Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor a very special group from South Louisiana.

On April 12, 2008, a group of 96 veterans and their guardians will fly to Washington with a very special program. Louisiana HonorAir is providing the opportunity for these veterans from my home State of Louisiana to visit Washington, DC, on a chartered flight free of charge. During their visit, they will visit Arlington National Cemetery and the World War II Memorial. For many, this will be their first and only opportunity to see these sights dedicated to the great service they have provided for our nation.

Today I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring these great Americans and thanking them for their unselfish service.

Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor tonight to talk about the ongoing military and diplomatic mission in Iraq and to discuss the recent testimonies given to Congress by General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker. Make no mistake, the situation in Iraq is the most significant issue that we, in Congress, face today. Our troops on the frontlines of the battlefield, our constituents back home, and the world look upon the actions and the debates in this body to determine our resolve.

First, let me thank the men and women serving in our Armed Forces, the diplomatic corps who are serving in that country, and our Foreign Service officers on the ground who all serve so nobly under difficult circumstances. They make our Nation great. And we owe them a debt of gratitude that can never be adequately repaid.

There are three observations that I have that drive my views and understanding of the current efforts being made in Iraq. First, the plan that was implemented about a year ago is working. General Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker are leading an effort to bring stability into Baghdad and areas throughout Iraq because they have the flexibility and the necessary resources to respond to changes on the ground. This plan is more than just simply 30,000 troops in country. The troops are placed strategically.

And we also have civilian personnel and diplomats on the ground working to help build up the political institutions from the ground up as we work with the central government so that hopefully as the two meet, we will end up with a stable Iraq that has sovereignty that can protect its borders and that can build institutions on its own and that can protect minority rights. Second, America can complete this mission successfully. Given the appropriate support and guidance, our troops and diplomats will succeed. And third, clearly, challenges remain. Both General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker outlined these challenges.

The positive trends as a result of this plan continue from last summer, and we will highlight those. But we understand many challenges remain before us, and clearly these challenges were outlined by these two gentlemen before Congress. I want to mention that failure in Iraq would have serious repercussions and dire consequences for U.S. foreign policy as well as for global security.

Most importantly, our efforts to stop terrorist organizations would be hindered. Secondly, the ability for us and others to deal with the Israeli-Palestinian peace process will become much more difficult. Thirdly, efforts to minimize Iran's dangerous mischief in this region will be diminished. And finally, stabilizing the broader Middle East will be exceedingly difficult if we fail in Iraq. Clearly, the cost and the consequences of failure are far too high.

As Members of Congress, we must listen to the professional judgments of the American leadership we have currently serving in Iraq and work with them to create and support policies that will successfully complete our mission.

Congress has a serious responsibility here. These two gentlemen and the work that they have done in Iraq has been outstanding and should be applauded. And we need to support them. And we need to have a serious debate here in Congress on what steps we need to take to continue to support this effort so that we are successful in Iraq.

Tonight, my colleagues and I will offer our thoughts on the situation there in Iraq, our reflections from recent trips and how we have moved forward. I want to encourage everyone who is listening to seek out and read the testimony of General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker. Read it carefully because it is very thoughtfully put together. They have provided an unvarnished account of what is happening on the ground, and it is the most accurate assessment of the situation. And that is what policy should be based upon. This House now has the responsibility to the American people to truthfully assess their testimonies.

At this point, I would like to pause and introduce my good friend from Texas (Mr. Conaway). He is a member of the Armed Services Committee. He heard the testimony this afternoon, and he'll make some comments.

Would the gentleman yield? I want to amplify on that. That delay really caused a lot of problems, particularly as the State Department tried to mobilize its part of the surge. It really froze their efforts for a while, and so there was a delay in getting those personnel on the ground to amplify what was being done from a security standpoint.

And I was meeting yesterday with SSG Paul Gwimes in my office. He served with the 256th in Iraq. He told me, and I have seen this when I have gone over there on two previous occasions, our men and women watch these news programs, and they watch C-SPAN, and they hear what we say. And it has an impact. We need to do everything we can to support them. I yield back to my friend.

I thank the gentleman.

I would like to now yield time to my good friend Judge Carter from Texas. He is a member of the Appropriations Committee and the Foreign Operations Subcommittee. He knows a little bit about what is going on in Iraq. He has been there. I would love to hear what he has to say.

I thank my friend. That is very compelling.

