WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) delivered the following remarks on the House floor in support of H. Con. Res. 152, which recognizes the 40th Anniversary of the Reunification of the City of Jerusalem.

“Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 152, which recognizes the 40^th anniversary of the reunification of the City of Jerusalem . 

 

 

 

This week is recognizing the 40^th Anniversary of the Six-Day War.  On June 7, 1967, reunified the city of Jerusalem , opening it to worshippers of all nationalities and religions. 

 

 

 

On that day Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Dayan declared: “This morning, the Israel Defense Forces liberated Jerusalem . We have united Jerusalem, the divided capital of . We have returned to the holiest of our holy places, never to part from it again. To our Arab neighbors we extend, also at this hour—and with added emphasis at this hour—our hand in peace. And to our Christian and Muslim fellow citizens, we solemnly promise full religious freedom and rights. We did not come to Jerusalem for the sake of other peoples' holy places, and not to interfere with the adherents of other faiths, but in order to safeguard its entirety, and to live there together with others, in unity.”

 

 

 

Madam Speaker, even 40 years after ’s overwhelming victory in the June 1967 War – a war fought to preserve ’s very existence in the face of enemies determined to destroy it – ’s stability is still threatened.  At this critical time in ’s history we must focus on what is of the utmost importance – furthering the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. 

 

 

 

Congress must fully analyze and consider the Arab League Peace Initiative which offers full normalization of relations with the Arab world and is widely viewed in and around the world as an important opportunity and a real basis for negotiations that could end the Israeli-Arab conflict.  While not perfect, this plan sets the table for fruitful negotiations and a final resolution of the conflict.   

 

We must also consider negotiations with .  If successful, such negotiations could have significant positive impact with respect to limiting ’s sphere of influence, calming the situation in , weakening the support network for Hamas and Hezbollah, and delivering real security to on its northern border.

 

We must call on President Bush to invest in serious, sustained, and effective efforts to improve the security situation on the ground today and re-establish a viable peace process that can deliver peace and security to , and international acceptance of Jerusalem as ’s capital.

 

 

 

Madam Speaker, today I call on all of my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 152, and I pledge to continue to work to maintain Jerusalem as ’s indivisible capitol and to promote the policy of the to support a peaceful, two-state solution to end the conflict between and the Palestinians.  Thank you Madam Speaker.”    

Expressing Support for H. Res. 422 – Calling on the Government of the People’s Republic of China to use its Unique Influence and Economic Leverage to Stop Genocide and Violence in Darfur, Sudan

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 422, which calls on the Government of the People’s Republic of to use its unique influence and economic leverage to stop genocide and violence in Darfur, .  I traveled to Darfur in February 2006.  I will never forget what I saw, nor will I relent in my work to end the ongoing genocide.

China, if it chose to, could play a critical role in ending the genocide in Darfur .  The President’s Special Envoy to , Andrew S. Natsios, has said that “’s substantial economic investment in gives it considerable potential leverage, and we have made clear to Beijing that the international community will expect to be part of the solution.”  has a close relationship with the Government of Sudan, economically and militarily.  It purchases 70 percent of ’s oil.  has agreed to cancel nearly $100 million in ’s debt to the country, and it has invested over $10 million in the Sudanese energy sector over the last two decades.  , already the main supplier of arms to with $83 million exported there in 2005, recently agreed to cooperate more closely militarily “in every sphere.” 

With this resolution we are asking to acknowledge and condemn the violence taking place in Darfur, .  Additionally, we are calling on to cease all military arms and equipments sales to .  Finally, we are strongly encouraging to suspend economic ties to until the Government of Sudan stops attacking civilians, complies with UN Security Council resolutions, and enters into peace negotiations with rebel groups.  has the ability to end the genocide and horror.  I hope it chooses to act immediately.

Madam Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this important resolution.  Thank you Madam Speaker.

