As Members of Congress and people of conscience, we must work to overcome the indifference and distortions of history, and ensure that future generations know what happened.

Pope John Paul II brought hope to all corners of the world, to people of all faiths and backgrounds, with his powerful belief in the human spirit.

Maintaining clean, safe water remains one of our greatest national and global challenges and responsibilities.

Mr. Speaker, genocide is the most potent of all crimes against humanity because it is an effort to systematically wipe out a people and a culture as well as individual lives.

We have an extensive system of highways, ports, locks and dams, and airports.

Since September 11, 2001, many in this nation and this Congress have a deeper appreciation for the importance of the sacrifices made by our law enforcement officers.

This Nation has realized significant environmental improvements over the last three decades.

Train service is particularly vital for the students and employees of Southern Illinois University.

The attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 completely crippled our Pacific Fleet.

Coal is absolutely critical to our nation’s economic health and global competitiveness.

With faith and courage, generations of Armenians have overcome great suffering and proudly preserved their culture, traditions, and religion and have told the story of the genocide to an often indifferent world.

The State of Israel has faced obstacles and challenges to its very survival, with conventional military attacks leading the way to suicide bombers who have killed innocent Israeli men, women, and children.

Almost 70 percent of U.S. ag exports travel the upper Mississippi River and the Illinois waterway system.

Every day, hundreds of thousands of men and women protect and serve, often putting their own lives at risk.

Jobs are disappearing from every sector of the economy, from engineering to health care workers, forcing hundreds of thousands of families into unemployment and low-paying jobs.

As Members of Congress and people of conscience, we must work to overcome the indifference and distortions of history, and ensure that future generations know what happened.

This was a tragic event in human history, but by paying tribute to the Armenian community we ensure the lessons of the Armenian genocide are properly understood and acknowledged.

While some people are certainly seeing economic benefits, many others are unemployed, underemployed, without health insurance and struggling to make ends meet.

Population growth and development place additional stress on the Nation’s water infrastructure and its ability to sustain hard-won water quality gains.

Since 2000, we have lost 2.7 million manufacturing jobs, of which 500,000 jobs were in high-tech industries such as telecommunications and electronics.

In addition to the clean coal provisions, the energy conference agreement contains provisions instrumental in helping increase conservation and lowering consumption.

Every day more Americans watch their jobs being shipped overseas.

In celebration of this Earth Day, I encourage all Members of the House to support legislation aimed at investing in the improvement of water quality in our Nation’s lakes, rivers, streams and estuaries.

Through these adversities, Israel has endured with continued strength, conviction, and faith.

The United States transportation system is the envy of the world.

Make no mistake, our troops will be in Afghanistan and Iraq for a long time.

Amtrak is extremely important to the economy of Southern Illinois and I will continue to work with state and local leaders and my colleagues in Congress to secure the necessary funding to maintain full service.

It is clear that the economy has not gotten better for everyone.