[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 118 (Thursday, July 17, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H6716-H6717]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                AMERICA'S CHALLENGES IN THE 21ST CENTURY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 18, 2007, the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
  Mr. DREIER. Madam Speaker, as we all know from listening to our 
colleagues and, even more importantly, from listening to the American 
people, the United States is currently facing a host of critical and 
complex challenges that have an enormous impact on our daily lives.
  Fuel prices have skyrocketed, creating a ripple effect throughout our 
entire economy. We pay ever increasing prices at the pump, at the 
supermarket and nearly everywhere we buy the everyday goods that our 
families need. We all feel the strain of these rising prices. At the 
same time, we see our economy softening because of the housing crisis.
  The threat of radical extremism persists throughout much of the 
globe, including, of course, in Afghanistan and in Iraq, where our 
brave men and women in uniform are fighting. We, of course, constantly 
face the problem of illegal immigration, which exposes the weaknesses 
of our borders and further strains our economy.
  Madam Speaker, these challenges are as diverse as they are 
complicated. They did not develop overnight, but have arisen over time. 
They contribute to a growing and pervasive frustration by the American 
people. These challenges are daunting, but they are far from hopeless.
  I believe the key to finding the solutions to the challenges of the 
21st century is not to view them as isolated problems. We need a broad, 
visionary approach that sees these issues for what they are: the 
interconnected challenges of a smaller and smaller world.
  Growing demand for energy in both China and India, combined with 
volatility in the Middle East, central Asia and the Niger Delta 
contribute to rising gas prices here in the United States. Natural 
disasters combined with rising fuel prices contribute to a global food 
crisis that threatens a billion people. Weak and corrupt governments 
perpetuate poverty in the developing world, which is exacerbated by the 
growing food crisis, contributing to growing unrest and ripe conditions 
for radical extremism.
  Every single day, Madam Speaker, every day, people who have not been 
screened for a criminal or for a terrorist background enter our country 
through porous borders. Of course, we know all too painfully well the 
cabal of 20 hijackers from 7 years ago this coming September 11. They 
fed off the deep discontent that poverty and ignorance breed. They 
trained in Afghanistan, received funding through international 
financing schemes. They entered the United States by way of a broken 
immigration system and perpetrated, as we all know, the worst terrorist 
attack on U.S. soil.
  These issues are not isolated from each other. Any 21st century 
agenda for America must recognize the fundamental nature of these 
issues and take a comprehensive view towards solving them. I believe 
this demands an approach that looks inward as well as outward.
  First and foremost, we need to look at how American policy is 
affecting American problems, and we need to find an American solution. 
Second, we need to look at the reality of this interconnected world 
about which I've spoken and give our approach a global view.
  Our energy crisis provides a good illustration of exactly what I 
mean. There are a number of contributing factors that are driving up 
prices, as I've mentioned. There is growing demand abroad. There is 
volatility in many oil-producing regions, but we are also suffering 
because we have failed here at home to develop our own domestic 
solutions.
  Technology in the oil and gas industry has become so advanced that we 
can explore and drill without damaging our environment. Yet we have 
vast resources untapped in ANWR and way off our shores. An increased 
supply of oil does very little good without the capacity to refine it. 
Yet we have not built a new refinery in three decades.

