Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Edward ``Tony'' Lyons of Citrus County, Florida. Tony was recently named the 2005 Florida Army National Guard Soldier of the Year.

Born in Nicaragua, Tony moved to Floral City, Florida at the age of two. He currently lives with his aunt, who is also his adopted mother, serves in the Florida Army National Guard and works construction in Citrus Hills to help support his family.

As an outstanding student athlete at Citrus High School, Tony led the cross country team, finishing sixth at the state meet and earning multiple awards for his athletic prowess.

Tony signed up as a member of the Florida Army National Guard in late 2004, and immediately dedicated himself to the rigors of training. Assigned to the Hernando County-based 856th Quartermaster Battalion, Tony earned the Soldier of the Year award by finishing first among the Army Guard soldiers who completed a rigorous testing regimen conducted at Camp Blanding in North Florida.

Mr. Speaker, Tony's recognition shows that hard work and dedication in pursuit of a goal can indeed bring success. I congratulate him on being named the 2005 Florida Army National Guard Soldier of the Year, and wish him good luck in the upcoming first Army Southern Region National Guard Soldier of the Year competition.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Jesus Hernandez of Spring Hill, FL. Jesus has done something that all of us strive for but that very few of us will ever accomplish, celebrate his 100th birthday.

Jesus was born November 26, 1905 in Ciales, PR. Located in the central mountain range of the island, Jesus's parents owned and operated a small farm. He grew up with his brothers and sisters where he cared for cattle and horses and performed agricultural chores while attending school. Other than the love and respect he had for his parents, working on the farm and playing sports are the fondest memories of his childhood.

During the Great Depression Jesus moved to New York City to work and help provide for his family during hard times. In 1932, he returned to Puerto Rico where he met and married his wife Carmen. Blessed with two sons, five grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren, Jesus says that the happiest moment in his life was the birth of his two sons, Ed and Lou.

During the Second World War Jesus tried to enlist in the military like his brothers but was unable to do so because of a heart condition. Jesus instead went to work for the railroad until 1944 when he decided to return to New York City with his wife and sons.

Jesus moved to Spring Hill in 2004 where he lives with his son Lou, who retired from the U.S. Army, and his daughter-in-law Marge. Today, Jesus says he gets the most pleasure from walking in the morning, playing dominos and helping to maintain the trees and plants in his son's backyard. He says that the only thing he would change if he had the chance to do his life over would be to travel the world.

Jesus says that despite his health he remains a positive person and possesses a great sense of humor. Jesus's secret to a long life is that he watches what he eats, does not drink alcoholic beverages and does not smoke. His advice to the young people is to ``finish your education, have respect and consideration for your parents and everyone as a whole, work hard and save your money to be self-dependent.'' Finally, Jesus says that ``he is proud to be an American and all it stands for. God Bless America.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in honoring Jesus Hernandez for reaching his 100th birthday. I hope we all have the good fortune to live as long as he has.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Lorette Noster of Hernando County, Florida. Lorette will do something this June 3rd that all of us strive for, but that very few of us will ever accomplish, celebrate her 100th birthday.

Born in Manchester, New Hampshire, Lorette was raised by her grandparents from a young age on. Lorette attended Notre Dame school in Stanbridge, Canada, and then worked with her grandparents in their house painting business painting woodwork for nearly forty years. One of Lorette's fondest childhood memories was having her own horse, a retired racehorse named Josie, that she cared for and rode for nearly 12 years.

Lorette married Fred Noster in 1931 and was happily married for 65 years until his death in 1996. Blessed with both a son and a daughter, Lorette and Fred also had five grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren. She moved to Hernando County in the spring of 2000 to be close to her family and enjoys the county's friendly people and comfortable winters.

One of Lorette's memories was her surprise 90th birthday party where she got to see so many family members and friends. Over the years she is most proud of winning prizes for her handmade clothes at the county fairs and her square dancing.

Today, Lorette says that working in her garden gives her the most pleasure. She says that if she had to live her life over, she would continue her education past grade school and study music. Her favorite flower is the lilac and her favorite color is red. Lorette's advice for the young people today is, ``go to college, don't smoke and eat natural foods.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in honoring Lorette Noster for reaching her 100th birthday. I hope we all have the good fortune to live as long as she has.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Sally Vander Est of Hernando County, Florida. Sally has done something that all of us strives for, but that very few of us will ever accomplish, celebrate her 100th birthday.

Born February 2, 1905 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Sally was the youngest in her family. She has many fond memories of roller-skating, ice skating and learning to drive in 1936. In fact, Sally has never gotten a ticket.

Sally worked for 28 years in Health, Education and Welfare offices and for the city of Grand Rapids. Following her father's death, Sally cared for her mother into the late 1950's. The proudest moment of her life was when she married Adrian Vander Est at 59 years old, remembering the exact date and time of April 4, 1964 at 4 p.m.

