Commending the Patriot Guard Riders for shielding mourning military families from protesters and preserving the memory of fallen service members at funerals.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Virginia, and I also thank the leader of the Armed Services Committee, the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter), as well as my chairman from the Veterans' Affairs Committee, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer) for their support of this resolution, as well as my colleagues from Kansas.

Many good things come from Kansas, including the Patriot Guard, but in response to something that is less than desirable, and that is a radical Topeka, Kansas-based church has been disrupting funerals of servicemembers now for several years, with picketers that appear at those funerals during and holding signs that read, ``Thank God for IEDs,'' and, ``Thank God for dead soldiers.'' No Kansan, no American can respond to that in any way but the way that it has been described by my colleagues today.

But in 2005, the American Legion Riders of Post 136 in Mulvane, Kansas, responded by bringing their motorcycles and themselves to those funeral services where they provided a buffer between the protesters and the families of those deceased service men and women. They decided to take action and called themselves the Patriot Guard, and they organized their supporters from across the country to attend those funerals and shield our military families. They waved the American flag, sang patriotic songs, and took lawful and peaceful action to serve as a barrier between the families and protesters. Their actions preserved the dignity and honor of these funeral services and allowed the families a peaceful time of mourning on that day of service that they so much deserved.

This movement has now spread across from Mulvane, Kansas, across the State and around the Nation. The Patriot Guard Riders now include thousands of members who volunteer their time to come to the aid of military families at funerals to show their respect and, when needed, to shield families from disruption. Members include veterans and nonveterans, riders and nonriders, and they have successfully performed hundreds of missions across the country not only supporting the fallen and their families, but also providing comfort to those who serve today, knowing that their families would be protected should they fall.

The significance of these volunteer actions is realized when you read letters of appreciation written by family members and friends of the deceased. I would like to mention a letter that the Patriot Guard received from the family of Corporal Peter Wagler. I attended that funeral in Hutchinson, Kansas, at the Nazarene Church on February 10, 2006. Corporal Wagler was killed in Iraq at the age of 19, having served only a month in Iraq, and his family wrote the Patriot Guard Riders:

Thank you so much for your amazing support at the funeral

of our son Peter Wagler.

Despite the cold north wind, you rode many miles to

participate.

I have never seen such a display of flags as we encountered

when leaving the church. Many people have told me how

meaningful the flags were to them; many shed tears as they

drove through the tunnel. As for your protecting us from the

demonstrators, when we arrived we looked for them, but we

could not see them, and we never did.

Peter loved motorcycles and planned to get one when he

finished his term in Iraq. He will not get to do that, but he

would have loved the tremendous display you put on. Our

family feels inadequate in expressing our thanks, but please

know that we deeply appreciate what you did for us.

God bless you,

David for the Wagler family.

Mr. Speaker, I urge that we adopt this resolution and that we, as a House, commend the Patriot Guard Riders.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the rule for fiscal year 2007 Department of Defense Appropriations Act and the underlying legislation. I would like to commend Chairmen Lewis and Young, as well as the ranking member and the staff of the Defense Committee and subcommittee for their tireless effort in support of our soldiers, our sailors, airmen, and marines who are bravely defending us at home and abroad.

Mr. Speaker, this bill most importantly meets the immediate needs of our warfighters who are fighting and winning the global war on terror. It is a good bill that provides funding for many important programs which are our military's top priorities.

Not the least of these, Mr. Speaker, is F-22 Raptor. I am particularly delighted for the work the Appropriations Committee has done to fund the F-22 program this year. The full funding of 20 planes will go a long way toward providing stability for the program and ensuring that America maintains air dominance for the foreseeable future.

In light of emerging military threats globally, the F-22 will continue to increase in significance, as it is the world's most capable fighter. I therefore wholeheartedly agree with the Department of Defense that the F-22 should be fully funded on a multi-year contract basis, and that the procurement life of the program should be extended beyond fiscal year 2009.

Further, Mr. Speaker, during this time of conflict as we fight the global war on terror, the United States must, without question, continue to modernize and strengthen our ability to support our men and women in harm's way. Maintaining our Nation's airlift capabilities is critical to this mission, and I would like to applaud the committee for their recognition of this in funding 9 C-130Js and the C-5 modernization.

