Floor Statements

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

Madam Speaker, I, too, rise in support of this resolution.

Certainly history is replete with examples like this where well- intended, strong statements are made and then as much as 2 years passes before the event becomes complete. Juneteenth is no exception to that.

More than 2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, it took 2,000 Federal soldiers marching into Galveston Island in order to free slaves from servitude. So as we look at what we need to do here in Congress today, let us not be dissuaded from doing what is right because it may take time. Let us not be dissuaded from making sure that America has its freedom and independence assured by our own independence in all areas, including natural resources.

I certainly think more than 100 years after the Civil War, we can celebrate the successes of the Civil War; but we also have an obligation to deal with problems that might take 4 or 5 years of domestic exploration and domestic investment in oil and natural gas in order to bear fruit. But I would ask today that we resolve to begin that process because certainly, as we look at President Abraham Lincoln who knew that the Emancipation Proclamation would not immediately free slaves but, in fact, would make a strong statement that we were resolved to do so.

I would hope today as we pass this important piece of legislation, we would resolve to make sure that America is independent and free in the years to come.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam 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 yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Tim Russert was a great man whose time came too early. He had much more to give to us, not just this past Sunday where he would have had Joe

Biden in a one-on-one or a one-on-two and then brought him to task and brought his other guests to task.

But in fact, his legacy will disappear unless we bring ourselves to realize that the truth should not be a casualty of politics. That's what Tim Russert really brought to bear on ``Meet the Press.'' He made the style about the truth. He invited Republicans, Democrats. I think he had Ralph Nader on more than a few times. He made it a point to bring in people who were interesting, and then he asked them interesting questions. And when they answered, he then brought out the interesting fact that they perhaps had not yet prepared for. He asked them to tell the truth, and then if that was not the truth or if there was more to be heard in the truth, he brought that out. His research was second-to-none.

Now, he certainly seemed to say every single week, ``Go Bills.'' But as a Clevelander, I am going to take a little liberty today in his name because when it came time to go to a fine college, he went to John Carroll, a Jesuit college in the city in which my high school, Cleveland Heights University High School, was located. He went there because it was a fine education. I'm only surprised that he learned during those years that it was a little less expensive to go to John Marshall for his law school. So he trotted downtown to Cleveland's John Marshall, now Cleveland State's John Marshall Law School. So he was as much a Clevelander in his education, in his preparation, as he was from Buffalo.

I think that, in fact, his Cleveland roots are something we need to understand because one of the most famous things he ever did was predict in 2004 that it would be ``Ohio, Ohio, Ohio,'' that would indicate the outcome of the 2004 election. I know, Madam Speaker, that you're well aware that Ohio was, in fact, critical, not Florida.

Tim Russert was the kind of person who really enjoyed that kind of let's call the facts to bear, let's bring them in, let's force people to answer tough questions. He did so whether you were a Republican or a Democrat. He did so whether or not the outcome was one direction or the other.

I believe that's part of his Cleveland upbringing. I believe it's what made him great. So he will always be remembered for talking about the Buffalo Bills, but for me, he will always be remembered as somebody who was the product of Jesuit education at John Carroll and Cleveland- John Marshall.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

No story of Tim Russert would be complete if we didn't talk about the loss we're going to have this political season. Clearly, as Barack Obama and John McCain compete for the hearts and minds of the American people, we're going to miss Tim Russert asking the tough questions. We're going to miss him undoubtedly at the debates. Somebody else is going to have to be there to be fair but tough.

Madam Speaker, additionally, we're going to miss Tim Russert when it comes to the people on both sides of the issue of why we have $5 gasoline and $135 oil. I think Tim Russert would have been just the right guy to hold people accountable, who would talk about the 68 million acres that are ``inactive'' while, in fact, 41 million are under current lease and use and are producing millions of barrels of oil and natural gas a day, but more importantly, over 2 billion, 2 billion acres are not available for exploration and development, including the over 50 miles and less than 200 miles off the California coast. Those miles certainly could give us the natural gas we need to fire our electricity in California at a time when we are dangerously close to the lights going out once again.

