Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, today I rise in recognition of Cheyenne Brugh of Ramona, CA. Cheyenne is a 13-year old young woman who has committed her time and energy to the Emergency Animal Rescue group. This nonprofit organization located in my district is made up of volunteers, like Cheyenne, who are committed to rescuing and housing animals from life threatening situations. Today, I am honored to recognize this young lady for her outstanding achievements and superior quality of character.

Cheyenne is the youngest of three children and the daughter of a single, working mother. She is involved with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America and works with her Big Sister at the Emergency Animal Rescue organization. When Cheyenne is not helping rescued animals, she continues volunteering her time at promotional events to raise money for Emergency Animal Rescue. In addition to her involvement with the rescue group, she is a hardworking and dedicated student, receiving excellent grades in school. Her dedication to such a demanding organization while balancing schoolwork is truly remarkable.

Along with all of her achievements, Cheyenne took the Large Animal Rescue course in California to further expand her knowledge of animal rescue. This rigorous 2-day training program teaches ways to extract animals from multiple dangerous and life threatening situations. At 12 years old, she was awarded the certification for Large Animal Rescue by the California State Fire Marshal, making her the youngest person to ever receive these qualifications.

Madam Speaker, this is an extraordinary young lady whose actions and accomplishments directly reflect the type of person she is and will be. Individuals like Cheyenne, who volunteer their time, are at the heart of this great nation. The next time there is a wildfire in Southern California, you can rest assured that Cheyenne will be there rescuing animals. Her selfless dedication to saving animals' lives at such a young age is something we can all emulate. Cheyenne, thank you for your incredible work, you are an inspiration to us all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask why the Obama administration and the liberal Democrats in this Congress are playing Russian roulette with the welfare of the American people. This administration and the Democrats in this Congress seem not to care about jobs but put all of their time into spending as much as possible in as little amount of time as possible. Cap-and-trade, or the national energy tax passed by Democrats last month is the equivalent of a $3,000 annual tax on every single American family. And it's estimated that over 2.3 million jobs are going to be lost because of it.

And the liberal health care gamble, it's not even Russian roulette when it comes to government-run health care. It's like jumping off a 20-story building and thinking it's not going to kill you. The Democratic health care is economic suicide. The health care bill would impose a 5.4 percent surtax on 1.2 million small businesses, and it's going to increase the Federal deficit by $239 billion over 10 years, and most devastating, it's going to kill up to 4.7 million jobs because of the burdens it places on small business.

If you want to get every American health care, then get every American back to work. America runs on jobs and small business. Less government, more Americanism. That's what will save this country.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3288, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for FY 2010:

I originally requested $2 million in this legislation for the Improvements to State Route 52 East/West project through the Federal Highway Administration's Transportation & Community & System Preservation account. It is my understanding that $400,000 was ultimately appropriated for this project by the Subcommittee and the entity to receive funding for this project is the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), located at 401 B Street, Suite 800, San Diego, California 92101.

This project seeks to add Managed Lanes and extends the freeway to greatly improve traffic flow in East San Diego County on SR52 from 1- 15, east to SR67, including a freeway exchange at SR52 and SR67, allowing for traffic flow to be reversed during peak periods. This project has been identified as ``high-priority'' by local and state transportation agencies as it will provide residents living in East County better access to employment in the western part of the region while also relieving congestion on existing freeways and local arterials. For example, the completed project is expected to reduce traffic on Interstate 8 by as much as 20%.

I also originally requested $2 million in this legislation for the Bradley Ave/State Route (SR)-67 Interchange project through the Federal Highway Administration's Transportation & Community & System Preservation account. It is my understanding that $400,000 was ultimately appropriated for this project by the Subcommittee and the entity to receive funding for this project is the County of San Diego, located at 5555 Overland Avenue, San Diego, California 92123.

The Bradley Ave/SR-67 Interchange experiences heavy congestion during the morning and afternoon commute and currently operates at a failing level of service during peak traffic hours. This project will provide congestion relief for the residential neighborhoods east of SR-67, the businesses west of SR-67 and regional commuters by widening 0.75 miles of Bradley Avenue from two lanes to four, add lanes to the SR-67 on- ramps and off-ramps and replace the narrow existing 2-lane Bradley Avenue bridge over SR-67 with a 6-lane bridge. New bike lanes and sidewalks will also be incorporated into this project on Bradley Avenue.

Bradley Avenue is a key part of San Diego's Regional Arterial System and is classified as a Major Road. Improvements to this interchange will address local accessibility and regional mobility, all joint goals of County of San Diego, Caltrans, SANDAG, City of El Cajon and City of Santee, substantially alleviating congestion and improving traffic flow through the area. This is particularly necessary during commuter hours, but essential during disasters and evacuations which have occurred twice in the past five years.