Today, the C-130J is the most modern military transport in service. Both United States and allied C-130Js are exceeding expectations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The KC-130Js have been deployed continuously to Iraq dating to February of 2005, and their unprecedented capability, reliability, and maintainability have been impressive. Over the past year of deployment, the C and the KC-130J mission capable rates have been between 89 and 93 percent, which is more than a 50 percent improvement over legacy aircraft. Similarly, the C-5 has also proven its ability to provide critical support. While the C-5 fleet has flown less than 25 percent of all cargo missions in operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, they delivered nearly 50 percent of all cargo to our troops on the ground. Clearly, the C-5 has demonstrated its effectiveness, and therefore further modernization of a C-5 fleet is imperative.

The funds for C-5 AMP modernization will be used to make critical upgrades of the cockpits with modern avionics and flight instrumentation that meet both Air Force and congressional mandated standards.

Additionally, Mr. Speaker, the funds allocated for the C-5 RERP program modernization will be used to replace old engines and systems with newer ones. These replacements represent significant improvements to the aircraft, making them even more reliable and easier to maintain.

Again, Mr. Speaker, this bill does a remarkable job in addressing a wide scope of issues that are vitally important to our armed services. I would like to again thank the chairmen and ranking members of the respective committee and subcommittee for their hard work on this bill. I urge support of the rule and the underlying legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 731) commending the Patriot Guard Riders for shielding mourning military families from protesters and preserving the memory of fallen servicemembers at funerals, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the resolution under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 731 offered by my friend and colleague from Kansas, Representative Jerry Moran.

Just last month, this Congress responded magnificently to the deplorable acts of a few who celebrate the deaths of our fallen soldiers when it passed the Respect For America's Fallen Heroes Act. In doing so, we sent a strong message to those who would hide behind the first amendment while using hate speech to dishonor the memories of those who have honorably served their country in the Armed Forces simply because they disagree with policy.

However, this resolution tells the other side of the story, the positive side. In response to these so-called protesters, an all- volunteer group known as the Patriot Guard Riders was formed to shield those who mourn the death of their loved ones from those who celebrate it; and since last year, these patriots have seen their membership rise to the tens of thousands. Now the threat of protest at a military funeral is met with the roar of hundreds of motorcycles bearing American flags thundering down the street providing both a visible and audible barrier between the families that are trying to honor their loved ones and those trying to disrespect them.

Mr. Speaker, the families of our fallen heroes should be allowed to bury their loved ones with the respect and dignity they deserve, not with the ridicule and disrespect that seem to dominate today's political and cultural landscape. For defending that right, the Patriot Guard Riders are true patriots, and I believe it is both fitting and proper that we honor their service here today.

Yet the mission of the Patriot Guard Riders can best be summed up in their own words. In answer to the question, Why do we ride? They respond: Never again will they return home in shame. Never again will wearing their uniform cause them pain. Never again will we forget why they serve.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from Kansas for introducing this resolution and urge all my colleagues to support it.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran), the sponsor of the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Ryun).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Garrett).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne).

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentlewoman from California for her leadership, for yielding, and for her work on the Rules Committee. Her fairness in seeking appropriate rules does not go unnoticed, and I want to thank her for fighting for fairness in this whole process.

As the daughter of a veteran of two wars, first let me just express my profound respect and admiration for our brave young men and women serving our Nation around the world and on the ground in Iraq.

I also rise to convey my appreciation for the hard work and the dedication of the distinguished ranking member of the defense subcommittee, Mr. Murtha, and the ranking member of the full committee, Mr. Obey. They have both been champions for a significant provision in this bill, one that would ensure that we are not establishing permanent military bases in Iraq.

Mr. Speaker, the American people do not want an open-ended war and occupation in Iraq. Congress must be on record supporting this, and the administration must level with the American people regarding their long-term desires and designs with regard to Iraq.

My colleague, Mr. Allen, and I offered an identical provision to the war supplemental bill this past March; but in a gross abuse of power, the Republican majority stripped it in conference. We must ensure that the no permanent bases in this bill remains and not be gutted.

While I support this provision, I also believe this bill could be improved in many ways. First, this bill does not address the waste, fraud, and abuse in Pentagon spending. GAO has identified cost savings which, if implemented, could save billions of tax dollars. This budget should not be off limits to spending cuts, especially where funds are misspent. Also, this bill continues to fund the unnecessary war in Iraq without demanding accountability from this administration.

