joking, if we look at the british coalition together, they put together a coalition of liberals, democrats, and conservatives, i would say to the gentlewoman from florida if i could do -- if we could do that more often here, we might learn from the british. with that, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 13 o03 as amended. those in favor say aye.

those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair 2/3 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. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. for what purpose does the gentleman seek recognition? >> mr. speaker i move to suspend the rules and agree to h.res. 1143 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1143, resolution commending the community of democracies for its achievements since it was founded in 2000. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. engel, and the gentleman from florida, ms. ros-lehtinen, each will control 20 mips. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. engel: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection.

mr. engel: mr. speaker, i rise in strong support of this resolution that commends the community of democracies for its many achievements since the organization's founding a decade ago and i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. engel: i wish to thank my good friend, representative quigley from illinois, for his leadership in introducing this measure and bringing it forward for our consideration today. mr. speaker, in january of 1999 then secretary of state madelinal bright told the "los angeles times" that her highest priority before leaving office was to create a global community of democracies. that objective became a reality in june, 2000, when she, along with then polish foreign minister, convened minute tear jal delegations from -- ministerial delegations to sign a declaration entitled, toward a community of democracies. this declaration sought to demonstrate methods of support to countries that strive for

freedom and democracy. it also established a global intergovernmental coalition of democratic countries that are committed to promoting democratic rules and strengthening democratic institutions around the world. i think it's somewhat eye ron take this inaugural meeting was in warsaw because we know they've had long history of being occupied and not being free and this conference, many other conferences have been held in seoul, korea, santiago, chile, mali and portugal. in addition, a permanent secretariat was established in warsaw in order to strengthen the institution and further the commission of democracy promotion. in early july, on the 10th anniversary of the organization's founding, the community of democracies will meet in krakow, poland, to relaunch the community and adopt a work program to advance democracy worldwide. this gathering, which will be hosted by polish foreign

minister, will undoubtedly be one of the most prominent international gatherings of democracy decision makers this year. it's fitting that this will be held in poland, not home because it was the location of the community's founding and a success story of post cold war democratization efforts but also because the world is grieving with the polish people following the tragic loss of their president in the plane crash. as the united states is one of the founding members of the community and a participant, it is appropriate that the house adopt this resolution that commends the community of democracies for its achievements and wishes it must success in its upcoming conference. mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to support this resolution and i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i'd like to yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: i thank the

gentleman. i also rise in support of this resolution and i thank the gentleman from illinois, mr. quigley, for providing us with this timely opportunity to recognize the work of the community of democracies. next month will mark the anniversary of the founding of that intergovernmental organization 10 years ago in warsaw, poland. unlike the united nations, the governmental participants the community of democracies are not distinguished merely by the fact that they hold power in a country. they are bound by their commitment to the core democratic principles set out in the warsaw declaration including, among others, the right of citizens to choose their governments through regular, free and fair elections. freedom of opinion, freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, freedom of peaceful assembly,

freedom of association. the right to be free from arbitrary arrests and detention and the importance of a competent, independent and impartial judiciary. furthermore, mr. speaker, as outlined at the seoul ministerial meeting in 2002, the community has developed criteria and procedures to help ensure that only practicing democracies are participants, maintaining those standards is critical, as they give the community a moral authority and a sub stive -- substantive voice that is so badly needed in today's world. the promise and the possibilities of the community have become even more important at a time when other multilateral bodies have been poisoned by the membership without standards. we need look no further than the discredited u.n. human rights

council. when the so-called human rights body counts china, cuba, saudi arabia and other abusive regimes as members we cannot claim to be surprised at how infective it has become in protecting and advancing fundamental freedoms. the u.n. human rights council is a effectless and ideologically manipulated talk shop that expands most of its energy not under a north korean gulag or the genocide in sudan or oppression in burma or the brutal dictatorship in cuba and the beatings of the peaceful ladies in white. oh, no, they spend their time attacking the democratic jewish state of israel. in this environment the need for a cohesive, energetic, multilateral voice that truly

stands for and defends political freedom and fundamental human rights is greater than ever. this is where the community of democracies can step in and fill that need. the permanent secretariat of the community of democracies began operatinging just in january of 2009 and is located where the community issued its founding declaration, in warsaw, poland. we continue to be grateful to the government and the people of poland for hosting the secretariat and for their living witness to the democratic ideals, ideals nurtured even during their trying experiences of communism and soviet domination in the 20th century. i also want to express my appreciation to the government of lithuania for its presidency of the community of democracies since last july.