Finally, I requested, and the Subcommittee appropriated, $250,000 in this legislation for the East County Boys & Girls Club Teen Center project through the Housing and Urban Development's Economic Development Initiatives account. The entity to receive funding for this project is the Boys & Girls Club of East County Foundation, Inc., located at 8820 Tamberly Way, Santee, California 92071.

The East County Boys & Girls Club Teen Center project focuses on the rehabilitation of the 48-year-old Boys & Girls Club building and conversion of the Wells Park Fieldhouse into a facility that can service young adults. With the rehabilitation of both facilities, the number of El Cajon youth that can be served will increase from 230 to 400 per day. The Boys & Girls Clubs of East County have provided a number of recreational, cultural and leadership programs that promote good behavior, active lifestyles and a positive alternative to the streets. By converting the existing Clubhouse to a center for 6-10 year olds, and relocating the 11-18 year old population to the new Teen Center, the Boys & Girls Club will enhance learning environments for both populations resulting in improved academic achievement, citizenship, decreasing police contact and vastly improving health through childhood obesity and athletic programs.

Mr. Speaker, California unemployment is at 11.6 percent, and State Democrats in California destroyed the job market and the manufacturing base there through bureaucratic overregulation, unrealistic mandates and punitive fees and taxes. Congressional Democrats here in Washington are following California's lead with the national energy tax that's going to cost every American family $3,000 a year and with the job-killing health care plan projected to cost over 4 million jobs.

I've simply come to the easy conclusion that Democrats don't like small business. I've come to the conclusion that Democrats don't like jobs. Those of us in California have seen this movie before, and it ends like ``Thelma and Louise''--with the economy driving off a cliff in the Grand Canyon. And it's being driven by congressional Democrats.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding an earmark I received as part of H.R. 3183, the Energy and Water Appropriations for FY 2010:

I requested $250,000 in this legislation for the San Diego Four- Reservoir Intertie Project through the Bureau of Reclamation's Water and Related Resources Investigations account. The entity to receive funding for this project is the City of San Diego, located at 202 C Street, San Diego, California 92101.

The City of San Diego is seeking to perform a feasibility study in partnership with the Bureau of Reclamation, authorized by the Omnibus Public Land Management Act (P.L. 111-11), to examine connecting four existing reservoirs in San Diego County (San Vicente, El Capitan, Murray and Loveland) in an effort to study and improve water supply reliability and water yield throughout the region, as well provide an added element of public safety to protect local water supplies. Loveland currently only receives local runoff, El Capitan receives local runoff and imported water, but due to pipeline capacity limitations, the full capacity of the reservoir cannot be utilized. Local rainfall in the watersheds to these reservoirs is inadequate to fill them and only occurs once every five to ten years.

The unused capacity of the four San Diego reservoirs totals an estimated 100,000 acre-feet a year. Maximizing storage capacity would provide a significant water storage volume that can be put to beneficial use if imported water were piped to the reservoirs and efficiently operated. Additionally, connectivity between the reservoirs would allow the isolation of contaminated water in the event of a terrorist attack or natural disaster while, at the same time, transport water from another reservoir to the affected area. Besides the City of San Diego, this project has the full support of the San Diego County Water Authority and the Sweetwater Authority, two local public water agencies.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding an earmark I received as part of H.R. 2996, the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010:

I originally requested $1 million in this legislation for the El Monte Valley Groundwater Recharge Project through the Environmental Protection Agency's State and Tribal Assistance Grant Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Project account. It is my understanding that $500,000 was ultimately appropriated for this project by the Subcommittee and the entity to receive funding for this project is the

Helix Water District located at 7811 University Avenue, La Mesa, California 91941.

This is a groundwater recharge and habitat restoration effort led by the Helix Water District where it will secure highly treated wastewater from the Padre Dam Municipal Water District's Santee Water Recycling Facility, provide additional treatment to purify the wastewater, pump and pipe this water to surrounding basins and then release it into the San Diego Riverbed where it will be allowed to seep down to existing groundwater levels. As the purified water is maintained in this location, it will receive additional natural treatment as it percolates through native materials. Extraction wells will be installed at strategic locations for conveyance to a water treatment plant as a new source of water for all District users.

This action will assist in the continued goals of the San Diego County region to reduce its dependence on imported water from the Colorado River and Northern California by annually producing 5,000 acre-feet of locally available drinking water and meeting 10-15% of the Helix Water District's raw water needs. By raising the groundwater levels in El Monte Valley, revegetation of the riverbed is supported and a more natural habitat is created for recreation and wildlife. This project is the beginning of an 8-year program and has been endorsed by other elected officials, including California Assemblyman Joel Anderson and California State Senator Christine Kehoe, as well as the Association of California Water Agencies, Endangered Habitats League, San Diego County Water Authority, Padre Dam Municipal Water District, Otay Water District, and the Lakeside Water District.