I had a similar situation back in August when we went to Fallujah, and I want to pay tribute to General Walter Gaskin, because he was on the ground, a Marine general, implementing this plan through Fallujah. They used their resources strategically to reach out to these sheiks and local leaders and tribal leaders, and it made all the difference in the world.

I remember loading up in an MRAP with him in a convey. We drove into Fallujah, and it was the most remarkable thing I have done since I have been a Congressman, because just weeks before, General Gaskin told us you couldn't go down this road without hitting an IED or getting shot at.

So we drove around some of the streets of Fallujah and then we got out and walked. And we walked four or five blocks to a joint security station with our marines and with the Iraqi police. And the first marine I came up to at the security station happened to be from my district in Abbeville, and we traded stories and talked about good Cajun food and all that. But I sure was proud of him. I called his parents when I got back and we talked.

You know, it just makes you feel good knowing these young men and women are just dedicated and they are doing what they have to do, and they are the best that humanity has to offer. I agree with you, Judge.

Then we met with the precinct police colonel who was so proud of the efforts, and he showed us how much success they had had because they were implementing Iraqi solutions to the security in Fallujah. And now Fallujah is growing. The population is coming back. Businesses are opening.

I walked into a small shop and met a shopkeeper with his young son and talked with them through a translator. We handed out candy to children in the streets. We encountered a group of young children playing soccer in the streets, another group of adolescents and young men playing volleyball, and it was quite a remarkable scene to experience. So I had a similar situation, and it is really a tribute to our men and women who are down there on the ground doing this job.

That peace is breaking out because of this plan that has been implemented. And we have seen dramatic results, yet those results are still fragile and still tenuous, as both Ambassador Crocker and General Petraeus have stated. But yet it is real progress, and we have an obligation to continue on this path so that we eventually see real stability in Iraq.

That is absolutely true and important. Not only that, Prime Minister al-Maliki made the decision to employ those troops in Basra, to take it into his own hands, and that was a huge move, because before he was afraid to confront the Jaish al-Mahdi and those insurgents. Not only that, Muqtada al-Sadr was partly responsible for helping position Maliki in as prime minister, and before he refused to take action against them when they are were doing unlawful activities.

For him to take that step was large. It was huge. And even though operationally it didn't go as smoothly as we hoped, it was a big step for them to go forward to do this, and that is a sign that things have changed. And we are seeing a change at the central level as well as what has been accomplished at the local level. As those two efforts merge, we will see a stable Iraq.

I thank the gentleman for his comments.

Now I would like to yield some time to a good friend who has been patiently waiting here, Dr. Gingrey of Georgia, a fellow physician, a member of the Armed Services Committee who has traveled to Iraq, and we would like to hear what he has to say.

I thank the gentleman.

I will be happy to yield.

Every American should remember that.

That's a perfect lead-in, because I want to talk a little bit about these two gentlemen who are leading this effort on the ground because I don't know if a lot of Americans really know about their background.

General Petraeus was a former commander of the 101st Airborne Division, and as many history buffs will remember, they were very famous for the first deployments behind German lines on D-Day. So that group, that division has a very illustrious history. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell was also a former commander of the 101st Airborne.

Not many people know this, but General Petraeus has a Ph.D. from Princeton University in international relations, and he is also an assistant professor of international relations at West Point.

He is a coauthor of the counter-insurgency manual that our military uses, and that's what they have actually implemented on the ground, and that's why we are seeing this great success.

Ambassador Crocker, there is a quote from his swearing in when he was sworn in as ambassador to Iraq, and I am going to quote Ambassador Crocker. He says, ``We have a historic challenge ahead of us. Terrorists, insurgents, militias continue to threaten security in Baghdad and around the country. Security is, without question, the central issue.''

In a very real sense it has been for at least the last four decades. I was here in the 1970s. There was no security. Iraqis everywhere lived in terror of the midnight knock on the door. Neighbors were afraid to talk to neighbors. It truly was the republic of fear.

Then came the savage Iran-Iraq war, Saddam Hussein's brutality to his own people, Desert Storm, and finally his overthrow in 2003. Those are all the things that the Iraqi people have had to endure in recent history.

This gentleman has a tremendous background as well. In January 2002 he was sent to Afghanistan to reopen the American embassy in Kabul. He received the Robert C. Frasure Memorial Award for ``exceptional courage and

leadership'' in Afghanistan. He was ambassador to Pakistan in 2004- 2007, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs 2001-2003, and he has served as ambassador to Syria, Kuwait and Lebanon. In fact, he was at post in Lebanon in Beirut when our embassy was bombed there in 1983.