                              {time}  1615

  We all know that nuclear energy is the cleanest, safest, most cost-
effective energy source known to man, and yet we have also not built a 
new reactor in three decades. Furthermore, despite the fact that we in 
the United States and in my State of California are the world's leaders 
in innovation, we have not invested nearly, nearly enough in new green 
technologies that diminish our dependence on fossil fuels and allow us 
to use the energy we have more efficiently.
  Madam Speaker, these are American failures. We need a comprehensive 
overhaul of our national energy policy to increase our domestic 
production, improve efficiency, and make us more self-sufficient. But 
at the same time, there is no escaping the global oil market and the 
reality that prices are driven by global factors. By promoting our own 
responsible energy agenda, we don't extricate ourselves from the global 
market. We shape it, we shape it, Madam Speaker, through our 
leadership. By increasing supply while diminishing demand through 
technology improvements, we can help to stabilize and reduce global 
prices.
  By neutralizing the acute crises caused by out-of-control prices, we 
can help to reduce the volatility that drives up prices to begin with. 
In other words, we need a uniquely American solution without losing 
sight of our place of leadership in this interconnected world.
  Madam Speaker, the same is very true for the problem of illegal 
immigration. Failure on this issue is a failure of our border security. 
We cannot address this problem without addressing our borders. The 
solution begins with substantial resources for the border patrol and 
increased technology, including fencing along our border. We simply 
must strengthen and modernize our first line of defense.
  Yet we would be hopelessly shortsighted if we didn't recognize that 
the problem does not begin, the problem does not begin at the border. 
It begins in the poor villages of our neighbors to the south. Nowhere 
else on Earth do a developed and a developing country share a 2,000-
mile border. Nowhere else on the face of the earth is a border of 2,000 
miles existing between a developed and a developing nation. As we seek 
to hold back the tide of illegal immigration with a strong border, we 
must also endeavor to diminish the flow of that tide in the first 
place.
  In the long run, Madam Speaker, growth and opportunity in Mexico is 
the key to ending the scourge of illegal immigration. As their economy 
grows and jobs are created, the desire to attempt to cross our border 
will greatly diminish. Because of this, a permanent solution to the 
problem demands that Mexico pursue sound economic policies so that 
there is opportunity on both sides of the Rio Grande.
  Our policy toward Mexico must be focused on encouraging them to be 
accountable to the Mexican people for making the necessary economic 
reforms which will lead to this important growth. And because strong 
economies require strong institutions, we must also encourage them to 
pursue efforts to build their own capacity.
  Greater bilateral engagement will ensure Mexico's continued effort to 
liberalize their economy, to modernize and train their law enforcement 
and judiciary is important, to build the capacity of their Federal, 
State, and local government institution is also key, to strengthen the 
rule of law and provide an environment where economic opportunity can 
flourish is critically important. It will also ensure that we have an 
able and effective partner in our efforts to stem the illegal flow of 
people and narcotics across our border.
  Madam Speaker, we have already seen, and this doesn't get much 
attention, but we have already seen some positive results from our 
engagements. Mexico has taken a number of important steps toward 
reform, liberalization, and institutional capacity building. President 
Felipe Calderon put forth a bold reform agenda in his presidential 
campaign. Since then, he has taken very positive steps in instituting

[[Page H6717]]

