Recognizing and honoring the United States Armed Forces and supporting the goals and objectives of a National Military Appreciation Month.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 84, ``Supporting the goals and objectives of a National Military Appreciation Month.'' I would like to thank Representative Zach Wamp of Tennessee for introducing this resolution. We often take our National Military for granted, and I welcome this opportunity to reach out and recognize the importance of the National Military in the United States.

I do not believe there is a person in this body, or a person in this building, who does not feel a remarkable pride in the presence of the men and women who serve in our nation's military. The success of the Armed Forces depends on the dedicated service of its members, their families, and the civilian employees of the Department of Defense and the Coast Guard. Their incredible sacrifices and courage in the face of innumerable hazards have been critical to the preservation of the freedom, security, and prosperity enjoyed that we as Americans have come to love, enjoy, and even expect.

In the Iraq War, Texas has suffered over 222 resident casualties, second only to California. As a Representative for the 18th District of Texas, H. Con. Res. 84 is very close to the hearts of those I represent. Many Texans hold a passion for protecting the integrity and strength of their nation, and as the recruitment numbers show, they often exercise their passion, by joining the military. In past studies, Texas has been the number one state for military recruitment; therefore, recognition of military involvement is an important issue in Texas and in Houston.

Texas is home to more than 194,965 military personnel including a number of Army, Navy and Marine, Air Force, and Coast Guard bases. H. Con. Res. will encourage the citizens of Texas to reach out to those whom are involved with the military and extend their gratitude for all that they do for our nation. Because there is a large population of military personnel in Texas, it is critical that we show them the support of their nation and their state for all the positive contributions they have brought. I firmly believe that H. Con. Res. 84 is a positive step for the recognition, acknowledgement, and gratitude that should be given to our military personnel, and I hope to see the National Military Appreciation Month become a special time for the state of Texas to recognize the national contributions.

My City of Houston stands as an example of America's relationship with its military. Just outside the city stands Ellington Air Force Base, which has recently been renamed Ellington Airport. It was established in 1917 during the height of World War I, when aviation was in its infancy. In Word War II, it served as a pilot training center. In the Cold War, the base proved useful in a number of pilot training programs and for a number of famous NASA missions, as well as serving briefly as a naval base for antisubmarine aircraft.

As my city works with our active military, so do we do our part in the aid of our Nation's veterans. Within city limits stands the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center. It was awarded the Robert W. Carey Organizational Excellence Award in 2005, the Robert W. Carey Circle of Excellence Quality Award in 2007, and re-designation for Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Services in 2008.

The MEDVAMC serves as the primary health care provider for more than 120,000 veterans in southeast Texas and over 13,000 from Houston. Veterans from around the country are referred to the MEDVAMC for countless medical services, and their outpatient clinics logged nearly 900,000 outpatient visits in fiscal year 2008 alone. All this in a state with over 1.7 million veterans, 247,000 of which are disabled and over 25,000 buried in her soil.

Because of this undeniable fact of our Nation's existence, the Federal Government has a responsibility to raise awareness of and respect for this aspect of the heritage of the United States and to encourage the people of the United States to dedicate themselves to the values and principles for which Americans have served and sacrificed throughout the history of the Nation--the ultimate sacrifice of paying for our freedom and expectation of freedom with their lives.

Beyond helping to make Americans more aware of something so central to our country's liberty and prosperity, the observance of events recognizing the contributions of the Armed Forces is a tangible and highly effective way of sustaining morale and improving quality of life for service members and their families. Given that the support of the families of service members enhances the effectiveness and capabilities of the Armed Forces, this is more than enough reason for us to act today.

It is for these reasons that this Congress has made this resolution many times before. Ten years ago, on April 30, 1999, the Senate passed S. Res. 33, designating May 1999 as ``National Military Appreciation Month''. For that month, Congress called on the people of the United States, in a symbolic act of unity, to observe this remembrance, and to honor the current and former members of the Armed Forces, including those who have died in the pursuit of freedom and peace.

Less than 5 years later, on March 24, 2004, the House of Representatives passed H. Con.

Res. 328, ``Recognizing and honoring the United States Armed Forces and supporting the goals and objectives of a National Military Appreciation Month'', a bill I gladly supported. Less than a month later, on April 26, 2004, the Senate passed H. Con. Res. 328 by unanimous consent.

I have sought to do my part as well; earlier this year, I introduced to this body H.R. 228, a bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish and carry out a scholarship program for students seeking a degree or certificate in the areas of visual impairment and orientation and mobility.

And so I join once again in not only giving my support for the goals and objectives of National Military Appreciation Month, but in urging the President to issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States, all Federal departments and agencies, States, localities, organizations, and media to annually observe a National Military Appreciation Month with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Thursday, April 22, 2004, at 9:30 a.m. on the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, April 22, 2004, at 9:30 a.m. to hold a hearing on Iraq Transition: Obstacles and Opportunities.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, April 22, 2004, at 1:30 p.m. to hold a hearing on Nominations.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, April 22, 2004, at 2:30 p.m. to hold a Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs hearing on U.S.-China Relations: Status of Reforms in China.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, April 22, 2004, at 4 p.m. to hold a hearing on Nominations.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a markup on Thursday, April 22, 2004, at 11 a.m. in Senate Dirksen Building Room 226.