This gentleman has had tremendous experience in the Arab world, as has General Petraeus, and it's one measure of their integrity that they have provided this accurate testimony first back in September and now, to give us an accurate appraisal of what's happening in Iraq.

Now, let's talk a little bit about what is going on and look at a few trends.

I have a chart here that shows by different metrics, two different metrics, the Iraqi and coalition in purple, and in the blue it is coalition data. This shows the trend line. You can see how the number of civilian deaths by both tracks had gone up, particularly in the 2006 and 2007 time frame, and now as we get down to the end of these curves, you get all of the way to March of this year, and you can see the significant improvement in the security situation with regard to civilians throughout Iraq.

How many Iraqi troops do we have there out front now. Currently there are 36 battalions of national police, up from 27 a year ago; and 171 battalions of Iraqi Army up from 115 a year ago. And of those 171 battalions, 112 are taking the lead in the fight against insurgents.

When I was in Baghdad in August, I was able to witness the result of training of the elite Iraqi force that they are sending out front to deal with hostage situations and terrorists and insurgents. It is a remarkable display to watch these gentlemen in action.

Afterwards I talked to some of our Special Forces guys doing the training, and they said they are getting close. They said they will never match up to American Special Forces and Delta Team, but they are pretty good. I got to witness this. It was a sign that this training process that we struggled with on the ground is finally coming to fruition and showing real results.

Next is the chart showing Iraqi security spending. This chart shows in the blue American or U.S. spending in dollars, billions of dollars, on Iraqi security forces. You can see the trend is dropping. We had an upsurge in 2006 and 2007, which was necessary, and now it is trending downward.

In green, look at the Iraqi expenditures going up. That is a significant sign that the Iraqis were committed to this process of taking care of their own security. I think it is critically important to recognize that trend.

Now I want to address the political, economic and social situation for a moment. It is important to recognize that prior to the brutal reign of Saddam Hussein, Iraq was basically a mosaic of tribes and subtribes, and governance was largely at the local level, dictated by tribal elders, and that is what it reverted to following the takedown of Saddam Hussein. We saw sectarian violence and all the jockeying for position. But at this point as a result of the plan that was implemented a little over a year ago, significant improvements in security have resulted, enabling Iraqis to make progress with their economy. Since the so-called surge began, business registrations have increased by 9 percent. And I know from my experience when I walked through the streets of Fallujah, there were a number of shops open and families were buying goods and food products. We are seeing microlending occurring to get new businesses started.

Iraqis still have a lot of work to do with their economy, and reforms are clearly needed to transition from what was a command-and-control economy to a modern market-based economy because clearly this is a major departure from what they had before.

Centralized electricity generation is now above prewar levels, still not sufficient to meet the needs of Iraq's growing demand, but markedly improved. Other key infrastructure needs are being upgraded, especially energy pipelines and storage facilities. Unemployment is still too high, and corruption still remains a challenge, but things are improving in those areas as well.

Early in the war, the U.S. funded most of the large scale reconstruction projects in Iraq. But now, the U.S. is focusing on encouraging entrepreneurship. This is clearly having positive results. The Iraqi government is now stepping up on reconstruction projects, and they have outspent the U.S. in a recent budget 11:1. That is 11 Iraqi dollar equivalents to $1 U.S. And soon, they are expected to cover 100 percent of these expenses. This is significant progress. Ambassador Crocker pointed this out in his testimony, and it is very important for Americans out there to understand that there is a transition being made where the Iraqis are going to pay this.

The National Government has now committed $196 million to fund jobs programs so brave Iraqis who have stood up to extremists and murderers and criminals can learn skills that they need to help build a free and prosperous nation.

In July, the Asian Cup Soccer Tournament was held. This was a very important demonstration of Iraqi nationalism as the Iraqi team, known as the Lions of Two Rivers, beat the three-time champions Saudi Arabia 1-0 in their first appearance in the Asian Cup final. And there was an outpouring of nationalism and public sentiment as a result of that.

The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Conaway) pointed out a number of major political accomplishments: The de-Ba'athification laws that have been passed that are allowing mid-level and low-level bureaucrats to return to service; the Iraqi leaders have agreed on a budget; and revenue sharing is well underway to get funds down to the provincial local level while the permanent revenue-sharing agreement is still being worked out.