looking ahead, i sincerely hope that the community will maintain its distinctive voice. we must help ensure that the regional groups of the community will make additional concrete progress such as on the interera democratic charter discussed by members of the middle east group at the 2005 ministerial meetings in santiago. finally, we must help ensure that the community will emphasize democracy and human rights as predicates for efficient, responsible economic development and not as luxuries that can only be expected in affluent societies. and as the more than 100 participating countries prepare to meet in krakow in july, let us all recommit ourselves to promoting the ideals of freedom to which we all aspire. with that, mr. speaker, i

reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from new york. mr. engel: mr. speaker, it's my pleasure now to yield two minutes to the gentleman from illinois, the author of this resolution, mr. quigley. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. quigley: thank you, mr. speaker. thank you to my colleagues as well for their kind words on this matter. mr. speaker, i rise today in strong support of house resolution 1143, a bipartisan resolution commending the community of democracies on its 10-year anniversary. the community of democracies is a truly global intergovernmental organization of democratic nations. the organization seeks to promote democracy and strengthen democratic institutions around the world. spear headed by former secretary of state madelinal bright the overarching goal was to create a global community of democratic nations. secretaryal bright's vision became a reality in -- secretary albright's vision became a reality in 2000.

this july marks the 10-year anniversary and my resolution honors their achievements over the last decade. the resolution also expresses hope for success at the anniversary conference to be held in krakow this july. the community has always been in important, but in light of the recent tragedy in bold, the significance of this resolution has dramatically increased. the community of democracies has deep ties with poland and polish leaders. the organization was founded in warsaw under the leadership of the then minister of foreign affairs of poland. it was the government of poland that initiated the establishment of a permanent secretariat in warsaw in january of 2009 to strengthen the institution. it is fitting that poland will host the conference. poland has endured much sorrow recently but we know the country and her people will find the resilience to emerge stronger as they have before, following this unimaginable tragedy.

this resolution honors those democratic institutions exemplified by poland and by every other democracy throughout the world. i urge my colleagues to support house resolution 1143 commending the community of democracies. and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. mr. quigley: yields back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i'm very pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from florida, mr. diaz-balart, the ranking member of the rules subcommittee on legislative and budget process. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. diaz-balart: thank you, mr. speaker, and i thank my friend, ms. ros-lehtinen, for yielding me the time. and mr. quigley for introducing this important resolution. the community of democracies, a global intergovernmental coalition of over 100 democratic states, has proven its support for the promotion of democracy

and civil society over the decade since its founding. i'd like to take this opportunity to highlight, as ms. ros-lehtinen appropriationly mentioned before, the leadership of the republic of lithuania which took over the presidency of the community of democracies in july, 2009. lithuania has shown remarkable leadership in pressing forward with the community's agenda of promoting democracy, human rights and freedom in oppressed lands such as burma, bell ruse and cuba. under the -- bela ruse and cuba. under the guidance of the ambassador, chief coordinator of lithuania's presidency of the community of democracies, the community created a parliamentary forum in march of this year. i've been impressed by the ambassador's exceptional leadership and commitment to strengthening the role of the community of democracies in fulfilling its mission of

promoting democratic institutions and civil societies. in march of this year i was privileged to attend the convening meeting of the parliamentary forum of the community of democracies in lithuania. at the first meeting of the parliamentary forum, the chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the parliament of lithuania was elected as the first president of the parliamentary forum of the community of democracies. he is a charismatic and brilliant leader who will doubtless be an effective president of the parliamentary forum throughout his term. also at the parliamentary forum, i had the great honor of being elected one of the seven vice presidents of the new entity, along with fellow vice presidents kominski, polish member of the european parliament and european conservatives and and reformists in the european parliament, michael daughter, german member

of the european parliament, of the group of the european people's party, alexander vondra, a senator from the czech republic, a senator of the republic of mexico, david kirvings ilgorep, well known human rights activists in canada and david, speaker of the parliament of georgia. i want to report the first adopted resolution at its convening meeting on march 12, 2010, called for the support of cuba's pro-democracy movement. i have a copy of that resolution, mr. speaker, here, i ask unanimous consent to insert it into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. diaz-balart: and the parliamentary forum's international solidarity as demonstrated by this resolution

