Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 895) honoring the lives of the brave soldiers and civilians of the United States Army who died or were wounded in the tragic attack of November 5, 2009 at Fort Hood, Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this resolution.

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

Less than 24 hours ago our Nation was shocked to learn that a shooting had taken place at Fort Hood, Texas, one of the largest military bases in our country. Over the course of these initial news reports, we were saddened to learn that at least 13 soldiers were killed or have died and more than 30 were wounded, including the alleged assailant and the officer who was instrumental in bringing an end to the shooting.

What was shocking to most Americans is that a fellow member is alleged to have carried out this vicious attack on his comrades in arms. Yesterday, as these soldiers were in the midst of preparing for combat overseas, a fellow soldier opened fire on these unsuspecting patriots and those civilians and soldiers who were supporting them.

While many of those who were there were spared from the flying bullets, a number of these courageous soldiers and civilians were wounded, and they will face months, perhaps even years, recovering from their wounds. The heartache for these individuals and their families will be compounded by the fact that they will face these challenges knowing they were injured in the line of duty by an individual from within their own ranks. In the following days and months to come, these individuals and their families will need both emotional and physical sustainment and encouragement. It is our responsibility to ensure that they and their families have the resources they need to make a full and complete recovery.

Our prayers are with those who have lost a loved one in this senseless killing. These military families are already stressed with the thought of their family member deploying to Afghanistan or Iraq for a year, of the holidays and special moments that they would not share because of this deployment. And now their world has been turned upside down. Those last days prior to deployment when many families often make special plans to spend those few precious moments together have been taken away.

This morning, they will awaken to the realization that time will not bring their family member home to their welcoming arms. These families will need much love and support in the coming days; and we, as Americans, will be there with them and for them in their time of need.

Mr. Speaker, there is an ongoing investigation into this incident, and it is not appropriate for us to speculate on the motivations and why this occurrence happened. The investigation should be allowed to be completed without intervention as quickly as possible so it can bring closure to those who were tragically impacted by this event.

My thoughts and my prayers go out to those who have lost a loved one and to those who have been wounded, but I also want to reach out to all of our military families who are stationed around the world, who each understandably are touched by the heartbreaking events of yesterday at Fort Hood.

Mr. Speaker, I am extremely saddened by this occurrence. All of us in this body are extremely saddened by this occurrence.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Edwards) be permitted to control the remainder of my time.

I certainly thank the gentleman from Missouri for yielding, and I compliment him on this effort today which I fully support, as well as for his successful effort when he was mayor of Kansas City.

The Liberty Memorial is not only a landmark, it is a museum that is like no other museum in our country. It reflects that war, the war to end all wars in which America was engaged so deeply. And this memorial has a special meaning for me, Mr. Speaker, since my father served in the Navy during that war. If you go into the memorial, you will see his picture in his pancake hat with USS Missouri emblazoned on the front with the ribbon down the back. He was so proud of his service in that war.

Those folks are gone now, but this serves as a memorial to them, and more than that, and it serves as a museum like none other. It is good for people interested in the art of warfare, it is good for people who understand and enjoy history to go there and learn. It is a special place for all those in uniform to reflect upon what America did in yesteryear.

This is a wonderful undertaking. I am so proud of the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Cleaver) for this resolution. I compliment him and fully support it and hope it has a unanimous vote.

Mr. Speaker, I include for the record a letter from the Department Commander and Department Adjutant of the Department of Missouri, The American Legion, as well as an American Legion Department of Missouri resolution to designate the Liberty Memorial of Kansas City at the National World War I Museum as the National World War I Memorial.

The American Legion,

Department of Missouri, Inc.,

Jefferson City, MO, October 7, 2009.

Representative Ike Skelton,

Rayburn Office Bldg.,

Washington, DC.

Dear Representative Skelton: On Behalf of the 54,000

Legionnaires of The American Legion Department of Missouri,

we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your

service to our Country and to the citizens of the Great State

of Missouri. Recently during our 91st Annual Department

Convention, held in Jefferson City, Missouri, we adopted

Missouri Resolution Three, which urges the Congress of the

United States to designate the Liberty Memorial, at the

National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, as

``The National World War I Memorial.'' I have attached a copy

of said resolution.