Leaders have reached agreement on provincial powers law which will allow them to hold their provincial and local elections in October. This is a very important development because as I mentioned before, to have the local development and institutions come up while central government develops, as those two efforts meet, that is where we will see stability.

When I was in Baghdad, I met with the deputy prime minister, a Sunni member of the Council of Representatives, and he told me that he felt that Americans were paying too much attention to elections at the central level. He said elections are nice, but elections are like the fruit on the tree. You have to plant the tree, let it establish its roots, and grow. He was talking about institutions that need to develop from the ground up to have long-term stability. I will never forget that metaphor because it really demonstrates what is going on and the power of this plan that is in place that General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker have implemented.

Ambassador Crocker said today, in commenting on the events in Basra, ``When viewed with a broader lens, the Iraqi decision to combat these groups in Basra has major significance. First, a Shia majority government has demonstrated its commitment to take on criminals and extremists regardless of sectarian identity.''

That is a significant development that would not have happened even a year ago.

My friend from Texas, I yield to him.

I thank the gentleman. We all owe a great debt of gratitude to every family who has sacrificed. This is hard, and every American should care about this and be engaged in this process.

I continue to say that the men and women who put on the American uniform are the finest that humanity has to offer because of those sacrifices and what they do. Oftentimes, whether it is Iraq or Afghanistan or some other tough spot, the only American that people in these countries actually get to see are our American men and women in uniform, and they are oftentimes our finest ambassadors. And so we owe them a whole lot, a great debt of gratitude for what they have done, and we should never forget and always stand up.

I would urge folks, whenever they see someone in uniform, shake their hand and thank them for the service they have provided, and thank their families for the difficulties they have had to go through.

You know, Ambassador Crocker said today, I am going to quote one more time here, ``Last September, I said that the cumulative trajectory of political, economic and diplomatic developments in Iraq was upwards, although the slope of that line was not steep. Developments over there, the last 7 months, have strengthened my sense of a positive trend. Immense challenges remain and progress is uneven and often frustratingly slow, but there is progress. Sustaining that progress will require continuing U.S. resolve and commitment. What has been achieved is substantial, and it is also reversible.''

That really summarizes where we are today and how important it is that we have the resolve to see this through because the consequences of failure are immense. I mentioned that earlier.

Osama bin Laden himself has made statements about the importance of Iraq to these terrorist activities. I have a quote here. This is Osama bin Laden: ``A war is underway. The epicenter of these wars is Baghdad, the seat of the caliphate.'' The caliphate is what they hope to achieve, an empire, an Islamist, radical empire. ``Success in Baghdad will be success for the U.S.''

They don't want us to succeed in Baghdad. They want to drive us out.

Let me pull up the next chart.

I want to read this last one. This is in a letter from Ayman al- Zawahiri, the number two of al Qaeda, to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who headed up the al Qaeda effort in Iraq before we were able to eliminate him: ``Al Qaeda's stated Iraq strategy consists of three steps: Expel the Americans from Iraq; establish an Islamic authority; and extend the jihad wave to the secular countries neighboring Iraq.''

That's important because the countries neighboring Iraq or Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kuwait, and their goal is to overthrow these countries. That's their stated goal over and over in their communications, and that's why it's critical that we have success in Iraq because, again, we won't have peace throughout the Middle East. It'll have dire repercussions with regard to Lebanon.

I didn't mention Iran, which also borders Iraq, and it's a fluid border. And the Iranians are definitely causing mischief, dangerous mischief in Iraq and around the region. That's what's at stake here, and that's why we must be successful in Iraq.

With that, I want to conclude. I want to thank my colleagues for participating in this. I can't help but think of a Gold Star mother back home, Yvette Burridge, who's a friend of mine who's son went to high school with my son in Lafayette, Louisiana, Marine, Private First Class, David Paul Burridge who was killed in action on September 6, 2004 at 19 years of age. And every time I see Yvette Burridge, she has pride in her eyes. She's proud of what her son did. She's proud that he gave his life for his country.

And we all have stories like that that we should commemorate, those who have given their lives and who have been wounded in this effort. But we should never forget this effort. It's critically important to success in American foreign policy and American national security.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered to be the first sponsor of H.R. 4312, a bill originally introduced by Representative Baker of Louisiana, for the purposes of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII.

Madam Speaker, I rise to support the bipartisan Senate- passed update to the Foreign Intelligence and Surveillance Act, a chief component of national intelligence.