So, Madam Speaker, I'm going to miss Tim Russert because this debate is too important not to have, a fact-oriented, unbiased moderator who can, in fact, bring to bear the truth that we need to have.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

I would continue to reserve.

I have no further requests for time and I continue to reserve my time.

Madam Speaker, I will continue to reserve.

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

Madam 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 would like to express my support for S. 1692, legislation that grants a Federal charter to the Korean War Veterans Association.

Many Americans are only familiar with the Korean War through the television series M*A*S*H. Yet, it was one of the defining conflicts of the 20th Century. Because of the courageous service of millions of American servicemen and women, the global spread of Communism was halted on the Korean peninsula. More than 36,000 Americans lost their lives to preserve the liberty of the South Korean people. The fall of the Iron Curtain. would have been inconceivable without their sacrifice.

The Korean War Veterans Association was established in 1985 as the only veteran's organization comprised solely of Korean War Veterans. It now has over 25,000 members. The Association was founded in order to maintain a continuing interest in the welfare of veterans of the Korean War, to rehabilitate disabled veterans of the War, to establish facilities for the assistance of War veterans and to represent them in claims before the Department of Veterans Affairs without charge, and finally to perpetuate and preserve the comradeship and friendships born on the field of battle and to honor the memory of the men and women who gave their lives in the Korean War.

Now, on June 6 of last year, the Immigration Subcommittee adopted the following policy concerning the granting of new federal charters: The Subcommittee will not consider any legislation to grant new federal charters because such charters are unnecessary for the operations of any charitable, non-profit organization and falsely imply to the public that a chartered organization and its activities carry a congressional ``seal of approval,'' or that the Federal Government is in some way responsible for its operations. The Subcommittee believes that the significant resources required to properly investigate prospective chartered organizations and monitor them after their charters are granted could and should be spent instead on the Subcommittee's large range of legislative and other substantive policy matters. This policy is not based on any decision that the organizations seeking federal charters are not worthwhile, but rather on the fact that

federal charters serve no valid purpose and therefore ought to be discontinued.

This policy represented the continuation of a policy the Subcommittee put in place at the start of the 101st Congress and has been continued every Congress since, against granting new federal charters to private, non-profit organizations. However, if the majority seeks to jettison the policy adopted by its own Judiciary Committee just last year, so be it. If we are to grant any organizations federal charters, then the Korean War Veterans Association should be at the top of the list. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Madam Speaker, it is my great honor to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Plano, Texas, a man of personal experience on what it's all about to be a Korean War veteran, a man who I believe brings to the House the kind of insight necessary to bring this bill to the floor.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I would also yield back at this time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 188, which adds several names to the short title of the Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006.

The individuals whose names are added by this legislation deserve to be embodied in that historic legislation for the roles they played in encouraging the participation of all Americans in the political process.

Cesar Chavez and Dr. Hector Garcia followed the path of Martin Luther King, Jr. Mr. Chavez founded and led the first successful farm workers' union in the United States and became the president of the United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO. From its beginnings, the UFW adhered to the principles of non-violent change. Mr. Chavez received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States, in 1994.

Dr. Hector Garcia was a Mexican Revolution refugee and medical doctor. He, too, led peaceful protests to empower Mexican Americans to fight legal and political battles against discrimination through his founding of the American GI Forum. He was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagan in 1984.

Barbara Jordan was the first African-American woman to serve in the U.S. Congress from the South. She became the first African-American woman to serve in the Texas Senate since 1883, where she served as the chair of a major committee. As a Congresswoman, she sponsored legislation to broaden the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to cover Mexican- Americans and to extend its provisions to States where minorities had been denied the right to vote or had their rights restricted by unfair registration practices.

Finally, William Velasquez founded the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project in 1974 to encourage Latinos to join the democratic process. Starting with a folding chair and a borrowed rotary phone, Mr. Velasquez's organization cultivated over 50,000 community leaders, successfully litigated 85 voting rights lawsuits, and conducted 2300 non-partisan voter registration drives. He was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1995.

