mr. quigley: mr. speaker, i rise today because the israeli security cabinet is preparing to take a critical vote on a proposal to temporarily halt construction in the west bank. our israeli friends have offered once again stop construction in the west bank in order to open a door to a peace deal. however, a peace agreement has no chance of coming to fruition if the palestinian authority and president abbas refuse to come to the negotiating table. only face-to-face negotiations from the two sides can come to a deal. the administration must be strong in signaling any move by the u.n. toward independent action will be vetoed. we are at a vital cross-rods. we can choose the path -- we are at a vital crossroads. president abbas must come to the table and justify the good-faith efforts to achieve lasting peace. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? mr. poe: i ask permission to address the h

mr. quigley, for one minute. mr. quigley: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to urge my colleagues in the senate to ratify the strategic arms reduction treaty, or start, immediately. because every day we wait to ratify start is one more day that russia's nuclear arsenal goes unexpected. when our last nuclear arms treaty with russia expired last december, we could no longer inspect their nuclear site. this means no americans have inspected the facilities for almost a year. despite the urgent need to ratify this vital treaty which also reduces unneeded nuclear stockpiles, some members in the other body have continued to stall putting politics behind national security. start has been through 18 hearings, is endorsed by dozens of foreign policy and defense experts, and passed out of committee with strong bipartisan majority. our colleagues on the other side of the aisle claim to be the strongest proponents of national security. ratification of start is an opportunity for them to act on these claims and keep america and our allies safe. thank you. i yi

mr. quigley for two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. quigley: i rise to support this resolution and thank its sponsor, the gentlelady from florida, and call for its quick passage. this important resolution highlights the often forgotten special needs of the few remaining holocaust survivors and calls for assurances that their final years will be comfortable and dignitied -- dignified. over 100,000 holocaust survivors live in the united states with over 100,000 of them living in my city, chicago. 3/4 of those are in their 80's and 90's. a majority live alone and more than half live below the poverty line. as these individuals who survived torture, stashation and other unspeakable terrors age, they deserve to do so in their own homes rather than an institutional setting. after all they've endured and overcome they deserve access to social service programs sensitive to their unique needs this resolution will ensure they spend their last years with the same dignity with which they lived. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: t