Sally says that her mother was an A-#1 person and her best friend, noting that her mother was always her date during her high school days. While she wishes that she had gotten married earlier in life, she remembers that when her friend got engaged, she told Sally, ``that she wanted the diamond but not what goes with it.''

While she always thought she would live to be 136, Sally now says that being 100 is a miracle. Today, reading, listening to music, especially musicals, gives her the most pleasure. She enjoys being in Hernando County and away from shoveling the snow. Her favorite flower is the rose and her favorite color is blue, because it goes with her eyes. Her advice to young people is to, ``stop smoking and stop this sex business and drinking, change your morals.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in honoring Sally Vander Est for reaching her 100th birthday. I hope we all have the good fortune to live as long as she has.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Elsie Johnson of Hernando County, Florida.

Elsie has done something that all of us strive for, but that very few of us I will ever accomplish, celebrate her 101st birthday.

Born April 17, 1904 in Coventry, Connecticut, Elsie Johnson attended school in

Massachusetts. She worked for seventeen years at Sears where she manufactured shears. Married to Hugo Johnson in 1921, she and her husband were blessed with four children, nineteen grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren. She has proudly seen all of her children married and make lives of their own. Married for forty-two years, the happiest events in Elsie's life were her wedding day and the birth of her first daughter.

Elsie moved to Hernando County with her daughter and says that her favorite part of the county is the nice and friendly people who live there. Today Elsie says that she enjoys her crochet work and doing her housework. Passing on the wisdom of her years, Elsie says that her advice to young people today is to ``work for what you have and don't expect it to be given to you and to develop higher values.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in honoring Elsie Johnson for reaching her 101st birthday. I hope we all have the good fortune to live as long as she has.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Sensenbrenner very much for his leadership on this bill.

I rise today very proud that the House is considering the conference report of the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization and so happy that it was recently agreed to by the Senate.

I would like to specifically thank a champion of this, and that is Chairman Sensenbrenner, for his excellent leadership and hard work to make sure that this happened this year.

I know many of us, when we went back to our districts, heard from various women's groups, various volunteers in domestic violence shelters, and they were fearful that we were going to end without continuing the Violence Against Women Act. I am very proud that it is in there.

While domestic programs would have continued without this program today, had VAWA not reauthorized, the new ideas and some of the great programs in there and improvements would not have been instituted for quite some time into the future. As I said, my constituents involved in the fight against domestic violence are so happy that we were able to come to an agreement on this.

When Members go back to their districts during the weekends and the holidays, it is going to spread the word that Congress has kept its word to women and reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act. It is my hope that if Members of Congress continue down this path in raising awareness about the many types of violence faced by women, men, young and old, from all walks of life, that we will eventually rid our Nation of this appalling crime.

Vicious acts of violence can be combated effectively through education, support networks, increased law enforcement programs and family counseling.

It has been an honor working with all those involved in this very important legislation, and I certainly encourage my colleagues to support this very important piece of legislation.

I, again, commend the chairman for his countless hours, and the committee members and the people who served on the conference committee, the countless number of hours that they worked to come to this agreement.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005.

I am proud to be a new member of the Homeland Security Committee and appreciate this opportunity to work with Chairman King on this legislation.

Every weekend, when I go back home to Florida, I hear from constituents that our country is being overrun by illegal immigrants. Today, we truly show our constituents that Congress is listening to them and that we mean business.

For starters, the bill requires mandatory detention of illegal aliens, eliminating the Department of Homeland Security's dangerous catch-and-release policy. Catch and release does nothing other than allow the Border Patrol to apprehend illegal immigrants then release them with nothing but a flimsy promise that they will return for a deportation hearing. Ha, ha. It does not happen. As Members may guess, 75 percent of them do not show up for their court date and are free to roam throughout our neighborhoods. That policy has existed for far too long. This bill requires that law enforcement hold illegal aliens until they are deported.

I am also pleased that the chairman was able to include some language in the bill that authorizes Homeland Security to engage in competitive contracts with companies to help manage the transportation of illegal aliens. Allowing the Secretary to engage in

these contracts will free up these resources and assist the department as it eliminates the harmful catch-and-release policy.

Mr. Chairman, our Nation's lawmakers did not craft our immigration laws as suggestions or reading material for insomniacs. Our laws were made to ensure proper, secure and legal entry into our country. This bill helps to accomplish exactly that, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, the reports of the lawlessness along our borders are unprecedented. Stories about the number of young girls and women who smugglers and society's dregs rape as they attempt to cross the border are widespread.

Numerous recent articles have told stories of Minuteman members who are haunted by cries of women who are being raped and abused, who when they

first heard the cries, they actually thought they were coyotes wailing in the desert. These are women and young girls being raped. All along the southern border, the sight of women's undergarments hang from border fences as trophies. This is appalling, and yet it is also very telling. There are stories of mattresses tucked in caves for more convenient access to rape young girls as young as 8- and 9-years-old crossing the border. Violent acts against females in this manner are despicable. Congress cannot and should not tolerate this behavior.