I thank the ranking member, and I would like to associate myself with the chairman's remarks on this issue.

I think I'm the only one on the floor here who's actually served in Afghanistan. I served twice in Iraq as a United States Marine. I would have to respectfully oppose this amendment, and the reason is this: The best exit strategy is to actually win. That's the best exit strategy. To go in there, win the fight, kill al Qaeda, kill Taliban, have the State Department work with the local Afghan people, then we can leave after we have success over there. That's how we won in Iraq. We won in Iraq. Once we stopped worrying about losing, we had the surge, and now we're successful in Iraq. That's what we need in Afghanistan. The way that we're going to lose Afghanistan is if we start focusing on how we're going to pull out successfully. What we need to do is win, win hard, and win strong, and then we can all come home.

I thank the ranking member from California.

I respectfully oppose this amendment. As a United States Marine, as a U.S. Congressman and representing all of our men and women in uniform fighting for us right now, let's win, get the job done, and then we can come home.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, it's very simple: if you release the names of these foreign special operators that are at WHINSEC, you are literally encouraging their murder. The men and women fighting for justice in Central and South America, if you release those names, you will have their attempted murder on your hands if this amendment passes.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 2647, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010:

I requested $3,000,000 for Trex Enterprises at 10455 Pacific Center Court, San Diego, CA 92121. Funding for this program will be used to complete development, flight testing and integration of the Brownout MMW Sensor that will reduce aircraft accident risk and allow aircrew visibility through the full range of landing and take-off operations in otherwise extremely hazardous flight conditions. ``Brownout'' is a situation Army aviators experience in combat operations daily in Iraq and Afghanistan. Created by helicopter rotor downwash, it continues to cause aircraft accidents and remains a high risk to flight safety.

Specifically, as aircraft approach the ground, a thick plume of brown desert dust, dirt and sand disturbed by high velocity winds from rotor systems engulf the aircraft, causing a complete loss of the pilot's visual reference to the ground. The Brownout Situational Awareness Sensor (BSAS) is a cockpit display system capable of providing the aircrew visibility through the blowing sand and dust. This technology will greatly reduce the loss of aviator lives, loss of aircraft and reduce the amount of maintenance requirements resulting in damages from Brownout situations. Brownout is among the biggest hazards to rotary- wing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, contributing to more than 71 U.S. helicopter accidents. Providing this capability is critical to aircrew safety and combat readiness.

I also requested $1,000,000 for CHI Systems at 12860 Danielson Court, Suite A, Poway, CA 92064. There is currently insufficient training provided to soldiers on the most crucial battlefield lifesaving situations. Medics and soldiers, in many instances, lack the experience to act swiftly and effectively in combat casualty situations. By combining instrumented manikin parts that support hands-on practice with computer based scenario training, this funding will complete the HapMed Combat Medic Trainer development and provide medics and soldiers the ability to practice critical lifesaving tasks. In addition to providing realistic training scenarios, HapMed is also portable, so soldiers can continue to train while they are deployed. This system has received high praise in its ability to train soldiers for medical treatment on the battlefield. According to a Science and Technology Manager for the Army, ``New technologies such as HapMed are needed to provide medics with greater opportunities to develop and test their decision making and technical medical skills.''

New Army recruits must receive training in Buddy Aid or as Combat Life Savers (CLS). Currently, insufficient training is provided to help soldiers and medics acquire and maintain some of the crucial battlefield lifesaving skills such as tourniquet application, needle chest decompression, and emergency cricothyrotomy, addressing, respectively, the top three causes of preventable death on the battlefield. In order to perform these lifesaving functions under battlefield conditions, military personnel must have the awareness and confidence to act swiftly and effectively.

Further, I requested $3,000,000 for Cubic Solutions at 5650 Kearny Mesa Road, San Diego, CA 92111. The Navy's carriers and large-deck amphibious assault ships serve as the flagships of battle groups and expeditionary forces. Commanders receive intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance (ISR) data from airborne manned and unmanned sensor vehicles via the ships' AN/USQ-167 Communications Data Link System (CDL-S) terminals. The AN/USQ-167 securely transports many forms of classified data, including voice communications, tactical data, photographs, and streaming video, using the NSA-approved KI-11 COMSEC equipment. The KI-11 is based on an encryption

device that is no longer available. This initiative will fund a KI-11 replacement based on a new, interoperable, NSA-approved device.