Three weeks have passed since our national security community lost the ability to track valuable intelligence without going through slow and burdensome bureaucratic hurdles. That's more than 3 weeks of terrorist communications that cannot be recovered. Yet, the Democratic House leadership under Speaker Nancy Pelosi refuses to debate a bi- partisan Senate bill, which would give intelligence officials expanded authority to track terrorists outside of the United States. Since August last year, a temporary set of new laws authorized this program, but it expired on February 15, 2008.

Violent extremists operating around the world have one aim--kill Americans. I am committed to providing responsible and appropriate tools to our intelligence community to protect and defend Americans at home and abroad. It is not a coincidence that the U.S. has not been attacked at home since September 11, 2001. American intelligence officers protected us, and Congress must provide the tools and techniques they need to meet the long-term challenges that remain. Those standing on the frontlines battling these terrorists must have the ability to quickly intercept foreign communications to stop terrorists.

The Democratic leadership in the House has said, ``there is no urgency'' on updating our Nation's intelligence laws. I vehemently disagree, allowing this law to expire is completely irresponsible. I will continue to stand up for our men and women who defend us against future terrorist attacks.

I urge my colleagues to adopt the Senate-passed bill to expedite this necessary and timely update to the FISA law. Another day should not pass without our passing this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Iota Lady Bulldogs basketball team, who again finished their season with a state championship alter defeating Capitol 60-49 in strong fashion.

The March 1st win capped the season for Iota, who finished with an impressive 36-4 record. Even more remarkable, the Lady Bulldogs competed in the larger Class AAA for the first time. Capitol had previously dominated the class with five championships in the past 7 years. Over the course of their career, Iota's senior class won an impressive 225 games.

Madam Speaker, as a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, I applaud these student athletes who demonstrated a strong work ethic, determination, and teamwork. The people of Iota share their pride in this team and each of these girls who continue to play so admirably.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating the two-time champion Iota Lady Bulldogs for their latest achievement.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to argue against this proposed Democratic budget that would raise taxes on Louisiana taxpayers by an average of $2,642 and contains egregious wasteful spending.

Extra money for tax hikes might be in the family budget for people in San Francisco, but families in southwest Louisiana do not have extra room in their budgets. Wasteful spending and tax hikes are irresponsible. The Democratic House leadership must understand that American families are facing higher costs at the pump, higher costs for healthcare and education, and more money to pay Federal taxes simply isn't there.

The Democratic budget proposal includes a massive $683 billion tax increase spread over five years in order to finance wasteful Washington spending according to the Congressional Budget Office. Taxpayers in Louisiana face average tax increases of $2,642. While failing to address growing entitlement programs, House Democrats are proposing tens of billions more in new Federal spending facilitated by the tax increase.

In addition, the Democratic budget contains the following: Cuts to the child tax credit, from $1,000 to $500 per child; Decreases to the adoption tax credit; Decreases in tax-free 401(k) and IRA contributions; Tax increases for small businesses averaging more than $4,000 per business.

Mr. Chairman, I cannot in good conscience support a budget that is as irresponsible as this one. It is a hamper to American entrepreneurs, small businesses and economic growth. Additionally, it hurts American families who struggle to pay higher energy prices, healthcare costs, housing costs and education costs.

Our budget is a statement of priorities. Lowering taxes, growing our economy and providing for families are my priorities. This Democratic budget falls well short.

Mr. Speaker, for more than 2 weeks, our national intelligence community has lacked the capability to track terrorists quickly.

Despite the known threats against this Nation, the House Democratic leadership has said there's no urgency on updating our Nation's intelligence laws. The FISA law dates back to the Carter administration, and that was almost 30 years ago, and they argue we should not update the law now?

It's no coincidence that the United States has been free from attack at home since September 11, 2001. Violent extremist terrorists are a threat, and that threat must be stopped. Congress must give our intelligence officers the tools and techniques they need to meet the long-term challenges.

Two weeks have passed since our national security community lost the ability to track intelligence without going through slow and burdensome bureaucratic hurdles. That's more than 2 weeks of terrorist communications that will never be recovered.

I am committed to providing responsible and appropriate tools to our intelligence community to protect and defend Americans at home and abroad. I urge my colleagues to do the same and pass the bipartisan FISA bill today.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 933, commending the Louisiana State University Fighting Tigers football team for winning the Bowl Champion Series national title game.