The names of these voting rights leaders and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients deserve to stand side by side with Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King, in the short title of the Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006.

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

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

I rise in support of House Resolution 31, recognizing the Honorable Andrew L. Jefferson, Jr. and congratulating him on his selection as the First Endowed Chair of the Thurgood Marshall School of Law Trial Advocacy Program at Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas.

Mr. Jefferson, a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, served as an assistant criminal district attorney for Bexar County, a chief assistant United States attorney for the Western District of Texas, and a trial counsel and labor relations counsel for Humble Oil & Refining Company. He was later elected judge of the 208th District Court in Harris County before returning to private practice.

Mr. Jefferson received the Anti-Defamation League National Torch of Liberty Award, the League of United Latin American Citizens National Community Service Award, and the Community Service Award from La Raza.

I join my colleagues in congratulating Mr. Jefferson, and in recognizing his distinguished career and community service.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak on an important piece of legislation that I have authored, H.R. 2963, The Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians Land Transfer Act of 2007. This legislation will place 1,178 acres of land currently maintained by the Bureau of Land Management, BLM, into trust for the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians to manage and maintain. These lands are part of the Pechanga tribe's ancestral lands and contain numerous cultural, historical, and religious elements of importance to them.

Specifically, I want to discuss Section 2(h) of the bill, which is entitled ``Restricted Use of Transferred Lands.''

(h) Restricted Use of Transferred Lands.--

(1) In general.--The lands transferred under subsection (a)

may be used only for the protection, preservation, and

maintenance of the archaeological, cultural, and wildlife

resources thereon.

(2) No roads.--There shall be no roads other than for

maintenance purposes constructed on the lands transferred

under subsection (a).

When the restrictive language in this section was initially added to H.R. 4908, the original version of the bill I introduced in the 108th Congress, it was at the request of former House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo. It was added during the markup of the bill on September 22, 2004, with the purpose of ensuring that no commercial, casino or gaming related development would take place on the lands designated for transfer within the bill, and that those lands would be maintained as open space for the preservation, protection, and maintenance of the archaeological, cultural and wildlife resources thereon. The development restrictions were added with the assent of representatives of the Pechanga tribal government and myself as author of the legislation

Since I reintroduced this bill in the 110th Congress, my intent for this section has not changed. In fact, development restrictions within the bill were strengthened further with the addition of a prohibition of the construction of any roads upon the transferred land other than for the purpose of maintenance of archaeological, cultural and wildlife resources.

It is my intention as the author of H.R. 2963 that the legislation prohibit commercial, casino or gaming related construction or development on the lands designated in this bill, and that they be preserved as open space. I believe that the restrictions on the use of transferred lands included in this bill are a clear expression of this intent. Additionally, I have conferred with the Solicitor General's Office of the Department of the Interior who state that the wording of Section 2(h) implements this intent and the land use restrictions are enforceable by the Department of the Interior.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 30 years of dedicated service of United States Marine Corps Colonel Anthony Joseph Wendel III.

Since being commissioned a Second Lieutenant in August 1979, Colonel Wendel has served the Marine Corps in a variety of roles, both at home and abroad. During his 30 years of total service, he has served his country in positions of leadership in Okinawa, Japan; Washington, DC; Eugene, Oregon; Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Los Angeles, California; and at Camp Pendleton, California.

In 1980, Colonel Wendel attended Basic Combat Engineer Officers Course, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Between 1986 and 1987, he attended Amphibious Warfare School, Quantico, Virginia. He graduated from the U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College in 1994 with a Masters of Military Studies, and in June 2000 he graduated from the U.S. Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island with a Masters of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies. Thereupon, he served as Assistant Chief of Staff, G-4 U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Korea from July 2000 to July 2001. During this period, he was selected to the grade of colonel.

Colonel Wendel has served in two major combat operations, Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and Operation Restore Hope. His leadership background encompasses a wide range of roles, responsibilities, and spectrum of experience. With his diversity of knowledge and talent, Colonel Wendel has given much to this country through his dedicated military service, which will be formally concluded with retirement on June 5, 2008.