, a strong and very appropriate, well-written resolution, that, for example, honors, let me read from it, cuban pro-democracy fighters, such as the marty orlando zapata cumaya and expresses admiration for the efforts of other heroes, such as guillermo farinas. this is a concrete, specific demonstration of solidarity by the forum of the community of democracies with the people of cue band the freedom fighters struggling to bring freedom and democracy to that land. orlando zapata was assassinated by the government he died after 80 days on hunger strike,

protesting the tortures he was subjected to as a political prisoner. guillermo farinas is on a hunger strike as we speak. this institution expressed its solidarity with these human rights fighters. fighters for freedom. and that way in that way, demonstrated its genuine commitment to furthering democratic institutions and assisting those who were fighting for freedom. the resolution today, mr. speaker, that will be passed by the congress of the united states, in support of, commending, the community of democracies on its 10th anniversary is timelyism whole heartedly support it. i commend the community of democracies for 10 years of leadership and i urge all my colleagues to vote for this resolution.

thank you, mr. engel, thank you, ms. ros-lehtinen. this is an important and timely resolution. these are friends of freedom we're commending today. an institution that, as ms. ros-lehtinen pointed out is not there for cocktail parties or press releases. and it doesn't -- it doesn't allow itself to be tarnished like abominable institutions such as the so-called human rights council of the united nations, to be tarnished by in effect defending tyrannies. the community of democracies is that, a community of democracies that stands for and believes in freedom and democracy. that's why it's important to commend them on their 10th anniversary. i yield back. ms. ros-lehtinen: i yield back the balance of our time. mr. engel: i yield back the balance of my time as well. the speaker pro tempore: the

question is, will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 1143 as amended? those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 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. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. engel: i move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution h.res. 1155 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1155, commending the progress made by the anti-tuberculosis programs. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. engel, and the gentlewoman from florida, ms. ros-lehtinen, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. engel: i ask unanimous

consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. engel: mr. speaker, this is my resolution, and i am proud of it. i rise in support of this resolution which i introduced with my good colleagues, ted poe and gene green. house resolution 1155 seeks to commend the progress made by u.s. anti-sue, below sis programs at the c.d.c., usaid, n.i.h. and global fund to fight aids, tuberculosis and malaria and to reaffirm the house's commitment to global t.b. control through the lantos-hyde act introduced two years ago. my own act was folded into the pep farr re-authorization and i remain -- into the pepfar

re-authorization and i thank the gentlewoman from florida for significant support in this resolution about tuberculosis control. mr. payne is also to be commended for his commitment to tuberculosis control as well. tmplet b. is the second leading global infectious disease killer behind hiv-aids, claiming approximately 1.8 million lives each year. t. intmplet the leading killer of people with hiv-aids. t.b. control must be strengthened as part of a comprehensive approach to women's health. it's the third leading killer of adult women globally and women who develop the disease are more likely to die from it than men. the risk of premature birth or low birth weight are double for women with t.b. and they are four times as likely to die in

childbirth. about half a million people fall ill each year with multidrug resistant t.b. but the n.i.h. estimates less than 5% are receiving treatment. although the number of t.b. cases in the united states is decline, the nature of this infectious disease presents a persistent public health threat to the united states. tuberculosis is is a significant public health problem for the border states of california, texas, new york, florida, and others. drug resistant t.b. poses a particular challenge to domestic t.b. control, owing to the high cost of treatment and intensive health care resources required. treatment costs for multidrug resistant t.b. range from $100,000 to $300,000 per person. which can cause a significant strain on states, public -- on states' public health budgets.