I would like to first thank my good friend, the dean of our Louisiana delegation, Richard Baker, for sponsoring the resolution, as well as Chairman Miller and Ranking Member McKeon of the Education and Labor Committee for bringing it to the floor.

On January 7, the LSU Tigers overcame an early first-half deficit of 10-0 to defeat the Ohio State University Buckeyes by a score of 38-24 in New Orleans. This was the second time the Tigers have won a BCS title in the Louisiana Superdome. The Tigers were led by the game's offensive MVP, senior quarterback Matt Flynn, who threw four touchdown passes, and defensive MVP, sophomore defensive end Ricky Jean-Francois, who blocked a field goal and had six total tackles and a half sack. This is the second year in a row that a Southeastern Conference team, arguably the most dominant conference in college football today, has beaten Ohio State to win the BCS national title.

Since the birth of the Bowl Championship Series in 1998, LSU is the first team to win two BCS national championship titles.

Led by seniors Matt Flynn, Jacob Hester, Ali Highsmith, Chevis Jackson, Jonathan Zenon, Craig Steltz, and Glenn Dorsey, the Tigers won 12 games

during the 2007 season. Seven games were won against nationally ranked opponents, as well as seven games against conference opponents, including the University of Tennessee Volunteers in the Southeastern Conference championship game by a score of 21-14.

Since his first season as LSU head coach in 2005, Les Miles has fearlessly led the Tiger football program to 34 overall wins, 20 SEC victories, and 14 wins over nationally ranked opponents. He has brought the Tigers to two SEC championship games, three consecutive bowl wins, two of which were BCS games, and one BCS national championship. Coach Miles has also had three consecutive double-digit win seasons, a school record. And he's clearly well known for the fourth and short conversions. He's fearless as a leader.

We must not also forget that, foremost, these student athletes perform just as hard in the classroom as they do on the football field. Coach Miles insists that his first goal for his team is a 100 percent graduation rate. And I'm proud to say that 14 members of this national championship football team were placed on the 2007 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll.

The 2007 Tigers fought through great adversity, thanks to a grueling schedule, injuries, and conference losses, to secure their place in the national championship game against Ohio State. This championship is very special to the LSU system and to my great State of Louisiana. And it's my honor to recognize Coach Les Miles and the 2007 LSU Tiger football team for all its great accomplishments this season and for bringing home the BCS crystal ball.

Geaux Tigers.

I ask my colleagues to support this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague from Louisiana's remarks and associate myself with them as well.

As an alumni of the LSU Medical School, I want to thank two members of my staff, both of whom were LSU graduates, Ryan Evans and Michael Hare, who helped me prepare my remarks for today. And I want to thank them and congratulate them on their work.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my friend from Texas (Mr. Gohmert).

Mr. Speaker, I just want to thank my colleague from Texas for his remarks and thank him for sending Matt Flynn over to LSU. But I want to remind him that Jim Bowie shed blood at the Alamo for Texas. He's a very famous Louisianian from my district, my neck of the woods, and since he sacrificed so much, I would ask my colleague to keep sending plenty more quarterbacks over to Louisiana. We'll take them.

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

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

I rise today in support of House Resolution 938, commending the West Virginia University Mountaineer football team for exemplifying the pride, determination, and spirit of the Mountain State and overcoming adversity with skill, commitment, and teamwork to win the 2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Throughout the years, the Mountaineer football team has been a source of great pride for West Virginians, and this past year proved no different. On January 2, 2008, the West Virginia University Mountaineer football team won the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, defeating the University of Oklahoma Sooners by a score of 48-28 in Glendale, Arizona.

After what could have been a team demoralizing loss of head coach Rich Rodriguez, then assistant coach Bill Stewart stepped up to demonstrate true leadership and coaching skill by instilling confidence in his team and leading them to victory, earning the admiration and gratitude of his fellow West Virginians.

Mountaineer quarterback Pat White gave a dazzling running and passing performance that inspired his teammates, delighted WVU fans, frustrated his opponents, and earned him offensive MVP honors. Defensive honors went to Mountaineer linebacker and native West Virginian Reed Williams, who led his team in an outstanding defensive performance.

With the conclusion of an impressive 11-2 season, the Mountaineers finished among the top 10 in college football rankings for a third consecutive year, and with their new head coach Bill Stewart, brought great honor to themselves, their university, and the State of West Virginia.