WASHINGTON, D.C.--U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Vice-Chair of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection, delivered the following remarks during a hearing on four bills to protect children from dangerous products. "Thank you, Chairman Rush, for holding today’s hearing on four important bills that would protect children from needless harm and every day dangers.  I am especially grateful that you included my bill, H.R. 1699, the Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act – or Danny’s Act.  As we heard at last month’s hearing on children’s products, because of lax laws and inadequate protections, dangerous and in fact, deadly products are being made and sold for use by children.  It is past due that we give parents the security they deserve and children the safety they need. The importance of enacting stronger protections cannot be overstated.  Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death among children, and for every such injury that is fatal, approximately 18 children are hospitalized and 1,250 are treated by emergency departments. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, who is with us here today, an average of 61 children under the age of 5 die each year in incidents associated with nursery products.  Of 318 consumer products recalled by the CPSC in 2006, 111, or 35%, were items intended for use by or care of children. My bill, Danny’s Act, would help us prevent those needless and preventable injuries and deaths by making the recall of children’s products more effective.  H.R. 1699 would require that each durable infant and toddler product – high chairs, cribs, and strollers – come with a postage-paid recall registration card.  This will allow the manufacturers to directly contact each parent who bought their product should any problem arise that could put their children at risk.  Although there is a shocking number of recalled products, our current recall system is failing.  Actual notice of a recall is dependent on news outlets picking up the story and spreading the word.  Notification targeted to owners of the products is rare, and many parents remain unaware of dangers even when products are recalled.  In fact, many families still have the dangerous products listed in this report in their homes because they have not happened to turn on the television at the right time or read the right newspaper.  My colleague, Rep. Fred Upton, and I named our bill that would help solve this problem the Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act because his story is a tragic example of the inadequacy of our current recall practices.  Danny Keysar, the precious 17-month old son of Linda Ginzel and her husband, Boaz Keysar, died when the Playskool Travel-Lite portable crib he had been napping in at his babysitter’s home collapsed. The rails of the crib folded into a “V”-shaped wedge when he stood up, trapping his neck.  He was strangled to death.  It was May 12, 1998, five years after the CPSC had ordered it off the shelves because it was so dangerous.  Word of its hazard had not reached Danny’s parents, the caregiver with whom he was staying, or a state safety inspector who visited the home just eight days before Danny’s death.  Had Danny’s Act been in effect, there would have been a much greater chance of saving Danny’s life – and the six children who have since died from the Travel-Lite.  We know that while not the “one and only answer,” recall registration cards are a cheap and effective way of getting the word out.  My bill is modeled after the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration’s recall system for car seats.  Since NHTSA started requiring car seats to have registration cards in 1993, the number of families registering increased by at least tenfold.  Recall repair rates have gone up by 56% – all for a mere 43-cents per item.  This bill will give families a much greater chance to repair, return, or discard any dangerous products that have made it into their children’s nursery. Finally, I would like to also express my support for my colleagues’ bills that are being considered.  Mr. Rush’s bill, H.R. 2474, would raise the cap on civil penalties for knowingly violating CPSC requirements so that getting caught violating safety requirements could not be written off as the cost of doing business.  The Children’s Gasoline Burn Prevention Act, which would extend the requirement of child proof caps to apply to gas cans, could save 1,200 families trips to the emergency room every year.  And, the Pool and Spa Safety Act would set a much needed anti-entrapment standard for pool and spa drains sold in the Mr. Chairman, again, I thank you for today’s hearing which helps us change course on children’s product safety.  Thank you."

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) joined colleagues in sending a letter to Speaker Hastert, asking him to seek an apology for statements made my Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki.  Below is the full statement of U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky:

“Thank you for coming today.

“Tomorrow, the United States Congress is scheduled to give Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki the rare and high honor of addressing a joint session of Congress.

“Unfortunately, it has become clear that the new government in Iraq, which came to power with the blessing of the Bush Administration, does not share the same foreign policy goals of the United States when it comes to the Middle East.

“At a time when all of us are particularly concerned about the well being of our staunch ally Israel, we feel strongly that Speaker Hastert should be working to secure an apology or clarification from Prime Minister Maliki for his recent remarks about Israel and for the vicious anti-Semitic rhetoric of the Speaker of Iraq’s Parliament.

“We are sending a letter to Speaker Hastert and we hope he will successfully convince Mr. Maliki to clarify his remarks in acceptable way. If Prime Minister Maliki is not willing to apologize for his remarks or to clarify them, we do not believe the Congress should be offering him the privileged opportunity to address a joint session. Speaker Hastert should reconsider the invitation is he is not successful.

“The Bush Administration, who conceived this tragic war, believed that regime change in Iraq would result in a number of “benefits” for the region. 

“In fact, in August of 2002, Vice President Cheney said, “Regime change in Iraq would bring about a number of benefits for the region. ...Extremists in the region would have to rethink their strategy of jihad.  Moderates throughout the region would take heart, and our ability to advance the Israeli-Palestinian peace process would be enhanced.”