The Liberty Memorial site was dedicated in November of 1921

and marks the only time in history that five Allied Military

Leaders were present to honor the more that 4,000,000 men and

women that served during World War I. General of the Armies

John J. Pershing, a native of Missouri, noted on that day

``the people of Kansas City, Missouri are deeply proud of

this beautiful memorial, erected in Tribute to the

Patriotism, the gallant achievements, and the heroic

sacrifices of their sons and daughters who served in our

country's Armed Forces during the World War. It Symbolized

their grateful appreciation of Duty Well Done, and

appreciation, which I share, because I know so well how

richly it is merited.''

The Memorial has been and still remains a proud part of the

patriotic heritage of, not only the people of Missouri, but

of the United States of America and should be designated as

``The National World War I Memorial''.

Thank you for your consideration and continued support.

Sincerely,

Victor J. Stragliati,

Department Commander.

Wade F. Prosser,

Department Adjutant.

Resolution

Subject: Designate Liberty Memorial, Kansas City, Missouri at

the National World War I Museum as the National World War

I Memorial.

Whereas more than 4,000,000 American served in World War I,

and

Whereas there is no nationally recognized Memorial honoring

the Service of those over 4,000,000 American, and

Whereas in 1919 (90 years ago since this is 2009) the

people of Kansas City, Missouri, expressed an outpouring of

support and raised more than $2,000,000 in two (2) weeks for

a Memorial to the service of American who served in World War

I. This fund was an accomplishment Unparalleled by any other

city in the United States Irrespective of population and

reflected the passion of Public opinion about World War I,

which had so recently ended, and

Whereas following the drive, a national architectural

competition was held by the American Institute of Architects

for designs for a memorial to the service of Americans in

World War I, and the competition yielded a design by

Architect H. Van Buren Magonigle, and

Whereas on November 1, 1921, more than 100,000 people

witnessed the dedication of the site for the Liberty Memorial

in Kansas City, Missouri, and

Whereas the dedication of the site on November 1, 1921

marked the only time in history that the five (5) allied

Military Leaders present, Lieutenant General Baron Jacques of

Belgium, General Armando Diaz of Italy, Marshal Ferdinand

Foch of France, Admiral Lord Earl Beatty of Great Britain,

and General of the Armies John J. Pershing of the United

States of America, were together at one place, and

Whereas General of the Armies John J. Pershing, a native of

Missouri and the Commander of the American Expeditionary

Forces in World War I, noted at the November 1, 1921

Dedication that ``the people of Kansas City, Missouri are

deeply proud of the beautiful memorial, erected in Tribute to

the patriotism, the gallant achievements, and the heroic

sacrifices of their sons and daughters who served in our

country's armed forces during the World War. It symbolized

their grateful appreciation of duty well done, and

appreciation which I share, because I know so well how richly

it is merited'', and

Whereas during an Armistice Day ceremony in 1924, President

Calvin Coolidge marked the beginning of a three year

construction project for the Liberty Memorial by the Laying

of the cornerstone, and

Whereas the 217 foot Liberty Memorial Tower has an

inscription that reads, ``In honor of Those Who Served in the

World War in Defense of Liberty and Our Country'' as well as

Four (4) stone ``Guardian Spirits'' representing Courage,

Honors, Patriotism, and Sacrifices, which rise above the

Observation deck, making the Liberty Memorial a noble Tribute

to all who served in World War I, and

Whereas during a rededication of the Liberty Memorial in

1961, World War 1 Veterans and former Presidents Harry S.

Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower recognized the memorial as a

constant reminder of the sacrifices during World War I and

the progress that followed, and

Whereas the 106th Congress recognized the Liberty Memorial

as a National Symbol of World War I, and

Whereas the 108th Congress designated that the museum at

the base of The Liberty Memorial as ``American's National

World War I Museum'', and

Whereas the American's National World War I Museum is the

only Public museum in the United States specifically

Dedicated to the History of World War I, and

Whereas the National World War I Museum is known throughout

the World as a major center of World War I remembrance, now

Therefore, be it

Resolved: by The American Legion Department of Missouri in

regular Convention assembled in Jefferson City, Missouri on

July 16, 17, 18, and 19, That The American Legion Department

of Missouri urges The Congress of The United States of

America to designate The Liberty Memorial, Kansas City,

Missouri at the National World War I Museum in

Kansas City, Missouri as the ``NATIONAL WORLD WAR I

Madam Speaker, I rise to express my support for H. Res. 868 and to request that the following exchange of letters regarding this resolution be included in the Congressional Record.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Veterans' Affairs,

Washington, DC, October 28, 2009.