in 2008, 107 cases of m.d.r. t.b. were reported in the united states. four extensively drug resistant t.b. cases were reported, double the number for 2007. h.res. 1155 calls attention to the critical need for a public and private reinvestment into research to develop new t.b. diagnostics, drugs and vaccines to replace antiquated technologies that hinder our progress against tuberculosis. though drugs, and vaines for t.b. exist, they are increasingly inadequate for controlling the global epidemic. the most commonly used t.b. diagnostic in the world, sputum micro scopey is more than 100 years old and lacks the ability to detect t.b. in most aids

patients and in children. the vaccine provides some protection to children but has little to no effect in preventing it in adults. we will never defeat t.b. without public and private investment into new t.b. tools. i urge my colleagues to vote for this measure and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: i'm pleased to rise in support of the gentleman's resolution. tuberculosis is truly a significant challenge for all of us. it's a disease that respects no borders, that claims the lives of over 1.8 million lives worldwide every year and that continues to cause needless deaths every day. it is a major threat to people living in developing country,

but it is also a health risk here in the united states. and in other developed countries. as this resolution correctly points out, drug therapies that are currently used to treat tuberculosis are proving less and less effective as new and different strains of tuberculosis continue to build and develop resistance to these drugs. there are about 9.4 million new cases of tuberculosis each year. in addition, according to recent news reports, it is estimated that 440,000 people worldwide have been infected with deadly multidrug resistant tuberculosis in 2008 alone. just recently, the world health organization released a report that underlined the continuing threat from the spread of drug resistant forms of

tuberculosis. furthermore, as statistics reported by the world health organization note, parts of africa face a truly staggering threat due to the large numbers of those suffering from aids in those regions who are extremely vulnerable to tuberculosis. in such region, tuberculosis can indeed be a fatal sentence of rapid and painful death. the standard drug regimen for tuberculosis is severely outdated. with current treatment methods, patients treated for tuberculosis have to stay on medication for far too long and that means that there can be lapses in medication that only feed resistance among strains of the disease. and so new forms of treatment, new forms of therapies and new vaccines are needed. but what is needed also at a fundamental level is the

continued recognition of the dangerous nature of this disease and the commitment to continue the struggle against it. i thank my colleagues, the gentleman from new york my good friend mr. engel, and the gentleman from texas, mr. poe for introducing this important resolution. its adoption by this house should reinforce the message that we will continue to support the vital efforts to fight this disease. thank you, mr. speaker, and i have no further requests for time, so i yield back the balance of our time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentleman from new york. mr. engel: before i yield back the balance of my time, i want to thank my good friend, congresswoman ros-lehtinen who partnered with me in so much good legislation through the years and i really do appreciate her support. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back his time. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and agree to

house resolution 1155 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the resolution is agreaed to and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. pursuant to executive order 121341 and the order of the house of january 6, 2009, the chair announces the speaker's appointment of the following members of the house to the president's export council. the clerk: mr. reichert of washington, mr. tiberi of ohio. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house a communication.

the clerk: to the congress of the united states. section 202d of the national emergencies act provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the president publishes in the federal register and transmits to the congress the a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. in accordance with this provision, i have sent the enclosed notice to the federal register for publication, continuing the national emergency with respect to the stabilization of iraq. this notice states that the national emergency with respect to the stabilization of iraq declared in executive order 13303 of may 22, 2003, as modified in scope and relied upon for additional steps, taken in executive order 13315 of august 28, 2003, executive

order 13350 of july, 2004, executive order 13364 of november 29, 2004, and executive order 13438 of april 14, 2008 is to continue beyond april 22 of 2010, the restoration and maintenance of peace in the country and the development of political, administrative and economic systems in iraq continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign poll sthoif united states. accordingly, i've determined it is necessary to continue the national emergency with respect to this threat and maintain in force the measures take ton deal with that national emergency. the iraqi government continues to take steps to redebts and settle claims arising from the actions of the previous regime. before the end of the year, my

administration will review the iraqi government's progress on resolving these outstanding debts and claims as well as other relevant circumstances in order to determine whether the prohibitions contained in executive order 13303 of may 22, 2003, as amended by executive order 13364 of november 29, 2004, on any attachment judgment decree, lien, execution, garnishment, or other judicial process with respect to the development fund for iraq, the accounts, assets, and properties held by the central bank of iraq and iraqi petroleum-related products should continue in effect beyond december 31, 2010, which are in addition to the sovereign immunity ordinarily provided to iraq as a sovereign nation under otherwise applicable law, signed, barack obama, the white house. the speaker pro tempore: referred to the committee on foreign affairs and ordered