The Bush Administration was flat wrong.

“Extremists throughout the Middle East, including Hezbollah and Hamas have been empowered.  Moderate voices in the region are not being heard.  And the Israeli-Palestinian peace process is under attack.

“The Speaker’s podium in the United States Congress reflects our nation’s values.  Unfortunately, the current Iraqi leadership does not.

“On July 13th, the Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament claimed that there was a Jewish conspiracy which was responsible for the insurgency in Iraq.  He was quoted as saying: “Some people say 'we saw you beheading, kidnapping and killing…These acts are not the work of Iraqis.  I am sure that he who does this is a Jew and the son of a Jew.  I can tell you about these Jewish, Israelis and Zionists who are using Iraqi money and oil to frustrate the Islamic movement in Iraq.”

“And on July 19th, in reference to the conflict in Lebanon which was instigated by an Iran-funded and backed Hezbollah, the Iraqi Prime Minister condemned Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorism, calling Israel’s actions “criminal aggressions”.  Additionally, the Iraqi Parliament voted unanimously to condemn Israel.
 
“The comments made by Mr. Maliki were in stark contrast to other American allies in the region, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt, who have strongly condemned the indiscriminate and destabilizing violence brought on by Hezbollah.

“As members of Congress, our concerns go well beyond the statements of the Iraqi Speaker and Prime Minister.  In Iraq, we are seeing the emergence of an Iraqi government who supports the ideals of terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah.  The United States House of Representatives should not allow an address from any world leader who takes these types of positions.

“For that reason we have asked Speaker Hastert to cancel the Iraqi Prime Minister’s invitation to address a joint session of Congress if he does not secure an apology or satisfactory clarification.  In addition, 50 members of Congress have signed a letter to President Bush, asking that he denounce the hate-filled comments of the Iraqi Speaker.

“The challenges that we face in Iraq are great, and as Members of Congress we are committed to helping rebuild Iraqi society.  However, if we are going to commit the human and financial resources of the United States towards the rebuilding effort, we must know that these resources are not being used to promote hate and anti-Semitism.   And they must not empower those who undermine our interests or our allies in an important region."

► Click here to view the letter sent to Speaker Hastert

► Click here to view the joint press release

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky today released the following statement following the passage of H.Res. 921, a resolution condemning the recent attacks against Israel, supporting Israel’s right to defend itself, and holding terrorists and their state-sponsors accountable for their actions:

As a Jew, as someone who loves Israel, and as a member of Congress, I stand in solidarity with the people of Israel.

I remain committed to a peace process for Israel’s security and for the future of the Middle East. Unfortunately, that peace process and the relative calm that has been the reality in the region in recent months were violently attacked at dawn on June 25th when a Hamas terror cell infiltrated Israel through a tunnel, murdered two Israeli soldiers, and kidnapped 19 year old Corporal Gilad Shalit. The operation was praised by the Hamas government. This came after Israel had fully withdrawn from Gaza in September 2005, a move that offered the Palestinian people the opportunity to begin the development of their future independent state.

Then on July 12th, the Iran and Syria-supported Hezbollah terrorist organization crossed the internationally recognized border between Lebanon and Israel under a barrage of rocket and missile salvos, initially killing two Israeli soldiers and kidnapping two more. From positions in Lebanon, Hezbollah launched dozens of rockets laden with ball bearings indiscriminately at civilian communities in Israel. Israel fully withdrew from Lebanon in May of the year 2000. Last week’s attack was so egregious that it prompted the leaders of Arab states, such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan to condemn Hezbollah’s act of vicious terrorism.

The premeditated, coordinated, and unprovoked terrorist attacks on Israel, from territory that Israel voluntarily conceded in an effort to promote peace and regional security, are absolutely indefensible. Hamas and Hezbollah bear direct responsibility for this current conflict.

Hezbollah receives military, financial and political support from Iran and Syria, with Tehran providing the terrorist group with an estimated $100 million annually. Regular weapons shipments including Katyusha rockets, new long-range ballistic missiles, Chinese-made anti-ship missiles, mortars, anti-tank missiles, mines, explosives and small arms are sent to Hezbollah from Tehran through Damascus.

