“‘In his famous Gettysburg address, President Abraham Lincoln promised a new birth of freedom in our nation. And today we commemorate the day of new birth in which all people in America were made free: June 19, 1865.”

“‘Although we were very honored when the Prime Minister spoke to the Congress, this is my first opportunity as Speaker of the House to welcome Prime Minister Olmert to the Capitol.”

“‘When we visited the GulfCoast, we saw the tremendous need, we saw the urgency. We saw the challenge to conscience that Katrina posed to our country and we were determined to meet that challenge as best we could.”

“‘By ending gender discrimination in all education programs, Title IX has given women the chance to excel and to take their rightful place as leaders and achievers on campuses across the United States. No longer would young women find their educational options limited by years of engrained discrimination.”

“‘This facility will be home to the Bayview-Potrero Hill Community Response Network which will provide crisis response to families and victims of crime, case management and intervention for gang-involved youth, and outreach and support to engage high-risk youth. The people of the Bayview know better than anyone the need for these services, and I commend those in attendance for their leadership and involvement.”

“‘The strong homeland security appropriations bill passed by the House today reflects the commitment of Democrats to protect the American people.”

“‘Our American veterans are our heroes. They deserve a hero in Congress and they have one in the person of Chairman Chet Edwards. Veterans, service members, and their families have no greater champion in the Congress of the United States than Chet. We have long relied on his thoughtful leadership, now as Chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee, he has delivered a bill that honors the service of America’s veterans.”

“‘Nearly two months ago, a great tragedy befell the community of Virginia Tech, and our nation. Thirty-two people lost their lives at the hands of a cold-blooded killer. The victims – of different backgrounds, and different ages – represented the best of our country. And our country was unified in its grief and prayers for all those who lost so much that day. The magnitude of their loss is beyond comprehension. This much is clear: when gun violence takes away lives, we all suffer as a nation.”

“Last November, the American people overwhelming made clear their desire to bring the war in Iraq to a responsible end. Yet, at the start of this year, you announced a substantial escalation of our military presence in Iraq. This so-called ‘surge’ was clearly at odds with past experiences in Iraq, the wishes of the American people, and the advice of many senior military leaders, including General Douglas Lute, your ‘war czar’ nominee. Nevertheless, you proceeded to call up thousands of additional National Guardsmen and Reservists, extend the tours of tens of thousands of brave troops already in Iraq, and plunge our forces even deeper into Iraq’s civil war.”

“‘Today, we are taking it down a path to the specifics in the Appropriations bill. We always talk about, first and foremost, how we protect the American people. In the Homeland Security bill, when we’re talking about first responders, port security, the whole agenda, we have a very strong bill to protect the American people. And as we do that, we honor our promises to our men and women in uniform in the Military Quality of Life bill, to give them the biggest increase in veterans’ help since the inception of the Veteran’s Administration 77 years ago. It’s been said over and over again, but it bears repetition, this really is a breakthrough and the veterans appreciate it.”