H.R. 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005, takes decisive action to reduce and eliminate this criminal activity. My amendment to the bill is a declaration that Congress condemns these rapes along the United States border.

Additionally, my amendment urges the Government of Mexico and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to work together to take immediate action to prevent such rapes from continuing.

We all understand that the best mechanism for preventing these rapes is to encourage legal citizenship and to stop people from crossing our borders illegally and therefore putting themselves in harm's way. By including my amendment in the underlying legislation, this House is sending a loud and clear message of its dedication to improving all aspects of border security. Urging both the United States and Mexico to take action is a good first step toward a peaceful, safe, and secure border.

The bill also provides a tremendous overhaul of the United States immigration policies, and I am very pleased that the House is debating this issue before we adjourn for the year. As a member of the Committee on Homeland Security, I look forward to implementing these measures, and I also look forward to the time when reports of rape and cruelty to young girls and women are not an issue on our border.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment, and I thank the gentleman for his recognition of this amendment's merits.

Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Harris).

(Ms. HARRIS asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 579 and the tradition of Christmas. I commend my colleague, Ms. Davis, for introducing this resolution.

As Americans, we enjoy the freedom to practice our own faith. This heritage inspired the American tradition of respecting individuals in their right to practice their religion, regardless of faith. However, it seems that, in recent years, zealous liberals have tried to destroy this heritage. It all started when schools would no longer call their annual winter recess a Christmas break in order to be politically correct. Now, instead, there is a holiday break, in many instances thanks to actions of the ACLU, American Civil Liberties Union.

While this may be a valid point since various religions observe holidays around the same time, they would not stop there at the erosion. There is a war against Christmas. Our children cannot sing Christmas carols. They can only sing holiday tunes. And now, instead of a Christmas tree, advertising calls them holiday trees. There is no reason why we cannot honor and cherish the traditions of Christmas while also doing the same with Chanukah, Kwanzaa or any other valued religion celebrated in America. America should never single out a religion for the purposes of banning or looking down upon references to their holiday celebrations. That practice flies in the face of the principles that our Nation was founded on. Instead, we must treasure the traditions that remind us of our history and of our country while at the same time respecting Americans of different faiths. As such, I strongly support House Resolution 579 which recognizes and supports symbols and traditions of Christmas.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution.

Offered By: Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite of Florida

Amendment No. 5: At the end of title VI, insert the

following new section:

Offered By: Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite of Florida

Amendment No. 6: At the end of title VI, insert the

following new section:

Offered By: Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite of Florida

Amendment No. 7: At the end of title IV, insert the

following new section:

Offered By: Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite of Florida

Amendment No. 8: Add at the end of title II the following:

Mr. Speaker, what we have before us tonight is not an attack on any one Member. It is not about politics, but it is about whether or not you support our troops who are in harm's way.

When I was in Iraq, I will never forget a nurse coming up to me in a hospital that had been pretty darn damaged and neglected by Saddam Hussein, and she said, please do not leave. I thought she was talking about me not leaving the hospital, and I said to her, I have to go. She said, no, I do not mean you; I want your troops to stay until our country is safe, until our country is secure. I will never forget that woman.

That message has been relayed time and time again from the troops who come home, who say we cannot leave prematurely. We do have an exit strategy. It is when the Iraqi people can control their own country. When the Iraqi people stand up, we will stand down. That nurse I will never disappoint.

Mr. Speaker, Federal spending has been on the rise. Over the period of time from 2001 to 2005, inflation has only gone up 12 percent during that period of time. However, when you look at the various other government spending programs, they have gone up anywhere from 21 percent all the way up to 99 percent for education.

Believe me, government has grown. It has grown to the point where our constituents are saying, stop already, make some changes. The significance of this chart is how much government has grown. A lot of it was due to 9/11; a lot of it was due to the slowdown in the economy.

The time has come where we need to start cutting back on the future growth. That is all that this does is cut back on the future growth. That is all that this does by one-tenth of 1 percent.

I heard somebody say, where is the Democrat plan? Well, their plan would increase spending by $21.5 billion, provide $54 billion in new taxes and virtually no cuts. It would grow the government. That is not what our constituents and that is not what our taxpayers want us to do.

Democrats have opposed virtually every spending bill recently. Why? Because the bills do not spend enough. It is not that they are spending too much. They do not spend enough, because no sum is too great ever to spend on their pet issue of the day.

The Republicans standing with me today have made it clear to constituents that the time has come for Congress to finally control the growth of Federal spending. That is what we are talking about, reducing government waste, inefficiencies, and putting common-sense measures in place to help reduce the Federal debt.

It is time we put some commonplace measures into place to help reduce the Federal debt to help stop this out-of-control growth of government. Ladies and gentlemen, that is what the bill we have before us tonight does.