Iran and Syria have provided Hezbollah with more than 10,000 rockets, including shorter-range Katyushas and more sophisticated longer-range weapons, which the terrorist group is now firing at major Israeli population centers across northern Israel and beyond. In fact, on July 14th, Hezbollah used a Silkworm cruise missile to attack an Israeli ship, killing four sailors and yesterday, rockets slammed into a Christian-Arab neighborhood of Nazareth, a city respected by people of all faiths around the world.

Both Syrian President Bashar Assad and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have met with Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah in the past year to reaffirm their ties to the terrorist group. Ahmadinejad promised to continue to support Hezbollah’s struggle against the "enemies of Islam."

Israeli and American officials believe Hezbollah would not have attacked Israel without a green light from its patrons in Damascus and Tehran, and the leaders of both countries have subsequently expressed strong support for the attacks on Israel.

The United States Congress has already enacted several laws, including the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act, and the Iran and Libya Sanctions Act, all of which call for the imposition of sanctions on Syria and Iran for, among other things, their support for terrorism and terrorist organizations. We must insist that President Bush bring the full force of political, diplomatic, and economic sanctions available to the Government of the United States against the Governments of Syria and Iran.

Sadly and frighteningly, Hezbollah remains off the European Union’s (EU) terrorist list. This means that European nationals continue to provide Hezbollah with material support to this day. President Bush and Secretary of State Rice must make an immediate push with our European allies to have Hezbollah added to the EU terrorist list.

Israel has the responsibility to defend its citizens and cannot be expected to tolerate the violent provocations Hamas and Hezbollah committed this month. And while I am convinced that Israel is using every possible effort to avoid civilian casualties, it has become clear that the terrorists in Hamas and Hezbollah stage their actions from within civilian communities, thereby intentionally putting civilians at risk. Israel must do what is necessary to defend itself while continuing to make every effort to avoid civilian casualties.

As the New York Times stated: “Kidnapping Israeli soldiers to use as bargaining chips for the release of Arab prisoners is horrible behavior for groups that claim international recognition and political legitimacy, as Hamas and Hezbollah do. The same applies to lobbing rockets over Israel’s borders in the hope that they might kill unsuspecting civilians.”

It is long past due for the international community to implement fully UN Security Council Resolution 1559, adopted in September 2004, which calls for the Lebanese army to secure southern Lebanon's border and for Hezbollah to be disarmed and disbanded. Lebanon cannot be free and democratic so long as Hezbollah continues to operate as a state within a state, complete with its own army.

Regarding the Palestinians, the peace process will continue to be under attack until Hamas denounces its violent charter, rejects terrorism, and recognizes Israel’s right to exist and decides it is more important to build a Palestinian state than destroy the Jewish State. I encourage Israeli leaders to maintain a dialogue with moderates within the Palestinian Authority in order to keep hope of a two state solution in the near future alive.

But in the meantime, the United States must stand by its friend and ally Israel, and the Bush Administration must actively engage itself in seeking a resolution to this situation. As a first step to restoring calm, the kidnapped Israeli soldiers in Gaza and Lebanon must be returned unconditionally and unharmed, and the indiscriminate rocket attacks on Israeli civilians by Hamas and Hezbollah must end immediately.

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky today issued the following statement on the House vote and President Bush’s veto to cut off stem cell research that could provide life-changing medical breakthroughs for millions of Americans:

Mr. Speaker, I stand today in strong support of a veto override for H.R. 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. It is clear that a majority of Americans and a bi-partisan majority in Congress strongly support embryonic stem cell research because it could prove to be critical for some 128 million Americans who suffer from juvenile diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, cancer, heart disease, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, and other diseases.

Stem cell research is essential for the future of medicine in America; one that should be allowed to transcend political lines so that critical gains can be made to save millions of human lives. One such life is that of my constituent, twenty-four year old Bishoy Abo-Saif. In his letter to me, Bishoy described his daily struggle with cerebral palsy. He has been to Canada, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Poland and the Ukraine looking for alternative therapies for his disease. Nothing has worked. Even though he has accomplished academic goals, he still feels he is on the sidelines. As he stated to me, “the wheelchair is always in the way.” However, he said that, “stem cell treatment is the only hope to overcome his condition.”

Most scientists agree that embryonic stem cell research offers the greatest hope to people like Bishoy. America has always been on the cutting edge of new innovation and now we stand on the brink of groundbreaking medical advancements that would dramatically alter the lives of people such as Bishoy. We must not prohibit this promising research.