Agenda

I. Nominations: Henry W. Saad to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit; William Duane Benton to be United States Circuit Judge for the Eighth Circuit; Robert Bryan Harwell to be United States District of South Carolina; George P. Schiavelli to be United States District Judge for the Central District of California; and Curtis V. Gomez to be Judge for the District Court of the Virgin Islands.

II. Legislation: S. 1735. Gang Prevention and Effective Deterrence Act of

2003 [Hatch, Chambliss, Cornyn, Feinstein, Graham, Grassley, Schumer]; S. Res. 310. A resolution commemorating and acknowledging the dedication and sacrifice made by the men and women who have lost their lives while serving as law enforcement officers [Campbell, Hatch, Leahy]; H. Con. Res. 328. Recognizing and honoring the United States Armed Forces and supporting the goals and objectives of a National Military Appreciation Month; S. 2270. No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels (NOPEC) Act of 2004 [DeWine, Durbin, Feingold, Grassley, Kohl, Leahy, Schumer, Specter]; S. 2107. A bill to authorize an annual appropriations of $10,000,000 for mental health courts through fiscal year 2009 [DeWine, Leahy]; S. 2192. Cooperative Research and Technology Enhancement (CREATE) Act of 2004 [Hatch, Feingold, Leahy]; H.R. 1561. United States Patent and Trademark Fee Modernization Act of 2004; S. 1933. Enhancing Federal Obscenity Reporting and Copyright Enforcement (ENFORCE) Act of 2003 [Hatch, Cornyn, Feinstein]; S. 2237. Protecting Intellectual Rights Against Theft and Expropriation (PIRATE) Act of 2004 [Leahy, Hatch]; and S. 1932. Artists' Rights and Theft Prevention (ART) Act of 2003 [Cornyn, Feinstein, Graham, Hatch].

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on April 22, 2004, at 2:30 p.m. to hold a closed business meeting.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Subcommittee on Children and Families, be authorized to meet for a hearing on Parents Raising Children: The Workplace during the session of the Senate on April 22, 2004, at 10 a.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security be authorized to meet conduct a hearing on ``State and Local Authority To Enforce Immigration Law: Evaluating a unified approach for stopping terrorists'' on Thursday, April 22, 2004, at 2:30 p.m. in SD226

Witness List:

Panel I: Professor Kris W. Kobach, Former Counsel to the Attorney General, Professor of Law, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, Kansas City, MO; E.J. Picolo, Regional Director, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Ft. Myers, FL; Michelle Malkin, Journalist and Author of Invasion, Bethesda, MD; and David A. Harris, Balk Professor of Law and Values, University of Toledo College of Law, Toledo, OH.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this important resolution, and yield myself such time that I may consume.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of National Military Appreciation Month, which was first passed on May 1999. I might note that in May 1999, perhaps the reason for the Congress seeing fit to have a National Appreciation Month for our military was that in fact we were in a time of comparative peace. We were at a time in which we wanted to let our military know that we appreciated them standing guard in peacetime as well as in war.

For the last 7 years, though, we have been at war. Our troops have been deployed in Afghanistan since shortly after the September 11 attack on our Nation. In fact, this last weekend, as part of the Military Appreciation Month, I was in Oceanside in my own district where 44,000 Marines reside at Camp Pendleton. Except they don't get to reside at Camp Pendleton; they are on their third and fourth deployments throughout that region.

I didn't just thank the senior NCOs and the officers, who I appreciate their continued service because they have stayed in and reenlisted during this time of war, but I also thanked the incredible amount of young men and women and their families who showed up and who in fact joined after this war began, and many of them after this war had been going for many, many years.

It is in fact our military that is with us in good times and bad. They stay with us in the worst of times. They also enlist in the hardest of times.

Many people would say I never voted for this war. I wouldn't vote for this war. This war is wrong. Men and women of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard don't say whether the war is right or wrong. They make a statement about whether America is right or wrong. In their eyes, and in my eyes, America is right. We have a process which we observe in order to ensure that we do not easily go into war, we do not easily send our troops into harm's way.

However, our men and women are in harm's way today. And for this month, like every day that we are at war, we should honor our men and women in uniform. We should make that extra effort to try to do what we can for those returning home and for those who remain behind, the families, the children, the husbands, the wives, making sure that every day they are taken care of, that their special needs, because of the absence of the loved one, are observed. And when they come home, they don't come home from the first deployment, the parade is not as easy to recognize; they don't come home from the last deployment. It is not so easy to say, we are coming home for good.