precipitationed. the chair lays before the house a communication. the clerk: the honorable the speaker, house of representatives, madam, pursuant to the permission granted in clause 2-h of rule 2 of the rules of the u.s. house of representatives, i have the honor to transmit a sealed nfl received from the white house on monday -- envelope received from the white house and said to contain a message from the president whereby he submits a proposed agreement between the government of the united states of america and the government of the russian federation for cooperation and the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy. with best wishes i am signed sincerely, lorraine c. miller, clerk of the house. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will read the message. the clerk: to the congress of the united states, i am pleased to transmit to the congress,

pursuant to sections 123-b and 123 had-d of the atomic energy act as amended, the text of a proposed agreement between the government of the united states of america and the government of the russian federation for cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy. i am also pleased to transmit my written approval of the proposed agreement and determination of the proposed agreement will promote and will not constitute an unreasonable risk to the defense -- the common defense and security together with the copy of an unclassified nuclear proliferation assessment statement concerning the agreement. in accordance with the act, classified an ex-s to the naps, prepared by the secretary of senate in consultation with the director of national intelligence, summarizing relevant classified information, will be submitted to the congress separately. the proposed agreement was signed in moscow on may 6, 2008.

former president george w. bush approved the agreement and authorized its execution and he made the determinations required by section 123-b of the act. on may 13, 2008, the president transmitted the agreement, together with his presidential determination, and unclassified naps and annex to the congress for review. on september 8, 2008, prior to the completion of the 90-day continuous session review period, he sent a message informing the congress that in view of recent actions by the government of the russian federation incompatible with peaceful relations with its sovereign and democratic neighbor, georgia, he determined that his earlier determination was no longer effective. he further stated that if circumstances should permit future reconsideration by the congress, a new determination would be made and the proposed agreement resubmitted. after review of the situation and of the naps and classified

annex i have concluded, one, that the situation in georgia needs no longer be considered an obstacle to -- proceeding with the proposed agreement, and, two, that the level and scope of u.s.-russia cooperation on iran are sufficient to justify resubmitting the proposed agreement to the congress for the statutory review period of 90 days and continuous session and absent enactment of the legislation to disapprove it, taking the remaining steps to bring it into force. the secretary of state, secretary of energy and members of the nuclear regulatory commission have recommended that i submit the proposed agreement to the congress for review. the joint memorial submitted to me by the -- memorandum submitted to me and a letter of the chairman of the n.r.c. are enclosed. i've considered the views and recommendations of the n.r.c. department's inner agencies in reviewing the agreement and determined that performance of the proposed agreement will

promote and not constitute an unreasonable risk to the common defense and security. accordingly i have approved the proposed agreement and urge the congress to give the proposed agreement favorable consideration. my reasons for resubmitting the proposed agreement to the congress for its review at this time are as follows. the united states and russia have significantly increased cooperation on nuclear nonproliferation and civil nuclear energy in the last 12 months. starting with the establishment of the bilateral presidential commission working group on nuclear energy and security. and our july, 2009, joint statement on nuclear cooperation, the russian president and i acknowledged the shared vision between the united states and russia of the growth of a clean, safe and secure nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and committed to work together to bring into force the agreement for nuclear cooperation to achieve this end. the russian government has

indicated its support for a new united nations security council resolution on iran and has begun to engage a specific resolution elements with p-5 members in new york. on april 8, 2010, the united states and russia signed a historic new start streety significantly reducing the number of strategic nuclear weapons both countries may deploy. on april 13, both sides signed a protocol to amend the 2000 u.s.-russian plutonium management and disposition agreement which is an essential leap toward fulfilling each country's commitment to effectively and transparently dispose of at least 34 metric tons of excess weapon grade plutonium, enough where about 17,000 nuclear weapons, with more envisioned to be disposed in the future. russia recently established an international nuclear fuel reserve to provide an incentive to other nations not to acquire sensitive uranium enrichment technologies.