economic reform, strengthening the rule of law, and very important--and 
they're suffering greatly from this as you know, Madam Speaker--
combating corruption.
  But we know very well that a great deal of hard work lies ahead for 
Mexico. Millions, millions still live in poverty, and good jobs are all 
too rare. Many key institutions are still very weak, exposing 
shortcomings at all levels of government. The criminal justice system 
in Mexico is still woefully strained in its efforts to combat the 
illegal trafficking of drugs, guns, and people.
  These remaining challenges have left us no choice but to get tough on 
the issue of border security. But they also demand that we recognize 
that fundamental reform in Mexico is absolutely essential to tackling 
illegal immigration in the long run.
  Again, these are solutions, Madam Speaker, that demand a robust 
agenda here at home with a view toward the broader international 
context out of which these challenges arise.
  The need for development, opportunity, and growth abroad extends well 
beyond illegal immigration into the tremendous threat we face from the 
spread of radical and violent extremism. When confronting any national 
security threat, we know that our Armed Forces are the guarantors of 
our security. We need a strong, modern military to protect our homeland 
and fight our battles overseas. But the terrorists' designs of radical 
extremists will never be thwarted through military might alone. Their 
ability to perpetrate attacks originates with their efforts to exploit 
the frustrations and disaffection in the developing world.
  Madam Speaker, with over a billion people living on less than $1 a 
day, the potential for exploitation is virtually limitless. Poverty 
breeds hopelessness, ignorance, and intolerance. These circumstances 
are made possible by weak or corrupt governments. They do not have the 
ability to strengthen the institutions that make economic opportunity 
possible or provide a voice for their people's frustrations.
  The result, as we all have tragically found, is fertile ground for 
terrorism. Development is the only long-term sustainable solution 
because it is the only approach that addresses the root problems. We 
must pursue greater economic engagement so that new opportunities can 
be created, and we must also work to strengthen institutions so that 
governments are more accountable and economies are more open.
  In March of 2005, I had the great privilege of joining with my 
colleague, David Price, under the leadership of Speaker Hastert and now 
Speaker, then-minority leader, Nancy Pelosi, as we founded the House 
Democracy Assistance Commission. I had the privilege of leading the 
Commission when we were in the majority.
  Today we continue that very able work under, as I said, my colleague, 
Mr. Price. Our Commission endeavors to engage in precisely the kind of 
capacity building that I have been discussing. We work with 12 
legislatures around the world in new and reemerging democracies 
providing guidance and training in legislative functioning. Our 
mission, Madam Speaker, within the broad goals of capacity building, is 
very specific: to strengthen the representative bodies of these 
fledgling democracies so that they effectively meet the needs of the 
people they represent.
  A strong, effective legislature is critical to enacting the economic 
policies that create both growth and opportunity. It ensures a check on 
an overreaching executive branch, and it gives a voice to those with 
grievances, all of which contribute to a vibrant, a very vibrant, 
prosperous, and peaceful democracy, all of which are necessary to 
ensure that radical extremism cannot take root.
  Madam Speaker, clearly our struggle against terrorism demands a 
global development agenda. Once again, we see that the solution to the 
challenges we face requires that we look inward as well as outward. We 
cannot guard against terrorist attacks without a strong national 
defense, but we cannot overcome terrorism without engaging worldwide.
  The challenges of the 21st century are not isolated problems, and we 
cannot hope to address them by isolating ourselves from this 
interconnected world. Of course, moving forward on these great 
challenges also demands that we, as Americans, find common ground.
  In many ways, we, as a Nation, are currently grappling with very 
fundamental philosophical questions on the problems that we are 
confronting. A central question we all have is how to apply our core 
American principles to the new challenges that we face. How do we 
secure ourselves against new threats without diminishing the civil 
liberties that we hold so dear? How do we wage a war against Islamist 
extremism without appearing to treat those of the Muslim faith with the 
very intolerance that fuels extremism? How do we end the scourge of 
illegal immigration while continuing to be that shining city on a hill 
to the many legal immigrants who have always helped to make this 
country the great Nation that it is? How do we engage in the worldwide 
marketplace while ensuring that Americans can successfully compete in a 
very dynamic economic environment?

  There are those who say that America is bitterly divided today over 
these questions. Madam Speaker, it's certainly true that there is great 
diversity of opinion in how to address the security and economic 
challenges that we face. But if we are willing to engage each other in 
honest and open debate, this diversity of opinion is our great 
strength, not our weakness.
  As we face these substantial new challenges that I discussed, we need 
that great clash of ideas just as our founders intended. Unfortunately, 
resorting to inflammatory talking points has supplanted sincere and 
honest debate. The shrill voices of ``talking heads'' are no substitute 
for true engagement.
  Madam Speaker, I believe Americans have grown weary of politics-as-
usual, of the endless fighting that takes place right here in 
Washington, DC, but not because of the existence of opposing views. 
Americans have grown weary of the obstinacy, the hardened positions and 
intolerance of differing opinions. The refusal to truly engage in an 
open and substantive way is something that has frustrated most 
Americans. Now, Madam Speaker, in a country of over 300 million people 
there will never, there will never be uniformity of opinion, but there 
can and should be a deep respect for the clash of ideas and an interest 
in reaching broad consensus on the great issues of our day.
  Madam Speaker, this is the essence of the United States of America. 
And it is the essence of what we just celebrated earlier this month on 
July 4th: the freedom of ideas, all ideas to be debated, debunked, or 
developed in this messy process of democracy. I truly believe that our 
country will rise to the challenges we face today just as we have 
always done. We will accomplish this through open, sometimes heated and 
passionate, but always respectful debate. We will accomplish it by 
applying the core American values that we have long held while 
maintaining a global perspective on the challenges of the 21st century.

                              {time}  1630

  Whether the issue is soaring gas prices, illegal immigration, 
terrorism, or any other challenge that we face, we must set our 
priorities as Americans. But we must tackle our problems with a 
worldwide focus, boldly asserting our global leadership role. By doing 
so, we will make our borders safer, our economy stronger, and our 
future ever brighter for our children.

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