In a larger sense, Mr. Speaker, I believe that our Nation is best defended by funding priorities that truly make our Nation and the world safer. I am disappointed that this $427 billion bill continues to fund Cold War-era weaponry for a threat that doesn't exist. We must focus our security spending on threats that we face today. By getting rid of outmoded weapons systems programs, we can not only make the much needed investment in ensuring health care for all of our children, improving our public schools, ending our dependence on foreign oil, but also improve our Homeland Security, where of course we must focus because the real threat involves possible attacks, and we need to protect our homeland.

That is why I have joined with my colleague Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey in introducing H.R. 4898, the Common Sense Budget Act. This bill shows how we can reduce our defense budget by $60 billion without diminishing our ability to protect our Nation by putting resources into areas where real threats exist, by protecting our ports, protecting our transit systems, real homeland security. So we must get our funding priorities right. The challenge is clear. We must, quite frankly, put

some common sense into our defense spending.

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

Mr. Speaker, today I will be managing the time on behalf of the Democratic members of the House Armed Services Committee. And I certainly want to thank Mr. Moran for bringing forth this resolution and thank Mrs. Drake of Virginia for managing the time and urging the adoption of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, in 2004, my hometown of Wilson, North Carolina, suffered its first casualty of war since Vietnam. Our community is a rather small community of 43,000 people, and all of the residents of my community including myself felt the sting of this terrible tragedy.

It is abhorrent to me to denigrate this honorable ceremony; yet somehow a few people have found a reason to justify the terrible act of picketing a military funeral. That in my opinion, Mr. Speaker, is despicable. A military funeral is a farewell; it is a farewell for loved ones and a final act of thanks from a grateful Nation. Every soldier in our history, no matter who the enemy has been, has been granted this one simple act which has tragically been repeated so many times and too many times during this and other wars, but always with pride.

Every parent deserves to lay their child to rest as a soldier and as a hero, a person to whom servicemen and servicewomen can look with reverence. Every wounded veteran, Mr. Speaker, can look to these fallen men and women and draw strength from their memories.

To those who are grieving and most vulnerable, the protest must be utterly devastating to them. They are nothing more than cowardly attacks on members of our communities most deserving of our gratitude and our respect.

Today, Mr. Speaker, we come to the floor to honor those who have shown courage in response to cowardness. I commend in the strongest possible terms the Patriot Guard Riders. These volunteers have come forward in defense of our military families, including a dear friend of mine from Greensboro, North Carolina, Mr. Steve Winsett. These men perform selfless acts in memory of servicemembers who will never be able to repay them. It is an act of compassion and is a part of what makes our great Nation strong.

Mr. Speaker, make no mistake about it, I support the first amendment's guarantee of free speech, but this sacred moment in the life of a family is out of bounds. I urge the members of the Westboro Baptist Church to find another venue to express themselves.

We express our deepest gratitude from the House Armed Services Committee and from this body; we express our deepest gratitude to the Patriot Guard Riders. And I want to thank again Mr. Moran for bringing forth this resolution, because it is most appropriate at this time.

I urge its adoption.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers at this time, but I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 731. I want to thank my colleague Mr. Moran and Mr. Ryun of Kansas for their leadership. I offer my deepest appreciation to the men and women of the Patriot Guard Riders, dedicated and committed Americans who will not wait for others to act, but they took upon themselves the solemn responsibility of right action.

On Memorial Day, before President Bush attended the Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, he signed into law the Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act. This new law prohibits disruptions of military funerals at national cemeteries and Arlington, which is owned by the U.S. Army.

Standing behind the President as he signed the bill in the Oval Office was the executive director of the Patriot Guard Riders, Jeff Brown, and five of his Patriot Guard Riders. They stood beside the families of two soldiers who had made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq, that of Sergeant Rickey Jones of Kokomo, Indiana; and the family of Sergeant Joshua Youmans of Flushing, Michigan. Both families had endured harassment by protesters who were cheering the deaths of their sons.

Patriot Guard Riders, acting out of decency, compassion and respect for the law, often place themselves between the families and the hateful perversions of those who would sharpen the pain of a mourning family's unspeakable loss.

The mission of the Patriot Guard riders is simple: Show sincere respect for our fallen heroes and their families, their communities; and shield the mourning family and friends from interruptions created by any protester or group of protesters. Patriot Guard Riders attend the funerals at the invitation of the family, and they adhere to strictly legal and nonviolent means. These patriots use their vacation time and fund their own expenses to stand with the grieving families.

Among the hallmarks of the American character is our compassion and human decency. It is how we care for each other in difficult times. In towns across this country, this is evident in the thousands of Americans who line the roads in condolence at the passage of a loved one to attend the military funeral. The independent action, I think, is another of America's sacred traits.