Colonel Wendel currently serves as the Program Officer, Western Regional Environmental Coordination Office, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. He continues to serve to protect and defend U.S. Marine Corps western region training interests and entities. He and his wife Susan have their home in Oceanside, California.

On behalf of the people of the United States whom he has served with courage and honor, we commemorate the service of Colonel Anthony Joseph Wendel III.

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

I rise in support of this resolution. House Concurrent Resolution 300 does make an important point to the American people and to the world that the United States has been a leader in the preservation and restoration of our coral reefs.

Like the gentlewoman from Guam, I have a long coastline and recognize that without the often-called ``rain forest of the ocean,'' the world would not eat, our coastlines would be eroded, and, without a doubt, life as we know it would not prevail.

So, Mr. Speaker, I do ask strong support in favor of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, 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.

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

I too rise in support of Senate Joint Resolution 17, introduced by Senator Ted Stevens. Clearly, he knows firsthand the importance of fishing to the United States, to the State of Alaska, and to the world. He also has seen, in his tenure in the Congress, firsthand the effects of overfishing.

As one after another worldwide fleets begin deploying to our shores when their own shores have been overfished, we will have and will see a reduction in our domestic catches. For that reason I believe this resolution sends a strong statement of America's policy to manage scientifically our fisheries both onshore and offshore, and I join with the gentlewoman from Guam in support of this resolution and urge its success.

Mr. Speaker, 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.

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

I rise in support of this resolution and commend the gentleman from Michigan for offering this resolution that recognizes the 50th anniversary of the Mackinac Island State Park Commission's Historical Preservation and Museum Program.

It is very clear that in America we do care about our natural resources, our natural beauty, and we find ways to show that. In the case of Michigan, this recognizes 50 years of, in fact, applauding and preserving the kinds of beauty that exist, I won't say only in Michigan, as a native Ohioan, but throughout the Midwest.

Mr. Speaker, 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.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 1074, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1074 has been adequately explained by the majority. I urge its adoption, recognizing that it is, in fact, privately funded, has never taken Federal dollars in its construction, and continues to this day. I think it's a worthwhile project to recognize, and I urge the passage of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, 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.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1464, the Great Cats and Rare Canids Act. Mr. Speaker, I want to give tribute and credit and compliment to former Congressman Clay Shaw of Florida, who has long sponsored this legislation and in the previous Congress worked tirelessly to pass it. So today, as we pass this bill, I would like to remember our colleague, Clay Shaw, who in fact has recognized for a long time the need to make permanent the preservation of these large, and small, but beautiful animals.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I would urge the passage of this bill.

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.

Mr. Speaker, I rise too in support of H.R. 1771, the Crane Conservation Act. This bill is a worthy addition to existing multinational species conservation funds. They have demonstrated that even a small amount of taxpayers' money can make a real difference in saving flagship species from extinction around the globe, such as the highly endangered cranes.

I urge an ``aye'' vote on H.R. 1771.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, 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.

Mr. Speaker, I too rise in support of this bill. It's always a good thing when the Federal Government evaluates land it does not need, that has previously been owned by local municipalities or private individuals and takes steps to return that at no cost to the taxpayers. So I join with the gentlelady from Guam and my colleague from California, Lois Capps, in urging support for the return of this land to the Goleta Water District.

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.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this legislation. The author of the bill, who will speak in a moment, and I share the very banks of this water area of Lake Hodges. But, most importantly, at a time in which gas prices have risen to $4 a gallon, it's very clear that importing water or desalinating water in southern California, although necessary, should be avoided. We need to find ways to do better work, have more water, with less consumption of gasoline, diesel, and all the other fuels that are in such short supply and so expensive. So I strongly support this bill.

I would yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from California, the author of the bill, Mr. Bilbray.

I have no additional speakers at this time. I would urge strong support for this bill which, like so many, will help California deal with its water shortage.

Mr. Speaker, 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.