Hon. Ike Skelton,

Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, House of

Representatives, Rayburn House Office Building,

Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: On October 23, 2009, H. Res. 868,

``Honoring and recognizing the service and achievements of

current and former female members of the Armed Forces,'' was

introduced in the House of Representatives. This measure was

sequentially referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

The Committee on Veterans' Affairs recognizes the

importance of H. Res. 868 and the need to move this

resolution expeditiously in order to honor the current and

former female members of the Armed Forces. Therefore, while

we have valid jurisdictional claims to this resolution, the

Committee on Veterans' Affairs will waive further

consideration of H. Res. 868. The Committee does so with the

understanding that by waiving further consideration of this

resolution it does not waive any future jurisdictional claims

over similar measures.

I would appreciate the inclusion of this letter and a copy

of your response in the Congressional Record during

consideration of H. Res. 868 on the House floor.

Sincerely,

Bob Filner,

Chairman.

Madam Speaker, let me take this time to honor a great American service member, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Zinno. During a terrific storm in 1946, Lt. Col. Zinno successfully landed a plane carrying the members of the Sharon Rogers All-Girl Band, a USO sponsored orchestra which performed for American troops serving in East Asia.

Born in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1923, Lt. Col. Zinno developed a fascination with flight as a child and was often seen sketching planes on spare pieces of paper or sneaking to the local airport hangar to watch the occasional take-off. His passion for aviation led him to the Army Air Corps. After earning his wings and bars in 1944, Lt. Col. Zinno began his first assignment with the 63rd Troop Carrier Group in Sedalia, Missouri, part of my home district.

Lt. Col. Zinno's skill as an aviator came to a test on January 20, 1946, when he was ordered to ferry the Sharon Rogers All-Girl Band from Seoul, Korea, to Tokyo, Japan. When Lt. Col. Zinno flew through a treacherous thunderhead, his C-46 dropped 3,500 feet in a matter of seconds. Remaining calm, the courageous pilot navigated the storm with little visibility and safely landed the plane in the Shimonoseki Strait, a strip of water littered with mines and high tension wires. With every passenger and crew member alive and safe, a Japanese fishing boat brought the orchestra and flight crew to safe ground.

Madam Speaker, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Zinno has distinguished himself throughout his long career as a talented and courageous pilot. His nerves of steel and gutsy determination may well have saved the lives of the Sharon Rogers All-Girl Band. I trust that the Members of the House will join me in honoring this brave pilot for his contributions to our country.

Madam Speaker, it is with great sadness that I inform the House of the death of Rear Admiral Wayne E. Meyer. He is known as the ``Father of Aegis'' for his 13 years of work on the Aegis Weapons systems.

Adm. Meyer was born in Brunswick, Missouri, on April 21, 1926. In 1943, he enlisted with the Navy. While serving with the Navy, he graduated from the University of Kansas in 1946 with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. He also obtained a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and M.S. in Astronautics and Aeronautics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Additionally, he received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School. His engineering education would later help with his work on developing advanced weapons systems for the Navy.

One of Adm. Meyer's first assignments found him manning the radar of the USS Goodrich only after 11 months of radar and sonar training at M.I.T. In the post-World War II period, he served as part of the occupation forces in the Mediterranean, China, and Japan seas. Upon his return to the U.S., he enrolled and taught in variety of schools from 1951-1955. These included studying at the Joint Guided Missile School in Fort Bliss, Texas, and the Naval Line School in Monterey, California. He later was instructor at the Special Weapons School in Norfolk Virginia. Following his studies at Monterey and M.I.T., he was ordered to the USS Galveston, where he served as Gunnery Sergeant and eventually oversaw the conversion to the first Talos missiles on the cruiser.