Kinetic energy penetrators fabricated from tungsten offer a means to gain 40% more kill depth if nanoscale tungsten is consolidated to full density with retention of the small crystal sizes during consolidation. It is for this reason that I requested $2,000,000 for San Diego State University Research Foundation at 5250 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182. This funding will provide the Army the material that will ensure larger stand-off distances in battle (lethal to the enemy while our troops are beyond the lethal zone), earlier kinetic energy kills of incoming missiles, and more armor penetrations events. The current depleted uranium materials are toxic and need to be removed from the battlefield. For example, to avoid poisoning surgery is required on any friendly troops struck by fragments. Dual use applications are outstanding--from automobile vibration suppression to high thermal conductivity heat sinks in computers. For example, wireless telephone networks use tungsten-copper composites to improve heat removal from relay stations to improve performance.

I requested $1,000,000 for Allermed Laboratories, Inc at 7203 Convoy Court, San Diego, CA 92111. Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease that occurs in many areas of the world in which U.S. Military personnel are deployed. Over 2500 service personnel were diagnosed with leishmaniasis in Iraq and Afghanistan during the present conflict. Funding this program will result in the development of a biological product that meets the specifications of the FDA and the DoD. A phase 1 safety trial was completed in 2007; a phase II dose-response study and sensitivity study were conducted in Tunisia and completed in 2008; a phase IIb trial is presently being conducted in San Diego, CA and will be completed in June 2009. In this trial, the sensitizing properties of the skin test doses that were used in the 2008 Tunisia trial are being evaluated.

The Navy is challenged to conduct ASW localization and small-area search operations in shallow water littoral areas against emerging modern, diesel-electric submarines and these new submarines provide a minimal noise signature making them virtually undetectable to acoustic arrays under many circumstances. $2,000,000 for Information Systems Laboratories at 10070 Barnes Canyon Road, San Diego, CA 92121 will address this issue. The Navy's answer to the quiet diesel-electric submarine localization problem is to rely on active sensors. Active sensor performance in the littorals, however, suffers degraded detection ranges from reverberation and alerts the submarine, enabling it to undertake countermeasures to avoid detection. Recent developments in miniaturization of low cost, low power electromagnetic sensor technology offers new potential for employing non-acoustic sensors to increase the Navy's capability for tactical surveillance, localization, and classification of quiet, modern diesel-electric submarines.

This funding will develop multiple small and inexpensive non-acoustic sensors, or clusters, packaged into ``A'' size buoys, the size buoy currently being used by U.S. Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) airborne assets, which will be demonstrated under this program. This revolutionary ``cluster approach'' is a development that promises to be equally effective in both the open ocean and the littoral against the evolving threat. A-size sonobuoy launch containers can be designed to deploy the mini-sensors in linear arrays, or clusters, depending on the mission. Ongoing electric-field detection technology research has already demonstrated promising near-term solutions and passive ``A''- size air dropped buoy concepts are ready for TRL7/8 demonstration in FY 2009.

Finally, I also requested $5,000,000 for MBDA at 5701 Lindero Canyon Road, Suite 4-100, Westlake Village, CA 91362. This funding will develop for the Navy an innovative missile solution for its requirement for an Affordable Weapon System (AWS) capable of operating from ships and with a potential Navy/USMC airborne launch capability. AWS will defeat targets at stand-off ranges, rapidly completing the engagement phase with a capability to loiter in a target area. The Navy is looking for an AWS that can kill a variety of target sets to include Strategic Fixed, Strategic Mobile, Tactical, Maritime and importantly, Irregular Warfare/Global War on Terrorism targets. Typically these include mobile land and sea targets, time critical targets, and targets of opportunity such as terrorist leadership meeting facilities, mobile missile launchers, communication nodes and weapons caches. AWS is packaged in the existing shipboard Mk-41 Vertical Launch System as a ``quad-pack'' missile which offers a four-to-one load-out advantage over the existing weapon system to provide combatant commanders the capability to carry a deeper magazine and strike many more targets. AWS also utilizes conventional, low-cost airframe materials and electronics in combination with flexible swarming cooperative attack algorithms to overwhelm and defeat these targets within their range of undefended to heavily defended threat environments. AWS will have a flyaway cost of $250K, less than a third the cost of the existing shipboard strike weapon system.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 2847, the Commerce- Justice-Science Appropriations for FY 2010:

I requested $250,000 for the California Department of Justice (CA DOJ) through the Department of Justice, Community Oriented Police Services Meth Account. Representatives Bob Filner (CA-51) and Susan Davis (CA-53) also requested additional funding for this program and the total amount received is $350,000. The entity to receive funding for this project is the California Department of Justice at 13001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.

