Recognizing the Boy Scouts of America for the public service the organization performs for neighborhoods and communities across the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 853) recognizing the Boy Scouts of America for the public service the organization performs for neighborhoods and communities across the United States.

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. Res. 853.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 853, recognizing the Boy Scouts of America for the public service the organization performs for neighborhoods and communities across the United States.

Despite the widespread respect the Boy Scouts of America have earned over their long history, the Boy Scouts have been and continue to be the targets of strident legal attacks simply because religious faith is part of the scouting program.

The purpose of the Boy Scouts of America, incorporated on February 8, 1910, and chartered by this Congress in 1916, is to provide an educational program for boys and young adults to build character, to train in the responsibilities of citizenship, and to develop personal fitness. The community-based organizations receive national charters they use to integrate the Scouting program into their own youth work.

These groups, which have goals compatible with those of the Boy Scouts of America, include religious, educational, civil, fraternal, business and labor organizations; governmental bodies; corporations; professional associations; and citizens' groups.

Several Presidents of the United States, including John F. Kennedy and Gerald R. Ford, have been ex-Scouts. Of the 108th Congress, 264 Members, nearly half the entire congressional membership, participated in Scouting. Membership in the Scouts since 1910 totals more than 110 million. As of December 31, 2003, the Boy Scouts of America included 3.2 million youth members and 1.2 million adult members.

The Scout Law sets forth 12 guiding principles, providing that a Scout is ``trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.'' With regard to the final principle, the Scout Law says, ``A Scout is reverent. A Scout is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others.'' All Boy Scouts must know and subscribe to the Scout Oath and Law, which embodies not only the ideals of Scouting but also those of our great Nation.

While many religious organizations charter Scouting units, Boy Scouts of America prohibits them from requiring boys who belong to other denominations or faith to take part in or observe their religious ceremonies. Rather, the Boy Scouts of America encourages its youth members to practice their religious beliefs as directed by their parents and their spiritual advisors.

In Boy Scouts of America vs. Dale, the Supreme Court held that ``during the time spent with the youth members, the scoutmasters and assistant scoutmasters inculcate them with the Boy Scouts' values, both expressly and by example. It seems indisputable that an association that seeks to transmit such a system of values engages in expressive activity.''

Whenever the Boy Scouts are singled out for unfavorable treatment because of their viewpoint, very serious constitutional issues are raised. And this Congress will do everything in its power to uphold the Boy Scouts' constitutional rights.

Despite affirmation of the Scouts' first amendment right of expressive association by the Supreme Court in the Dale case, the Boy Scouts have been attacked on a variety of legal fronts.

In 1999 the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit against the United States Department of Defense, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Chicago School Reform Board of Trustees claiming that governmental support of the Boy Scouts violates the establishments clause because the Boy Scouts require a belief in God as a condition of membership. This lawsuit seeks to remove virtually all government support of the Boy Scouts of America.

Additionally, though the Supreme Court affirmed the Scouts' freedom of expressive association in the context of setting membership standards, the Scouts have been excluded from participating in Connecticut's charitable giving program for choosing to express this right.

The Scouts are also under attack in the city of San Diego. For decades the Scouts have used San Diego park property pursuant to a lease agreement with the city. However, the use of this property is currently in jeopardy due to claims by activist groups that the Scouts' use of the property violates the establishment clause.

The Scouts have also had to fight for equal access to school facilities for after-hour use. Shortly after the Supreme Court's decision in Dale, the Broward County School Board in Florida unanimously voted to exclude the Boy Scouts of America from utilizing school facilities for after-school use simply because of the Boy Scouts' religious principles, even though, for many years prior to this, the local arm of the Scouts had enjoyed the after-hours use of many Broward school facilities and numerous other organizations continued to use the school facilities.

Throughout the history of the Boy Scouts of America, the Boy Scouts have provided services to others, gathering food and clothing for needy

neighbors, building playgrounds, repairing parks and public buildings, assisting fire and police departments, and aiding disaster victims. In the days following September 11, Boy Scouts across the country collected food and other necessities for the victims' family and rescue workers and helped to rally the patriotism of the country by handing out flags and holding candlelight vigils.

Practically every Member of this body, Mr. Speaker, has been invited and participated in Eagle Scout ceremonies. I have been at a number of them, and it is a recognition of the good kids in our society that in my opinion do not get enough recognition. But in order to become an Eagle, every Scout has to do some type of community service project. And if the Scout does not do that, the Scout does not attain the highest rank, which is Eagle status. And it would be a shame if the Boy Scouts ended up being sued to death and, thus, the communities that benefit from all of these Eagle projects, as well as the projects that Scouts of lower rank participate in, would not be available.