In 1963, he was chosen to serve in the Navy Task Force for Surface Guided Missile Systems. Later, he was also appointed to assist with the analog to high-speed digital system transition on 30 Terrier-armed ships. He became the Director of Engineering at the Naval Ship Missile Systems Engineering Station in 1967. Three years later, he was called to Washington, D.C., to head the Aegis Weapons System. In the following years, he was named supervisor of many projects, including the Surface Missile Systems and Surface Warfare. In January 1975, he was chosen for Rear Admiral. Shortly after his selection, he became the founding Project Manager of Aegis Shipbuilding, and, in 1983, he was reassigned as Deputy Commander, Weapons and Combat Systems, Naval Sea Systems Command. Eventually, he retired from active duty in 1985.

In his retirement, Adm. Meyer served in a variety of consulting positions, including assisting the Surface Navy and the Missile Defense Agency's development of missile defense capability for the nation's Aegis fleet and serving on many committees chartered by Department of Defense personnel.

Madam Speaker, Admiral Wayne E. Meyer was an honorable officer in the military. I am certain that the members of the House will join me in extending their heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. He will be greatly missed.

Madam Speaker, on September 12, 2009, the Honorable Emanuel Cleaver, Congressman from Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, sponsored a remarkable event at the Truman Library. This event was in honor of those who fought in the Vietnam War in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Well over 1,000 veterans attended. The Honorable Dennis Moore, Congressman from Kansas's Third Congressional District, spoke, and yours truly had an opportunity to deliver a message of gratitude to the Vietnam veterans present. The keynote speaker was Major General (Ret.) Robert H. Scales, former commandant of the U.S. Army War College. His address was very well received by the veterans in the audience. The address is as follows:

[Sept. 12, 2009]

Truman Library Speech

(By MG (Ret.) Robert H. Scales)

Mr. Skelton, Mr Cleaver, distinguished guests and, most

importantly, fellow veterans. What a great thrill it is see

my comrades in arms assembled here so many years after we

shared our experiences in war.

Let me give you the bottom line up front: I'm proud I

served in Vietnam. Like you I didn't kill innocents, I killed

the enemy; I didn't fight for big oil or for some lame

conspiracy I fought for a country I believed in and for the

buddies who kept me alive. Like you I was troubled that,

unlike my father, I didn't come back to a grateful nation. It

took a generation and another war, Desert Storm, for the

nation to come back to me.

Also like you I remember the war being 99 percent boredom

and one percent pure abject terror. But not all my memories

of Vietnam are terrible. There were times when I enjoyed my

service in combat. Such sentiment must seem strange to a

society today that has, thanks to our superb volunteer

military, been completely insulated from war. If they thought

about Vietnam at all our fellow citizens would imagine that

fifty years would have been sufficient to erase this

unpleasant war from our consciousness. Looking over this

assembly it's obvious that the memory lingers, and those of

us who fought in that war remember.

The question is why? If this war was so terrible why are we

here? It's my privilege today to try to answer that question

not only for you, brother veterans, but maybe for a wider

audience for whom, fifty years on, Vietnam is as strangely

distant as World War One was to our generation.

Vietnam is seared in our memory for the same reason that

wars have lingered in the

minds of soldiers for as long as wars have been fought.

From Marathon to Mosul young men and now women have marched

off to war to learn that the cold fear of violent death and

the prospects of killing another human being heighten the

senses and sear these experiences deeply and irrevocably into

our souls and linger in the back recesses of our minds.

After Vietnam we may have gone on to thrilling lives or

dull; we might have found love or loneliness, success or

failure. But our experiences have stayed with us in brilliant

Technicolor and with a clarity undiminished by time. For what

ever primal reason war heightens the senses. When in combat

we see sharper, hear more clearly and develop a sixth sense

about everything around us.

Remember the sights? I recall sitting in the jungle one

bright moonlit night marveling on the beauty of Vietnam. How

lush and green it was; how attractive and gentle the people,

how stoic and unmoved they were amid the chaos that

surrounded them.