CA DOJ has made me aware that while California is the nation's leader in meth production, meth continues to be imported from Mexico across the San Diego border. Additionally, violent Mexican nationals are now setting up operations in California, including East County, due to the recent crackdown in Mexico. As a result of a lack of resources, law enforcement is not discovering meth labs until they have already been deserted, leaving the County to clean up. These funds will be used to purchase equipment used for investigation and seizure of meth labs, drug (all types) interdiction efforts, pay overtime to San Diego California Methamphetamine Strategy (CALMS) officers and train local law enforcement. Local law enforcement and first responders will be trained to deal with meth production, clean up and sales. San Diego County will benefit by also having additional CA DOJ enforcement teams in the County to combat drug sales and interdiction efforts.

I also requested $250,000 for the County of San Diego, CA, through the Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs--Byrne Discretionary Grants Account. The entity to receive funding for this project is the San Diego County Sheriff's Department at 9621 Ridgehaven Court, San Diego, CA 92123.

Funding for this program will be used to implement and replicate the North County Gang Enforcement Collaborative (NCGEC), which focuses on cooperation and communication among street level officers from numerous different law enforcement jurisdictions. NCGEC has successfully reduced violent crime, gangs and other activity and enterprises that result in violent crime and gang violence in the targeted region. Countywide, however, incidence and severity of gang and drug crime is on the rise (502 cases in 2007 to 616 cases in 2008), especially with gangs that serve as the distribution and enforcement arms of international drug cartels, as well as those involved with weapon and human trafficking. The 52nd District comprises between 5 to 9 percent of all gang crime activity countywide. These numbers, however, do not actually reflect gang crimes because much of this activity goes unreported. Additionally, San Diego is the largest port of entry from Mexico, where cross border operation among gangs is routine and from San Diego, contraband is distributed nationally.

I met with the San Diego County Sheriff's office to discuss the types of other organized groups involved in criminal activity, e.g., outlaw motorcycle gangs, white supremacists, and skinheads in San Diego's East County. East County will serve as a test site to see if this type of program will reduce these types of gangs. From 2007 and 2008, there were 76 gang related prosecutions from the 52nd District. If successful, the program will be expanded nationally.

Madam Speaker, it is with great honor I rise today to pay tribute to United States Navy veteran Lieutenant John Finn on his 100th birthday. Lt. Finn is the oldest living Medal of Honor recipient and the last living Medal of Honor recipient from the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. His actions in combat and life reflect bravery and courage of the highest level and I am proud to bring recognition to his accomplishments.

John Finn was born in Los Angeles, California on July 23, 1909, and at the age of 17, with the permission of his mother, he enlisted in the United States Navy. His Navy career started aboard American gunboats patrolling the rivers of Inland China, and in 1940 he was assigned to the Naval Air Station at Kaneohe Bay in Oahu. On December 7, 1941 came the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor, and it was this event that presented Lt. Finn with an opportunity to display his extraordinary valor.

As the first attack on the harbor began, Lt. Finn managed to secure and man a .50-caliber machine gun mounted on an instruction stand on a completely exposed section of a parking ramp under intense enemy fire. Lt. Finn, with no regard for his own safety, vigorously fired upon Japanese aircraft with success. Although he was hit many times by enemy strafing fire, Lt. Finn refused to leave his post until the attack ended. It was only under a direct order that he left for the hospital to treat has 21 shrapnel and bullet wounds. However, after receiving medical attention, and despite a great deal of pain and difficulty moving, he returned to repair and rearm returning planes.

John Finn served through the rest of World War II with great distinction and retired from the United States Navy in 1956. He and wife Alice retired to their ranch in Southern California where he continues to live today.

In addition to the Medal of Honor, Finn holds the Purple Heart, Navy Unit Commendation, Good Conduct with 2 bars, Yangtze Service Medal, American Defense, American Campaign, Pacific Campaign, and the World War II Victory Medal.

Madam Speaker, John Finn has never seen himself as a hero, but that's what he is; as his Medal of Honor inscription reads, John Finn truly went above and beyond the call of duty. It was his tenacity and zeal that embodied the American resolve that set the tone for the rest of the war. Men and women like John Finn are responsible for the success of our Armed Forces. To John Finn, we are forever grateful for your heroism and service. You are truly a great American hero.

Mr. Speaker, let me say this: I have served in Iraq two times as a United States Marine, and I served in Afghanistan once. When I was over there in 2007, I was fighting, and in October of 2007, word came across from here in the States that said several hundred State Department employees expressed their resentment over a policy that could force them to serve in Iraq or they might lose their jobs. They actually called going over to Iraq and Afghanistan a potential death sentence. So these are State Department employees, diplomats--the same ones we're asking to go to Pakistan and Afghanistan, which is arguably the most dangerous area right now in the entire world. We're asking them to go over, the exact same people who called going over to Iraq a potential death sentence.

I would equate this to sending diplomats to Katrina-destroyed New Orleans in 2005 instead of the National Guard. We're going to send diplomats to Louisiana. We aren't going to send the National Guard. We aren't going to send emergency services. We're going to send diplomats. So as opposed to giving General Petraeus, as the President asked for, funding to help out in Pakistan and Afghanistan, we're going to send diplomats so they can talk to the Taliban and they can talk to al Qaeda. They can talk to the mad men who cut off people's heads. That's what the State Department is going to do.