We need the Boy Scouts now more than ever. And this Congress will do whatever it takes to make sure their vital spirit continues to inspire and strengthen America and its youth. I rise today in support of House Resolution 853, and I will rise in support of future efforts to protect the Boy Scouts whenever they or any other organization face unfair discrimination.

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

(Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa), the author of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Hayworth).

(Mr. HAYWORTH asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns).

(Mr. STEARNS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 853 may be the most self-evident resolution this body has considered in the 108th Congress. It is a bill to recognize the good service of the Boy Scouts of America. One would think we might as well consider a resolution recognizing the good service of motherhood and apple pie.

But, Mr. Speaker, as we near the end of 2004 we have to come to understand that some Americans do not believe in the good works of the Boy Scouts of America. In fact, there are those who believe that the very existence of the Boy Scouts of America does not deserve recognition by the Federal Government.

Although such a disposition may appear to be shocking at first, it is the mind-bending logical conclusion of an effort that seeks to isolate groups like the Boy Scouts. The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU, released the details of a legal settlement with the U.S. Department of Defense, DoD, this Tuesday, November 16, 2004. In this ongoing case, the ACLU has sued DOD and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD, for sponsoring the Boy Scouts of America, thus, in the opinion of the ACLU, breaching the Constitution's separation of church and state. While the settlement reached by the ACLU with DOC seems benign, the attack upon our country's cultural institutions cannot be ignored.

While purporting to defend Liberty, the ACLU and its allies promote an agenda that discriminates against religion and blocks the People from helping those who help others. You see, the Boy Scouts of America have the word ``God'' in their oath. While the Scout Oath also contains words like honor, moral, and country, the ACLU is concerned that religion is intruding upon the rights of the American people because Department of Defense employees have long worked with the Boy Scouts of America for community events.

Mr. Speaker, I serve as the chairman of the Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources Subcommittee of the Committee on Government Reform. Through my subcommittee, the ranking member, Elijah Cummings, and I have held eight hearings in the last 2 years on the provision of services by faith-based and community groups. In a field

hearing we held on January 23, 2004, in Los Angeles, CA, the subcommittee heard from a witness who explained the simple yet weighty impact the use of government property would be for groups like his. Keith Phillips is the founder and president of World Impact, a nonprofit, faith-based organization ``designed to transform the lives of the urban poor.'' For groups like Mr. Phillips', the use of buses for weekend trips can be the difference in helping the children of the urban poor. He suggested at our hearing that the Federal Government allow groups like his to use their buses on the weekend. He explained that government can help World Impact help other Americans, ``Give us facilities where we can run clinics, thrift stores, recreational activities. Help us provide better transportation for the urban poor to camps, conferences and schools by giving us the use of government vehicles like buses on weekends.''

Mr. Speaker, our Department of Defense, not to speak of other federal departments, operate hundreds, probably thousands of buses. The first legal step has been taken to prevent these buses from ever being used by the Boy Scouts or by groups like World Impact. I hope this House takes leaps toward helping groups like these. I hope this House takes steps to help DOD and other branches of the Federal Government help these people help their fellow Americans. I hope we stand up for the religious liberty of Americans against those who would discriminate against religiously oriented Americans.

I rise with my colleagues of the House in recognizing the good service of the Boy Scouts of America. Though H. Res. 853 would appear to be a simple resolution for this body to consider, I believe we are forced to defend the Boy Scouts and all other service organizations that would be falsely challenged in their service of other Americans. Let us unanimously pass H. Res. 853, and honor the ideals of the Scout Oath:

On my honor I will do my best

To do my duty to God and my country

and to obey the Scout Law;

To help other people at all times;

To keep myself physically strong,

mentally awake, and morally straight.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for bringing this important resolution to the floor in a timely fashion, and I say ``timely'' because an organization that on a bipartisan basis enjoys so much support to be under attack on a daily basis as we speak is an organization that needs our attention.

In 1916 when the Congress chartered the Boy Scouts, it did so in recognition of their contribution in their early days. But as we hear today that nearly or actually over half of the male Members of Congress are here today in no small part because of their participation in Boy Scouts, what we see is a ratio of success that comes from the Boy Scouts, that comes from the kind of training they provide to both urban and rural America. That is what we are here to defend today.

This resolution is, as the chairman so aptly said, one step in a dedication that we have on a bipartisan basis to defend the Boy Scouts' ability to continue the fine work they have done for nearly a century.

As a San Diegoan I am acutely aware of just how easily outside organizations objecting to what the Boy Scouts stand for could lead to the end of Scouting as we know it.

So I want to, once again, thank the chairman for bringing this important resolution to the floor in this Congress. I have no doubt that we will take up these issues and more in the next Congress, but as a former Boy Scout, somebody who, if I owe anyone the ``thank you for being here today,'' it was, in fact, for a Christian Arab young man to be in a Jewish Boy Scout troop, to be around the kind of openness and thinking that was available to me as a Scout, coming every week to an orthodox temple to understand the values of the world, not the values of Christianity, not the value of Judaism but the values of the world and the people of the world.