High marks should also be given to athletic director Ed Pastilong, who, over his 19-year career, has instilled the athletic department of West Virginia University with the highest standards of ethics and performance. We should also recognize WVU president Mike Garrison for his leadership. WVU is committed to changing lives and providing opportunities to all through education, building knowledge through research, and serving the people of West Virginia through economic development and health care.

I extend my congratulations to head coach Bill Stewart and all the hardworking players, the fans, and to West Virginia University. I'm happy to join my good friend and colleague Representative Mollohan in honoring this exceptional team and all of its accomplishments and wish all involved continued success. And I ask my colleagues to support this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as she may consume to my colleague, the gentlewoman from West Virginia (Mrs. Capito).

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

Madam Speaker, across the country, American families are dealing with high energy prices. Families, especially those at risk due to home foreclosure, illness, and job insecurity face high anxiety about just how high these prices will go. Oil and gas prices soared last year, but this Congress did nothing to address the underlying problem. Some suggest an increase in the gasoline tax, a 40-cent per gallon increase. Now that is a lot of money in southwest Louisiana.

Washington must rein in waste and promote energy solutions to meet our energy needs. This Congress should promote sensible policies that unleash American ingenuity to come up with the next generation of alternative fuels. Washington also needs to work to fix our aging roadways and bridges. But we have a responsibility to cut wasteful spending instead of hiking taxes.

Let's do something positive for the people. We can promote energy solutions and fund necessary repairs for our infrastructure. Increasing taxes is not a solution. Let's make the hard decisions, because that is what the American people put us here to do.

Yesterday, the Democratic leadership unveiled a half- trillion-dollar spending bill because they were unable to fulfill their constitutional duties.

This spending bill is 3,500 pages long, and the majority gave Members of Congress less than 24 hours to look at it. And that's simply ridiculous. We had less than 24 hours to review a bill funding our national priorities, but chock full with earmarks and frivolous spending, and it failed to go through the proper committee checks. But the liberal leadership of this House added mounds of earmarks for their friends and liberal policies that most Americans do not support.

In all of this spending, however, the glaring neglect by the Democratic leadership is our troops. Those fighting around the world, making us safer from al Qaeda and other terrorist groups, will not receive the necessary resources to continue their mission.

Mr. Speaker, ensuring our Armed Forces have the tools at their disposal to defeat the terrorist threat is one of our responsibilities in Congress. And I urge all of my colleagues to remember that.

This week, the Democratic leadership will unveil a half-trillion-dollar spending bill because they are unable to complete their constitutional responsibility. This half-trillion-dollar spending bill follows a failed energy bill that did nothing to increase our domestic supply of energy and failure to come up with a new farm bill.

Families across America are paying higher energy costs, they're bearing the burden of higher costs of living, and they are paying more for their health care. We in Congress have a responsibility to them. Furthermore, the Treasury Department waits now to see if Democrats will tax millions of Americans with the AMT, with their so-called AMT fix.

The American people want results, not politics. Let's finish the farm bill to provide some stability to our food producers and an energy bill to address the uncertainty and fluctuating prices.

Finally, let's be diligent with Americans' hard-earned money with responsible spending. Let's put politics aside, let's get our work done, and let's give American families the results which they can be proud of.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 768, honoring the life of Thomas ``Tommy'' Makem. Makem was an internationally celebrated Irish folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller, best known as a member of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. He played the long-necked five string banjo, guitar, tin whistle, border pipes, and sang in a very distinctive baritone. He was sometimes known as the Godfather of Irish music.

The son of a successful Irish folk singer, Sarah Makem, Tommy Makem mesmerized audiences for more than four decades. He expanded and reshaped the boundaries of Irish culture and infused a pride and a quest for knowledge of Irish culture in countless others.

In 1955, Makem's ambition to become an actor took him to New York where, after a brief but rewarding career in live television and off- Broadway plays, he teamed up with the Clancy Brothers. They appeared on the ``Ed Sullivan Show,'' the ``Tonight Show'' and every major television network show in the United States. The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem played to audiences from New York's Carnegie Hall and London's Royal Albert Hall to every major concert venue in the English- speaking world.

In 1969, Tommy left the Clancy Brothers to pursue a solo career and immediately sold out Madison Square Garden in New York. His popularity soared, and he went on to three sold out concert tours in Australia, including Sydney's opera house.

By 1975, Makem had rejoined Liam Clancy of the Clancy Brothers. The duo worked together until 1988. Their collaboration garnered the pair an Emmy nomination, as well as several platinum and gold records.

