Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter), the chairman of the Committee on Armed Services, and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), the ranking member, for bringing this resolution to the floor to express our support for our citizen soldiers, all of our men and women who proudly wear the uniform of our armed services, as they are now in harm's way fighting the war against terror in Iraq.

Mr. Speaker, I am not here to debate the substance of the merits of the war, but only to express our support, especially for the families and loved ones who anxiously wait and wonder if their husbands, wives, brothers and sisters, mothers or fathers, aunts and uncles and friends will return from the war.

As a Vietnam veteran, nothing warms the hearts and minds of our soldiers, sailors, airmen or Marines more than to know that we here in this Chamber support and pray for their welfare, knowing that at any moment our men and women in the military walk a very thin line between life and death.

Mr. Speaker, the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., ring well in my ears tonight. He said, ``In the end, we will not remember the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.''

Mr. Speaker, God bless our men and women in the Armed Forces.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished Chairman of the Armed Services Committee (Mr. Hunter) and our senior ranking member, Mr. Skelton, for bringing this resolution to the floor, to express our fullest support for our citizens-soldiers--all our men and women who proudly wear the uniforms of our armed services, as they are now in harm's way fighting the war in Iraq.

I am not here to debate the substance or the merits of the war, but only to express our support especially for the families and loved ones who anxiously wait and wonder if their husbands and wives, fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts and friends will return from the war.

As a Vietnam veteran, Mr. Speaker, nothing warms the hearts and minds of our soldiers, our sailors, our marines and our airmen more than to know that we here in this Chamber support and pray for their welfare-- knowing that any moment our men and women in the military walk a very thin line between life and death.

Mr. Speaker, the words of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. rings well in my ears tonight. He said, ``In the end, we will not remember the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.''

Mr. Speaker, as the most powerful military power in the world, we need to also be reminded of a statement made centuries ago by Thucydides who said, ``Of all manifestations of power, restraint impresses most men.''

Mr. Speaker, God bless our men and women in the armed forces.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 441, a resolution to authorize a United States plan to endorse and obtain status for Taiwan at the annual summit of the World Health Assembly in May 2003 in Geneva, Switzerland.

In response to an appeal from the United Nations and the United States, the government of Taiwan donated $1,000,000 to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Taiwan has also been a sovereign state since its founding in 1912. Although China has exercised control over Taiwan, Taiwan is a democratic and free society duly elected by the people.

As a sovereign state, Taiwan has acceded to the World Trade Organization and, despite the PRC's objections, I believe it is time for Taiwan to also obtain status as a member of the World Health Organization.

I fully support the intent of H.R. 441 and I also urge my colleagues to support his bill.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Chairman Hunter) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), the ranking member, for their outstanding leadership and services rendered not only to our country, but especially on matters pertaining to defense.

Mr. Speaker, at the most crucial time in our Nation's history, we are faced with the likely prospect of putting our men and women in uniform in harm's way. This is a serious and solemn responsibility not only for our President but also for the Congress of the United States.

Recently, I had the privilege of visiting the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea, along with the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Feeney), and certainly I would like to express our appreciation to General Leon LaPorte who is in charge of some 37,000 of our troops who are stationed there in Korea. I would also like to thank Dr. Edward Feulner, the president of Heritage Foundation, for allowing us to visit the leaders of South Korea. I am deeply aware of the important decisions these leaders have to make in the coming weeks and months.

It was my privilege also to visit my own constituents who are also stationed in Korea including Sergeant Major Special Forces Tui Nua, and 15 other members of my constituents who are on active duty. I especially thank Ambassador Seung Youn Kim for the hospitality and courtesies that he extended by allowing me and my constituents who are serving on active duty in Korea to work together and to enjoy each other's company.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this most fitting resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the late crew of the space shuttle Columbia. Like many of my colleagues, I had the privilege of traveling yesterday to the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas to attend a memorial service for the seven heroes we lost on February 1, 2003.

On behalf of the people of American Samoa, I now express American Samoa's deepest condolences in this time of national tragedy. As the Governor of American Samoa noted in his general memorandum issued on February 3, 2003, American Samoa shares a special relationship with the U.S. space program. Five Apollo missions had splashdown landings near American Samoa. For four of those landings, American Samoa was also the first landfall for our nation's astronauts.

Like Americans everywhere, we grieve for the lost crew of the space shuttle Columbia. We also grieve for the families they left behind. Although our astronauts did not make it back to earth, we join with President Bush in praying that they made it safely home. That their sacrifice may not have been in vain, the United States of America will remain committed to space exploration and we will also fully investigate the cause of Saturday's accident.

Once again, and on behalf of the people of American Samoa, I extend my deepest condolences and heart-felt sympathy of the families and friends of our lost crew. I also pay special tribute and offer my personal condolences to the good people of Israel. The thoughts and prayers of American Samoa are with you. In this time of national and international mourning, may we find peace and may Gold bless America.