Do you remember the sounds? Where else could you stand

outside a bunker and listen to the cacophonous mix of Jimi

Hendrix, Merle Haggard and Jefferson Airplane? Or how about

the sounds of incoming? Remember it wasn't a boom like in the

movies but a horrifying noise like a passing train followed

by a crack and the whistle of flying fragments. Remember the

smells? The sharpness of cordite, the choking stench of

rotting jungle and the tragic sweet smell of enemy dead . . .

I remember the touch, the wet, sticky sensation when I

touched one of my wounded soldiers one last time before the

medevac rushed him forever from our presence but not from my

memory, and the guilt I felt realizing that his pain was

caused by my inattention and my lack of experience.

Even taste is a sense that brings back memories. Remember

the end of the day after the log bird flew away leaving mail,

C rations and warm beer? Only the first sergeant had

sufficient gravitas to be allowed to turn the C ration cases

over so that all of us could reach in and pull out a box on

the unlabeled side hoping that it wasn't going to be ham and

lima beans again.

Look, forty years on I can forgive the guy who put powder

in our ammunition so foul that it caused our M-16s to jam.

I'm OK with helicopters that arrived late. I'm over artillery

landing too close and the occasional canceled air strike. But

I will never forgive the Pentagon bureaucrat who in an

incredibly lame moment thought that a soldier would open a

can of that green, greasy, gelatinous goo called ham and lima

beans and actually eat it.

But to paraphrase that iconic war hero of our generation,

Forrest Gump, ``Life is like a case of C Rations, you never

know what you're going to get.'' Because for every box of ham

and lima beans there was that rapturous moment when you would

turn over the box and discover the bacchanalian joy of

peaches and pound cake. It's all a metaphor for the surreal

nature of that war and its small pleasures . . . those who

have never known war cannot believe that anyone can find

joy in hot beer and cold pound cake. But we can . . .

Another reason why Vietnam remains in our consciousness is

that the experience has made us better. Don't get me wrong.

I'm not arguing for war as a self improvement course. And I

realize that war's trauma has damaged many of our fellow

veterans physically, psychologically and morally. But recent

research on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder by behavioral

scientists has unearthed a phenomenon familiar to most

veterans: that the trauma of war strengthens rather than

weakens us (They call it Post Traumatic Growth). We know that

a near death experience makes us better leaders by increasing

our self reliance, resilience, self image, confidence and

ability to deal with adversity. Combat veterans tend to

approach the future wiser, more spiritual and content with an

amplified appreciation for life. We know this is true. It's

nice to see that the human scientists now agree.

I'm proud that our service left a legacy that has made

today's military better. Sadly Americans too often prefer to

fight wars with technology. Our experience in Vietnam taught

the nation the lesson that war is inherently a human not a

technological endeavor. Our experience is a distant whisper

in the ear of today's technology wizards that firepower is

not sufficient to win, that the enemy has a vote, that the

object of war should not be to kill the enemy but to win the

trust and allegiance of the people and that the ultimate

weapon in this kind or war is a superbly trained, motivated,

and equipped soldier who is tightly bonded to his buddies and

who trusts his leaders.

I've visited our young men and women in Iraq and

Afghanistan several times. On each visit I've seen first hand

the strong connection between our war and theirs. These are

worthy warriors who operate in a manner remarkably

reminiscent of the way we fought so many years ago.

The similarities are surreal. Close your eyes for a moment

and it all comes rushing back . . . In Afghanistan I watched

soldiers from my old unit, the 101st Airborne Division, as

they conducted daily patrols from firebases constructed and

manned in a manner virtually the same as those we occupied

and fought from so many years ago. Every day these sky

soldiers trudge outside the wire and climb across impossible

terrain with the purpose as one sergeant put it ``to kill the

bad guys, protect the good guys and bring home as many of my

soldiers as I can.'' Your legacy is alive and well. You

should be proud.

The timeless connection between our generation and theirs

can be seen in the unity and fighting spirit of our soldiers

in Iraq and Afghanistan. Again and again, I get asked the

same old question from folks who watch soldiers in action on

television: why is their morale so high? Don't they know the

American people are getting fed up with these wars? Don't

they know Afghanistan is going badly? Often they come to me

incredulous about what they perceive as a misspent sense of

patriotism and loyalty.