This is the wrong move. The Republicans have it right this time. Give the President full authority, Let him come up with a plan, and let General Petraeus implement that. The Republican substitute is the right way to go. We need to make sure that Pakistan is fighting for Pakistan and that Pakistan doesn't think it's only fighting for American dollars. That's what we need to do.

Once more, as a United States Marine that saw State Department ineptness and cowardice while I was in Afghanistan, it's almost personally insulting that we're going to pull the funding from General Petraeus and give it to those State Department cronies.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. And I broke the podium.

The amendment I am offering today to H.R. 2410, the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, is straightforward. It simply adds the Secretary of Defense to the Task Force on Prevention of Illicit Small Arms Trafficking in the Western Hemisphere that is created under this legislation.

The stated purpose of this task force is to develop a strategy and integrated Federal policies to better control the export of small arms and light weapons in a manner that furthers the foreign policy and national security interests of the United States in the Western Hemisphere.

While this task force is comprised of the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security and the Attorney General, all of whom should be members of this task force, it does not include perhaps the most important player in global countertrafficking operations, the Secretary of Defense.

The Department of Defense plays an important role in U.S. security cooperation and assistance worldwide, particularly with governments and militaries throughout the Western Hemisphere. These relationships are critical to our efforts to promote peace and stability in our region of the world, and intelligence and operational support provided by our military are an integral part of this shared responsibility.

Given the Department of Defense's role as an interagency partner in countertrafficking and U.S. export control activities, it should not be excluded, I don't think, in any way from being a primary member of this task force. Whatever this task force puts forward in the way of policy recommendations will be closely evaluated by Congress as we work to address the serious problems of weapons trafficking in our hemisphere. It is important that these findings and recommendations fully represent the role and contributions of those departments primarily involved in combating arms trafficking, protecting U.S. security, and advancing our foreign policy objectives. And I would like to add, Mr. Chairman, that the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Western Hemisphere, Secretary Mora, agrees with this amendment.

Absolutely, I yield.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn the statements written as part of an assessment by the Department of Homeland Security classifying disgruntled veterans as a threat to U.S. security and potential recruits for right-wing extremist groups. The report was distributed among law enforcement agencies throughout the country earlier this week. When I was back home in San Diego, our El Cajon police department had actually gotten this memorandum classifying me. Because I served three tours overseas with the United States Marine Corps, two in Iraq in Operation Iraqi Freedom and one in Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom, I am a possible terrorist.

So, Mr. Speaker, I would just like to go over some stuff with this DHS memorandum. It is the ``Right-wing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment.'' And here is a picture of it here. This is an actual Department of Homeland Security memorandum that went out to every local, State and Federal law enforcement agency in the entire country.

I would just like to go over a few points of it. It first starts off by saying that ``the Department of Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis has no specific information that domestic right-wing terrorists are currently planning acts of violence.'' So they don't have any evidence for anything, but they are still going to call people like me possible ``terrorists.''

We read further down: ``The possible passage of new restrictions on firearms and the return of military veterans facing significant challenges reintegrating into their communities could lead to the potential emergence of terrorist groups or lone wolf extremists capable of carrying out violent attacks.''

I wasn't paranoid before, Mr. Speaker, but if we are going to pass new regulations on firearms, we are going to change the Second Amendment. And the fact that I would like to keep my own guns and that I'm a veteran who has served, that makes me a possible terrorist, as stated by our own government, by our own administration.

I read further down: right-wing extremism--and by the way, it is interesting that they don't talk about left-wing extremism or liberal extremism or progressivists. It is just right-wing extremism, and that is okay to talk about. It is okay to scorn those people that are right wing. They aren't as American as everybody else. ``Right-wing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements and adherents that are primarily hate oriented,'' I'm quoting here from this memo, ``those that are mainly anti-government, rejecting Federal authority in favor of State or local authority.'' That means every single one of our Founding Fathers was a possible terrorist because they believed in local authority. They believed in States' rights. They didn't want an all-encompassing, dominating Federal Government.

It also includes groups of individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration. I'm quoting again.

So I'm pro-border security. I think that illegal immigration is called ``illegal immigration'' because, well, it is illegal. That once more makes me a possible terrorist. I'm pro-life. That makes me a possible terrorist too.

I keep reading down: ``Returning veterans possess combat skills.'' That is me. I possess combat skills. So do millions of other Americans that have served in our Armed Forces since 2001--``combat skills and experience that are attractive to right-wing extremists.''

