Mr. Speaker, I rise to praise President Obama on his recent meetings with foreign leaders. He changed both the tone and the substance of American foreign policy, and I believe he did a great deal to restore America's reputation throughout the world.

I do not agree with every single detail of his foreign policy decisions, but I certainly applaud his commitment to diplomacy and cooperation as the best way to prevent war, solve international problems and get a dialogue started.

During the G-20 summit in Europe, the President worked hard to restore good relations with our allies, which were stretched to the breaking point by the previous administration's arrogance. He said that America will listen to the concerns of our European friends, and he promised to rebuild our partnership with them.

While he was in London, the President also pledged to work with Russia to reduce both nations' nuclear arsenals, and he announced a new effort to rid the world of nuclear weapons once and for all. And he called for U.S. ratification of the comprehensive nuclear test-ban treaty, which I have been asking for for many, many years.

On his trip to Turkey, Mr. Speaker, the President also reached out to the Muslim world. He said that the U.S. is not and never will be at war with Islam. Those were very welcome words, while he also promised to seek broader engagement with the Muslim world based on mutual interest and mutual respect.

Along these lines, Mr. Speaker, the administration recently stepped up its effort to engage Iran in talks. They agreed to participate in talks with Iran and other global powers about Iran's nuclear program.

When the President attended the Summit of the Americas a little bit later, he pledged to work closely with the nations of the hemisphere on climate change and economic development and to cooperate with Mexico to end the violence on our border.

Most important, however, Mr. Speaker, President Obama called for a new beginning in our relations with Cuba. After a delegation of Members of Congress visited Cuba during the Easter work period, President Obama lifted some of the restrictions that Americans face when they want to travel to Cuba and/or send money to relatives there.

So far the response of the Cuban Government has been very positive. I hope this is a beginning to the end of the 50-year cold war between the United States and Cuba, but I know we have a lot of work to do. These problems probably won't be solved overnight, but we are on the way.

I also have some concerns, concerns with our very own administration about some of their policies. For example, the administration is planning to prolong our occupation of Iraq until at least the end of 2011, and it appears that they could be expanding our military presence in Afghanistan indefinitely.

The lessons of the past 7 years, Mr. Speaker, have made it clear that a military option won't work in either Iraq or Afghanistan. We must, instead, fundamentally change our mission in both countries to focus on reconciliation, economic development, humanitarian aid and regional diplomacy.

I am, however, encouraged, Mr. Speaker, by the administration's desire to chart a new and better course for America's place in the world.

President Obama is willing to listen, build partnerships and show respect for other cultures. That's a big step forward for making the world a more peaceful place for ourselves and our children.