So I urge my colleagues and I urge all of America to think about the appreciation we can show year round to in fact realize that a parade is just as important to a troop who has come home from their third deployment. Recognition, a picnic, or some other way of saying we care about your continued service, is just as important in the sixth and seventh year of a struggle that could in fact go on for many years in order to bring freedom and a way of life that is acceptable to the people of Afghanistan and Iraq and other countries throughout the world.

Today we can recognize where our men and women are fighting, but we don't often recognize where they are standing so that we don't have to fight. And I would like to close by recognizing the men and women who are in the Sudan, who are in fact trying to do what they can in Africa for some very troubled spots in which we don't recognize it as our fighting but we certainly have to recognize that we are trying to make a difference for those people who in their struggles every day realize that they are at war.

I join with the gentlelady from California in urging the support for this resolution. I join with the gentleman from Connecticut in recognizing that every day, every month, should be National Military Recognition Month.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 84) supporting the goals and objectives of a National Military Appreciation Month.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

I rise in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 84, sponsored by my friend and colleague from Tennessee (Mr. Wamp), a resolution supporting the goals and objectives of National Military Appreciation Month.

Each May since 1999, Congress has taken the time to honor our Nation's bravest men and women serving in the Armed Forces. Throughout our history, they have put themselves in harm's way all over the world in order to protect and defend our country. They continue to do so today, and they deserve our gratitude.

In the wake of the tragic shooting yesterday at Camp Victory in Baghdad, we are reminded of the perils and the stress that our Armed Forces face constantly during periods of deployment. It is important, I think, that we always show our appreciation for their service, but as we continue to face two long wars, they need and deserve our support now more than ever. I am glad we are taking the time today to thank them for their service, and I know that all my colleagues keep them and their families in our thoughts and prayers.

This measure was introduced this year on March 26 by Representative Wamp of Tennessee and was referred to

the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The committee reported the bill by unanimous consent on May 6, and it comes to the House floor today with the bipartisan support of over 75 cosponsors.

Mr. Speaker, every single day our soldiers, sailors, airmen and air women, marines, and their families, make tremendous sacrifices in service to our country. I have seen this firsthand on many, many deployments by these soldiers during my regular visits to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Our country is at war, and our military is certainly deserving of our support now more than ever. Today I ask my colleagues to join all Americans in giving thanks to our men and women in uniform.

Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 84 gives us the opportunity to show our appreciation and respect to members and veterans of the armed services, men and women that hail from all walks of life but are bound together by one noble characteristic and take one simple but profound act. They have put on the uniform of our country, and they are together committed to protecting Americans and their liberties that we hold so dear.

Thus, to the military personnel from my own congressional district and to those of every congressional district represented in this body, we sincerely thank you, our men and women in uniform, for your service to our country.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of our time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers at this time; however, I will continue to reserve.

Mr. Speaker, again, I would like to urge my colleagues to join with Mr. Wamp, the gentleman from Tennessee, who is the chief sponsor of this resolution, to show our support for our men and women in uniform by supporting this measure.

I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 328) recognizing and honoring the United States Armed Forces and supporting the designation of a National Military Appreciation Month, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 328, as amended

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as may consume.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Government Reform, I am very pleased that the House is considering House Concurrent Resolution 328. During the 106th Congress, on April 30, 1999, the United States Senate passed Senate Resolution 99 that called for May of 1999 to be signified as National Military Appreciation Month. Today's resolution, House Concurrent Resolution 328, supports the goals and ideals of National Military Appreciation Month. As the war on terror continues, this is an appropriate piece of legislation for the House to pass today.

The Members of our Armed Forces have fought to preserve freedom for the American people for over 200 years. Recently, new challenges have confronted our brave military men and women since the horrific attacks on our Nation of September 11, 2001. Our soldiers have courageously and effectively carried out remarkable missions in Afghanistan and Iraq that respectively intended to disrupt the terrorist networks and to end the regime of dictator Saddam Hussein.

In addition, Mr. Speaker, the United States Armed Forces have dramatically expanded their presence in the Middle East and Central Asia into once unthinkable locations, such as former Soviet republics. These new bases seek to strengthen American alliances with friendly countries and to protect the citizens of countless nations across the globe.

Indeed, the war on terror has tested our armed services, and I am proud to reported that our servicemen and women have responded very honorably.

In addition to the war on terror, nearly 1,800 United States soldiers have defended the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince in recent weeks as well. Unquestionably, our great Nation and, indeed, the entire world is a safer place because of their commitment and their sacrifice.

Mr. Speaker, I know that the sponsor of this resolution, the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Government Reform, wanted to be here for consideration of this legislation. Consistent with my earlier request for general leave, I will submit his statement on House Concurrent Resolution 328 in writing. I commend the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Tom Davis) for this important resolution, and I urge every Member of this House to support its adoption.

I salute all of our Nation's gallant servicemen and women.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I simply would urge all Members to support the adoption of House Concurrent Resolution 328, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.