The DHS, our own government, is concerned that right-wing extremists, I guess that's me, will attempt to recruit and radicalize returning veterans in order to boost their violent capabilities.

That sounds pretty scary. I must be pretty scary. I wonder if DHS is on their way here to get me right now. I will stay here and wait for them for a little bit longer.

I read further down: ``Many right-wing extremists are agnostic toward the new Presidential administration and its perceived stance on a range of issues, including immigration and citizenship, the expansion of social programs''--that is a new one. If you don't like the expansion of social programs, you're a possible terrorist, too--``and restrictions on firearms ownership and use.'' If you weren't paranoid before, you ought to be getting paranoid now.

I will keep reading: ``Right-wing extremists were concerned during the 1990s with the perception that illegal immigrants were taking away American jobs through their willingness to work at significantly lower wages. They also opposed free trade agreements, arguing that these arrangements resulted in Americans losing jobs to other countries.'' Are Americans not losing jobs to China, to Communist China, to India and to Mexico? If you believe that American jobs are worth fighting for, then you're a terrorist.

I joined the Marine Corps after 9/11, as did thousands of Americans, for one defining reason--so my children wouldn't have to. I went to Iraq twice and Afghanistan once, as thousands of Americans have, so my children and our children wouldn't have to.

It is in that vein that I rise today because it is up to this Congress to make responsible choices so our children are not beset by financial ruin. It is up to us to make good decisions right now in this defining moment in American history so our children can grow up without being punished so that this administration can make short-term gains without making any tough choices.

Tax cuts for the working class; more government responsibility; and less debt, less spending; were all campaign talking points for President Obama and congressional Democrats. That's all they were-- talking points.

The buck stops with this budget that is before Congress now. And this budget can make us or break us. It is time we take responsibility for the direction of this country and stop spending.

Just stop spending. No more TARP, no more stimulus, no cap-and-trade tax on small business, no tax on charitable donations, no energy tax on working Americans. Surely, no more burying our children in debt while we spend, tax, and borrow our way into oblivion.

I ask the Democrats in this administration to put the checkbook down.

I thank the gentleman from Utah. Thank you for your leadership and for your courage in telling the American people and in telling the Members of Congress what is really going on and what the money is being spent on that the President is asking for and that the Democrats are asking for. Thank you for your kind words as well.

I have been to Iraq twice as a United States marine, and I have been to Afghanistan once. We are probably at the biggest tipping point that we have ever seen since World War II when it comes to national defense and to national security. We have more violence along our border region than we have ever had in this country. Right now, with those two, large, pressing issues, we are spending a pittance on those two issues--the national security issues that involve the border and that involve Iraq and Afghanistan and China and North Korea and Russia-- compared to what we are spending in giving money to the failed companies run into the ground by their executives who have been ruled by greed. I would like to go over some of those shortfalls in the President's defense budget coming up.

First off, in fiscal year 2010, the President's budget is $30 billion less than what the Joint Chiefs of Staff asked for. The Joint Chiefs of Staff are the ones who are the experts on the military and on what the American military needs to sustain itself and to fight future threats and future enemies. We are $30 billion short. They asked for $584 billion for fiscal year 2010. The President is only going to give them $533 billion. This is a 10 percent decrease over what the joint chiefs asked for over 10 years. That is a $1.3 trillion deficit for the U.S. military at a time when we are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan and when we are prosecuting terrorists around the world for our security here at home.

We have veterans returning home, and we have people coming home who have given that ultimate sacrifice, those who have paid that ultimate price, who have given that final measure of devotion. We are going to cut spending for them. We are going to cut their benefits here at home. We are going to cut the money that goes towards their armor and their bullets and their food and their medicine. We are going to cut that right now. In this time of gluttonous spending, we are going to choose to cut spending for our U.S. military.

Our Navy fleet has declined from 568 ships in the late 1980s to 276 ships now. We need over 300. The average age of the airplanes in the Air Force has risen from 9 years in 1973 to 24 years old. I mean the average age of each of the Air Force's airplanes is over 27 years old. They used to have 37 fighter wing equivalents in the '80s. Now they have only 20. This past year alone, ship maintenance funding is $417 million short. That is not what I would call putting America's security first. That is putting America's security last.

When I hear the President talking about national security or when I hear the Democrats giving a moment of silence in this room for our military, it seems insincere to me that they would do that on one hand and tell the American people that they are helping out and that they are doing everything that they can do for national security's sake while, at the same time, they are

going to cut defense spending. JFK spent more on defense than we are spending now. Ronald Reagan spent more on defense than we are spending now. While in the middle of two wars, we need to increase, if anything, defense spending and keep it at 4 percent of our GDP to keep America safe. We have more threats now than we have ever had.

I would like to yield back to the gentleman from Utah.

I thank the gentleman.