So, once again, Mr. Speaker, I urge the unanimous support of this resolution, and I ask all my colleagues to vote with the chairman, with myself, with the ranking member in favor of H. Res. 853.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 853 which honors the Boy Scouts of America, for the public service the organization performs for neighborhoods and communities across the United States.

I would like to thank Chairman Sensenbrenner, the Judiciary Committee staff, the Majority Leader and his staff for their hard work to bring this measure to the floor.

For 95 years, the Boy Scouts of America have made outstanding contributions to citizenship, service, and leadership.

The stated purpose of the Boy Scouts of America, incorporated on February 8, 1910, and chartered by Congress in 1916 is to provide an educational program for boys and young adults to build character, to train in the responsibilities of citizenship, and to develop personal fitness.

More than 50 percent of congressional members participated in Scouting either as a scout or a scout leader.

As I stand here today, the City of San Diego is facing litigation that would force the city to stop supporting the activities of the Boy Scouts and void a long-standing lease under which the Boy Scouts operate their headquarters in city-owned Balboa Park.

The Boy Scouts of America was founded on the premise of teaching boys moral and ethical values through an outdoor program that challenges them and teaches them respect for one another and themselves.

Scouting has always represented the best in community, leadership, and service.

The Boy Scouts of America relies on dedicated volunteers to promote its mission of preparing young people to make moral and ethical choice over their lifetime by instilling the values of the Scout Oath.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution is an expression of Congress' appreciation for Scouts, volunteer leaders, and employees of the Boy Scouts of America.

I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 853, which expresses the Sense of Congress that the Department of Defense should continue to exercise its authority to support the activities of the Boy Scouts of America.

I am appalled that the Department of Defense agreed to warn its military bases worldwide not to sponsor Boy Scout Troops--just because the ACLU is upset that they require their members to swear an oath to God. I wholeheartedly disagree with this decision, and I think the Pentagon should reconsider this short-sighted settlement.

Over the last 30 years, the Department of Defense has been specifically authorized to host Scouts on its installations and to provide equipment, transportation, and other services for both national and international events such as the Boy Scout Jamboree. Furthermore, United States Code Title 10, Sections 4682, 7541, and 9682 authorizes the Department of Defense to sell and donate (in certain cases) obsolete or excess material to the Boy Scouts of America to support its activities.

In the First District of Virginia, the Boy Scout Jamboree is hosted at Fort A.P. Hill every four years. The success of this event is directly attributable to the strong relationship that the

Boy Scouts and the Department of Defense have built over the years.

The Boy Scouts and the Department of Defense have enjoyed a unique relationship with many former Scouts joining the ranks of our nation's military. The Pentagon's recent agreement threatens this unique relationship of two organizations dedicated to one important objective: service to God and country.

I would remind my colleagues that Boy Scouts are not the only people who swear an oath to God. The fact is that our own service men and women take a similar oath before God at the beginning of their service, and I will not support any action or agreement which attempts to endanger a partnership which clearly benefits both organizations. I urge the Pentagon to reconsider its decision and to continue to support the Boy Scouts of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution and support, of course, of the Boy Scouts of America.

As mentioned, they have had 90 years of history here helping young men, young boys build character and train them in the responsibility of participating in citizenship. The Boy Scouts teach these boys and young men that there is a higher good, something outside of themselves within each of them they should strive to achieve.

We have heard, for example, from the chairman of millions of American boys and young men who participate in the Boy Scouts, including Gerald Ford, Hank Aaron, Ross Perot, Jimmy Stewart, Neil Armstrong. They all have benefited tremendously from belonging to and participating in the Boy Scouts.

As such, it is altogether fitting that we recognize the Scouts for all the public service and all the charitable work they have done over the years.

But Congress also has a responsibility to defend the Boy Scouts from the relentless attacks on it from various government entities and interest groups. For example, the ACLU is suing to challenge the Federal Government's longstanding support for the Boy Scouts. Do my colleagues realize also the ACLU also currently sued for the right of a nudist camp for children to open?

Recently, the Department of Defense has agreed to no longer officially sponsor the Scouts on military bases. Why? Because the Scouts' oath mentions God. This is not the first time the Boy Scouts have come under attack for their oath or their membership policies, even though the Supreme Court and the American people are on the side of the Boy Scouts.

The ACLU has led the charge against the Scouts in States like Connecticut and cities like San Diego to defund this important organization, take away their campsites and treat them as though they are hate groups. This campaign against the Scouts is truly wrong. It is about time we do something about it.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and any other efforts to protect the Boy Scouts of America.