The Patriot Guard Riders, seeing an injustice, chose to rise up and not permit the desecration of the sacred. Their courage, their conviction, and their simple decency on behalf of families grieving at the loss of a loved one represent the very best of our Nation.

In return, we as a Nation offer them our gratitude for unselfishly serving to protect the sanctity of military funerals and for easing the burden of mourning families and their communities, thereby setting a worthy example for everyone.

I urge adoption of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Congressman Jerry Moran for his leadership in introducing H. Res. 731, commending the Patriot Guard Riders for shielding mourning military families from protestors and preserving the memory of fallen service members at funerals.

I am proud to join in the bi-partisan support shown by the House of Representatives for this important legislation.

As you know, the main mission of the Patriot Guard Riders is to help maintain dignity and respect at the funerals of service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. They are invited as guests to block protestors through strictly legal and non-violent means. Like dedicated sentinels, the Patriot Guard Riders line the streets shielding the grieving family and community from any disruptive protesters.

I want to thank personally the Patriot Guard Riders for their nationwide commitment to this cause. The Patriot Guard Riders have paid homage to fallen heroes in my congressional district of El Paso, TX, making a positive impact on my community.

On April 12, 2006, the Patriot Guard Riders traveled to Clint, TX, for the funeral of Sergeant Israel Devora Garcia, who was also made a U.S. citizen at his funeral. Sergeant Garcia's friends and family were left to mourn his passing in peace, free from protest. More recently, on June 16, 2006, the Patriot Guard Riders congregated at the funeral procession of Specialist Oliver Oropenza at Fort Bliss National Cemetery in El Paso, TX. They were welcomed by grieving friends and family who were able to honor SPC Oropenza free from disruptions.

You may recall that I was the primary Democratic sponsor of H.R. 5037, the Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act, under which demonstrations are restricted within 150 feet of methods of ingress and egress from such cemetery property or within 300 feet of such cemetery in a manner that impedes the access to or egress from the cemetery. This bill guarantees the families and friends of fallen heroes the right to grieve in peace, while also protecting the freedom of speech. I am very proud that, with strong bi-partisan support this bill was passed by both chambers of Congress and signed into law by the President on Memorial Day 2006.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the Patriot Guard Riders, who have been physically present at the funerals of our fallen heroes since August 2005, to protect and guard the families and friends of the fallen from protest. I stand in strong support of their honorable mission, and I ask for all of my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 731.

Mr. President, today Senator Roberts is joining me as I submit a resolution to commend the Patriot Guard Riders for all they have done to honor our Nation's fallen heroes and bring comfort to these soldiers' friends and family members.

The Patriot Guard Riders was established in August of 2005 when the American Legion Riders Chapter 136 from Kansas learned that the Westboro

Baptist Church was planning to protest at the funeral of SGT John Doles in Chelsea, OK. The Patriot Guard Riders have since grown into a national network of tens of thousands of members who share a respect for service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

The group's mission is to show their sincere respect for our fallen heroes, their families, and their communities. Patriot Guard members attend funerals after being invited by the family of the fallen soldier. At the funeral they form a human shield to protect grieving family members and friends from protesters.

I was recently at the funerals for North Dakota soldiers, and I was appalled--absolutely appalled--by the behavior of protesters who used the funeral to convey their twisted message of hatred for our soldiers and their families. These protests do a grave disservice to the men and women who have courageously served our country and paid the ultimate sacrifice. They and their families deserve privacy and our profound respect.

In addition to attending fallen soldiers' funerals, and send offs, and welcome home ceremonies, the Patriot Guard Riders also visit critically wounded soldiers in hospitals and help them become assimilated back into civilian life. The group has also started the Fallen Warrior Scholarship Fund, a scholarship established to send fallen soldiers' children to college.

Our colleagues in the House passed a similar piece of legislation, H. Res. 731, on June 20. We should join them in expressing the Senate's deepest appreciation to the Patriot Guard Riders who help to preserve the memory and dignity of the Nation's fallen heroes. The resolution I am submitting today does just that. It expresses the Senate's ``deepest appreciation to the Patriot Guard Riders who shield mourning family members and friends of the deceased from protesters who interrupt, or threaten to interrupt, the dignity of a funeral; and in so doing, help to preserve the memory and dignity of the Nation's fallen heroes.''

All across the Nation, and in my own State of North Dakota, Patriot Guard Riders are protecting mourning families from further hurt. For that, they deserve our sincere gratitude.