joint u.s. and russian leadership continue to successfully guide the global initialtive, to combat nuclear terrorism as it becomes a durable international institution. the united states believes these events demonstrate significant progress in the u.s.-russia nuclear nonproliferation relationship, that -- and that it is now appropriate to move forward with this agreement for cooperation and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. the proposed agreement has been negotiated in accordance with the act and other applicable laws and my -- laws in my judgment it meets all requirements and will advance the nonproliferation and other foreign policy interests of the united states. the proposed agreement provides a comprehensive framework for peaceful nuclear cooperation, with russia based on mutual commitment to nuclear nonproliferation. it has a term of 30 years and permits the transfer subject to subsequent u.s. licensing decisions of technology, material, equipment and components for nuclear research

and nuclear power production. it does not permit transfers of restricted data. transfers of sensitive nuclear technology, sensitive nuclear facilities and major critical components of such facilities may only occur if the agreement is amended to cover such transfers. in the event of termination, key nonproliferation conditions and controls continue with respect to material, equipment and components subject to the agreement. the russian federation is the nuclear weapons state party to the treaty on the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons. like the united states, it has a voluntary offer, safeguards agreement with the international atomic energy agency. that agreement gives the iaea the right to apply safeguards on all material, that peacefully used nuclear facilities on a list provided by russia. the russian federation is also a party to the convention on the physical protection of nuclear material, which establishes

international standards of physical protection for the use, storage and transport of nuclear material. it is also a member of the nuclear suppliers group, whose nonlegally binding guidelines set forth standards for the responsible export of nuclear commodities for peaceful use. a more detailed discussion of russia's domestic civil nuclear program and its nuclear nonproliferation policies and practices, including its nuclear export policies and practices, is providing in the npas and the classified annexes to the npas submitted to congress separately. this transmittal shall constitute a submittal for purposes of both sections 123-b and 123-d of the act. my administration is prepared to immediately begin the consultations with the senate committee on foreign relations and house committee on foreign affairs as provided in section 123-b. upon completion of the 30-day continuous session period,

provided for -- period provided for in section 123-b. the period provided for in section 123-d shall commence. signed, barack obama, the white house. the speaker pro tempore: referred to the committee on foreign affairs. the chair will entertain requests for one-minute speeches. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> address the house for one minute, revise my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: t gentleman is recognized. >> mr. speaker, i'm proud to congratulate oakland leaf pitcher and resident dallas braiden on pitching a perfect game on may 9, 2010. on mother's day, dallas accomplished a feat that few ever have, going nine innings without allowing a single batter to reach first base. dallas made history by pitching the 19th perfect game in major league history.

dallas has been playing baseball his entire life. he grew up in stockton and played baseball in high school. he was drafted by the a's in 2004 and made his major league debut in 2007. dallas is known for his community service in stockton and let me tell you, dallas, you've made our city proud. mr. mcnerney: i ask my colleagues to join me in honoring dallas braiden on pitching a perfect game and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from florida rise? ms. ros-lehtinen: revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you so much, mr. speaker. i rise to congratulate one of the beach communities in my district, the historic town of surfside, which will be celebratingity 75th anniversary on may 16. i have the great pleasure of representing this unique town which has had an important and historic part in the growth of south florida from its early days as a beach resort.

surfside's roots stretch back to 1930 when 100 beach goers formed their own club at 90th street, beyond the miami beach city limits. surf club members persuaded local residents to incorporate surfside and lent the town its first years operating budget in 1935. among the historic figures who stayed at the surf club was winston churchill who enjoyed painting by the ocean. today surfside is known for its diverse population and low rise residential homes in a quiet, peaceful and relaxed neighborhood setting. i am proud to salute the 5,000 residents of surfside who will be celebrating their anniversary with a parade and beach barbeque this sunday including mayor daniel dietsche and grand marshall and former mayor. congratulations to surfside. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house a personal requests.

the clerk: leave of absence requested for ms. jackson lee of texas for today. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the request is granted. for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition? ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that today following legislative business and any special orders heretofore entered into, the following members may be permitted to address the house, revise and extends their remarks and include therein extraneous material. mr. poe, may 19, for five minutes, mr. jones, may 19, for five minutes, mr. garrett, today, for five minutes, and ms. ros-lehtinen, may 18 and 19, for five minutes each. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. for what purpose does the gentleman from ohio seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that today following legislative business and any special orders heretofore entered into, the following members -- maybe permitted to members -- maybe permitted to address the house for five