But the opponents of this measure have put forward disingenuous arguments that fly in the face of widely accepted scientific research and proven potential. They wrongly portray the decision on funding for additional stem cell research as a choice between one life or another. In fact, we are choosing between disposing of embryonic stem cells or using those cells to save countless lives and advance life-saving science in previously unrealized ways. It is incomprehensible that anyone would allow politics and personal preference to trump hard facts and science. And, like the overwhelming majority of Americans, I am deeply disappointed and dismayed over President Bush's decision to issue his first veto on this bill, dashing the hopes so many families who are battling critical illnesses have pinned on the promising potential of stem cell research.

President Bush acted to snuff out the hopes of millions of Americans only to please a small right-wing constituency which has politicized this medical issue. Once again, the Bush Administration has put politics before science sadly taking hope and health away from countless families. We should not delay or deny the potentially lifesaving research offered by stem cell technology. Bishoy and millions of other Americans are counting on us. As Bishoy stated in his letter, “our hopes and dreams are in your hands, please do not shatter them. Allow me and others to regain what we have lost.”

I urge my colleagues to vote “yes” on the veto override to H.R. 810.

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky today delivered the following statement on the floor of the House of Representatives in opposition to the Federal Marriage Amendment:

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong opposition to H.J.Res 88, the Constitutional Amendment to Prohibit Same Sex Marriage. If this amendment were to pass, it would mark the first time in history that the Constitution has been amended to include discrimination.

I believe in marriage, as a stabilizing force in our society, as a nurturing environment for children, as a public expression of the most profound love and devotion, of a commitment between two people to take responsibility for one another in a legal and personal sense in sickness and in health. The vast majority of couples are, of course, one man and one woman.

But the same virtues of couplehood apply to any loving adults. Surely the 27 year relationship of my dear friends Michael and Roger do not threaten my marriage in any way. The loving family that Ann and Jackie expanded when they adopted David, giving him two adoring parents, is a good thing, regardless of what anyone may say to the contrary—and nothing in the Constitution should be established to discourage it.

There are so many pressing issues working to undermine families. Same sex couples embrace the positive value of families. Let’s spend our limited time here as law makers helping all families—and not discriminating against them.

WASHINGTON, DC -- Representative Jan Schakowsky, ranking member on the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection, in a mark-up before the Energy and Commerce Committee today introduced two amendments that would ensure that foreign investments in the U.S. do not threaten homeland security, and would protect the environment against a hazardous substance.

Schakowsky’s committee statement is below:

Thank you, Chairman Barton and Ranking Member Dingell for holding today’s markup on three bills that could have serious implications for the safety of our environment and the safety of our country. I would like to say a few short words on all three.

I am concerned that H.R. 4591 would make it difficult, if not impossible, to properly regulate Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the United States because it seems to have been designed to preempt states’ authority to regulate substances that are subject to the Stockholm treaty. The bill also establishes a new cost-benefit standard that must be met before the U.S. can regulate a newly-listed POP and lacks strong enough language to force a timely implementation of a POPs Convention decision. I urge the committee to accept the Solis substitute which implements the Stockholm Convention’s treaty and its science- based process in an effective, efficient way. The Solis substitute would protect the public health from the effects of the world's most toxic pollutants.

I am also concerned about the antifreeze bill before this Committee today. I am disappointed that the Chairman has bi-passed the Subcommittee markup process to bring forward a controversial bill that would shield the chemical industry from willful misconduct and pre-empt strong state laws. I have been a strong supporter of antifreeze bittering legislation in the past, but the changes in this year’s legislation put corporate interests before consumer safety.

I plan to introduce an amendment to H.R. 2567 today that would eliminate the environmental liability waiver. We do not have the science to conclusively prove that Denatonium Benzoate (DB) is safe, and Americans who live near chemical plants around the country should not be used as guinea pigs. Congress should not strip the civil justice system of its ability to decide whether corporations should be held liable for environmental damage.

Finally, the recent attempt by Dubai Ports World to purchase the operations of six major U.S. ports made it quite clear that it is time to reform the Exon-Florio process of CFIUS, which determines what can be bought in the U.S. by foreign entities. Although the Dubai Ports World deal was effectively ended on March 9th when the company said it would transfer its operations of American ports to a "U.S. entity," I believe that it is a telling example of why we need to insist upon a more open and informed process of approving foreign investment in the U.S. I look forward to supporting the Barton-Dingell-Stearns-Schakowsky manager’s amendment which would hold CFIUS more accountable for its decision by adding reporting requirements to Congress. Thank you.