Tommy Makem's music will live on forever. ``The Rambles of Spring,'' Farewell to Carlingford,'' ``Gentle Annie,'' ``The Winds Are Singing Freedom'' and, of course, ``Four Green Fields'' are all standards in the repertoire of folk singers around the world in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

I am very happy to join my good friend and colleague, Representative Shea-Porter, in honoring the life of Thomas ``Tommy'' Makem, and I ask my colleagues to support this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I have no other Members requesting time, and I'll be happy to yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 264, honoring the University of Hawai`i for its 100 years of commitment to public higher education.

In 1907, the Hawaii Territorial Legislature established the College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in Honolulu under terms of the U.S. land grant legislation. Ten students began classes with 13 faculty members in September of the following year, and the first graduates received degrees in 1912. The university has been growing ever since.

In 1912, the founding campus was renamed the College of Hawai`i, and it moved to its present location in the Manoa Valley. Pig farms and kiwi groves were cleared for construction of the first permanent building, Hawaii Hall. Six years later, William Kwai Fong Yap petitioned the legislature for university status and the campus became the University of Hawai`i in 1920.

After the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, classes were suspended for 2 months, and University of Hawai`i students of Japanese ancestry formed the Varsity Victory Volunteers to assist with civil defense, many of whom later became a part of the famous 100th Infantry Battalion.

In 1964, the University of Hawai`i Community Colleges System was established with four additional campuses. Two years later, the founding campus, now called UH Manoa, established a School of Travel Industry Management and the forerunner programs of the School of Hawaiian, Asian and Pacific studies. The John A. Burns School of Medicine opened in 1967, and construction began on the first telescope atop Mauna Kea volcano in 1968.

In 2000, Hawaii voters overwhelmingly supported constitutional autonomy for the University of Hawai`i, ensuring the institution more control in the management of its resources.

Honolulu Community College was selected to be one of only six Cisco Training Academies in the country to offer certified network professional training, and Maui Community College continued a tradition of statewide outreach by opening the Moloka'i Education Center.

Additional highlights include winning the contract to manage the Maui Supercomputing Center for the Air Force Research Laboratory, and in 2003, walls were raised for a new medical school and biomedical research facility.

Today, the University of Hawai`i system includes 10 campuses and dozens of educational, training, and research centers across the Hawaiian Islands. As the public system of higher education in Hawaii, UH offers opportunities as unique and diverse as the islands themselves.

UH is the State's leading engine for economic growth and diversification, stimulating the local economy with jobs, research, and skilled workers.

I am happy to join my good friend and colleague, Representative Hirono, in honoring this exceptional university for all of its accomplishments and wish the faculty, staff, and students continued success.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, coming from the great State of Louisiana, I wish to issue a warm welcome to the University of Hawai`i as they come to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl, and I also want to congratulate them on a perfect regular season for their football team.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further Members on this side wishing to speak and I yield back.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

It has been almost a year now, and we have had a lot of discussion throughout committees and so forth on a number of areas that would promote green technology, and I want to say that I share your commitment. I think it is critical that we move in that direction. CAFE standards are good. Improving better gas mileage for our vehicles is a good thing. Unleashing American ingenuity is a good thing to solve our energy problems. But we should not be picking favorites. This Congress should not pick favorites at the outset with the new development of all these technologies. We need to be technology neutral in this approach, and this bill does not do that. It seeks to pick favorites, and it also does a number of things that would be devastating to our oil and gas industry as it exists today.

Let's be truthful with the American public. We are not going to see energy independence in the short term. We have to manage strategically our energy dependence. The provisions, such as getting rid of the 6 percent domestic manufacturing deduction for our oil and gas companies and our refineries would be devastating to our industry. Getting rid of the foreign tax credit provision as applied only to oil companies is going to be devastating. This will deny the ability of our oil companies to deduct their foreign taxes, in effect creating double taxation on our companies.

What does this mean? The big companies are the ones that have the technology to drill in deep water, to improve our supply; the smaller companies partner with them. If the big companies can't do it, smaller companies

won't be able to do it. And what are we going to do in the short term? The green technology that we all want is not there yet. So we have to strategically manage our dependence, and this bill will actually increase our dependence on foreign oil based on a number of these provisions. There is nearly $13 billion in new taxes on our oil and gas companies. This is critical. This is going to hurt our energy security.

So for these reasons, I oppose the rule and I oppose the underlying bill. Let's work in a bipartisan way to get a good piece of energy legislation.