You know, as freshmen, we can honestly say that we're not responsible for what's going on right now, but we are trying to fix it.

We came into this Congress in January with President Obama; and, frankly, I believe what he said when he was campaigning. When he talked about making tough choices, when he talked about not spending so much, when he talked about tax cuts for the middle class, when he talked about our foreign debt and the money that we owe China and money that we owe the rest of the world, I believed him, along with majority of the American people.

But it turns out that those tax cuts and that spending reduction and that reduction in debt and that reduction in borrowing were simply campaign talking points because they don't exist in the administration's budget as it exists now.

I would like to know where those tough choices are. Where are those cuts? Where is Bob's tax cut? First, how are we going to pay for all of this spending? For that chart that shows that debt, how are we going to pay for it?

As my colleague from Ohio mentioned, we're going to raise taxes on people who use electricity. I have news for the administration; this is everybody. Everybody uses electricity. We're going to put a $640 billion tax on Americans who use electricity. For every small business that uses electricity, that has carbon emissions, this cap-and-trade tax is going to kill American business. We're going to raise taxes on small businesses. We're going to raise taxes on the middle class. Bob's tax cut isn't there.

You know, we talk about energy right now. I would encourage my colleagues to be extremely skeptical over any talking points that talk about energy in this country and becoming self-sufficient on energy when it doesn't mention nuclear. If you don't mention nuclear, then it is not a real alternative to using oil that we get from foreign countries, especially when we are going to tax the American people for using electricity.

It's hard to trust the administration when they talk about fixing the economy, but they want to tax small businesses and the middle class, and we maintain record trade deficits with countries around the world.

We're not talking about trade right now. No one is talking about fixing our trade relations with China so that American companies and American manufacturing firms are punished right now for making American goods and trying to ship them overseas. They're being punished, but we're not talking about helping them out. We're going to tax them more.

When we talk about national security, the administration wants us to think that they're going to be good on national security while at the same time cutting defense. Where are these hard choices?

Right now, every man, woman, and child in this country owes $35,000 in debt that you show on that chart. With the President's plan, that's going to increase to $70,000 in 8 years. Every man, woman, and child is going to owe $70,000. I have three children, too. Each one of them is going to owe $70,000 in 8 years if the administration budget goes through.

I would like to say to my colleagues and to the President; we don't need anymore stimulus. We don't need any more TARP, no energy tax, no small business tax raise, no tax raise on the middle class. The President is spending, taxing, and borrowing into oblivion. It is time that he put the checkbook down.

I thank the gentleman from Utah for yielding, and you're absolutely right.

Whoever thinks that we can spur this economy back into action by taking money out of the American people's pockets is delusional. Whoever thinks that we can bring this economy, the greatest economy in the world still, put it back on its feet by taxing people for using electricity is delusional. Whoever thinks that by increasing the per capita debt for each man, woman, and child in this country from $35,000 to $70,000 in 8 years, that that's going to help the country out, they're delusional.

I'd like to read a letter here from a small business owner in my district in eastern San Diego: ``President Obama has unleashed his massive grassroots army in an attempt to sway Members of Congress to support his bloated $3.55 trillion budget.'' I think it's actually higher now. It was 3.55 when this letter was written.

``I urge you to resist such attempts, and oppose his irresponsible budget plan that would usher in massive tax hikes, including the imposition of a global warming carbon tax, a doubling of the publicly held national debt, and a permanent expansion of the Federal Government.

``There is no measure of fiscal responsibility and accountability with this budget. Instead we are merely breaking the backs of hardworking taxpayers and passing the buck on to our children.

``Any budget that doesn't have the best interests of the American people at heart must be opposed.''

And that's the key to this budget. It does not have the best interests of the American people at heart. What it has at heart is the biggest government Federal grab of power that this country has ever seen. From our founding--the gentleman from Utah is absolutely right-- it's been about rugged individualism and individual responsibility, people taking responsibility for their actions.

Right now, we're punishing those people that take responsibility for their actions, punishing those people that pay their mortgages, punishing those people that actually can get out there and start businesses and hire people. And we're doing it so we can help out those who maybe don't want to help themselves, who look to us here in this Congress as their savior.

When this stimulus bill was passed, one of our Democrat colleagues from Florida actually said that this stimulus bill will heal the sick, feed the hungry, and house the homeless. The stimulus bill was not the Messiah. I have news for him: it was not the Messiah. It will not do any of those things.

What it will make happen is make the American people more dependent on a failing Federal bureaucracy that's growing at an unprecedented rate.

I thank the gentleman from Utah and the gentleman from Ohio for their leadership in this and for pointing out to our colleagues in Congress and to the American people the evils that are about to befall us in this country if we have unrestrained spending, unrestrained taxing, and unrestrained borrowing, which is exactly what the President's budget gives us.