I tell them time and again what every one of you sitting

here today, those of you who have seen the face of war,

understand: it's not really about loyalty. It's not about a

belief in some abstract notion concerning war aims or

national strategy. It's not even about winning or losing. On

those lonely firebases as we dug through C ration boxes and

drank hot beer we didn't argue the righteousness of our cause

or ponder the latest pronouncements from McNamara or Nixon or

Ho Chi Minh for that matter. Some of us might have trusted

our leaders or maybe not. We might have been well informed

and passionate about the protests at home or maybe not. We

might have groused about the rich and privileged who found a

way to avoid service but we probably didn't. We might have

volunteered for the war to stop the spread of global

communism or maybe we just had a failing semester and got

swept up in the draft.

In war young soldiers think about their buddies. They talk

about families, wives and girlfriends and relate to each

other through very personal confessions. For the most part

the military we served with in Vietnam did not come from the

social elite. We didn't have Harvard degrees or the pedigree

of political bluebloods. We were in large measure volunteers

and draftees from middle and lower class America. Just as in

Iraq today we came from every corner of our country to meet

in a beautiful yet harsh and forbidding place, a place that

we've seen and experienced but can never explain adequately

to those who were never there.

Soldiers suffer, fight and occasionally die for each other.

It's as simple as that. What brought us to fight in the

jungle was no different than the motive force that compels

young soldiers today to kick open a door in Ramadi with the

expectation that what lies on the other side is either an

innocent huddling with a child in her arms or a fanatic

insurgent yearning to buy his ticket to eternity by killing

the infidel. No difference. Patriotism and a paycheck may get

a soldier into the military but fear of letting his buddies

down gets a soldier to do something that might just as well

get him killed.

What makes a person successful in America today is a far

cry from what would have made him a success in the minds of

those assembled here today. Big bucks gained in law or real

estate, or big deals closed on the stock market made some of

our countrymen rich. But as they have grown older they now

realize that they have no buddies. There is no one who they

are willing to die for or who is willing to die for them.

William Manchester served as a Marine in the Pacific during

World War II and put the sentiment precisely right when he

wrote: ``Any man in combat who lacks comrades who will die

for him, or for whom he is willing to die is not a man at

all. He is truly damned.''

The Anglo Saxon heritage of buddy loyalty is long and

frightfully won. Almost six hundred years ago the English

king, Henry V, waited on a cold and muddy battlefield to face

a French army many times his size. Shakespeare captured the

ethos of that moment in his play Henry V. To be sure

Shakespeare wasn't there but he was there in spirit because

he understood the emotions that gripped and the bonds that

brought together both king and soldier. Henry didn't talk

about national strategy. He didn't try to justify faulty

intelligence or ill formed command decisions that put his

soldiers at such a terrible disadvantage. Instead, he talked

about what made English soldiers fight and what in all

probably would allow them to prevail the next day against

terrible odds. Remember this is a monarch talking to his men:

This story shall the good man teach his son;

From this day ending to the ending of the world,

But we in it shall be remembered;

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he today that

sheds his blood with me shall be my brother;

And gentlemen in England (or America) now a-bed

Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,

And hold their manhood's cheap whiles any speaks

That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

You all here assembled inherit the spirit of St. Crispin's

day. You know and understand the strength of comfort that

those whom you protect, those in America now abed, will never

know. You have lived a life of self awareness and personal

satisfaction that those who watched you from afar in this

country who ``hold their manhood cheap'' can only envy.

I don't care whether America honors or even remembers the

good service we performed in Vietnam. It doesn't bother me

that war is an image that America would rather ignore. It's

enough for me to have the privilege to be among you. It's

sufficient to

talk to each of you about things we have seen and kinships we

have shared in the tough and heartless crucible of war.

Some day we will all join those who are serving so

gallantly now and have preceded us on battlefields from

Gettysburg to Wanat. We will gather inside a firebase to open

a case of C rations with every box peaches and pound cake. We

will join with a band of brothers to recount the experience

of serving something greater than ourselves. I believe in my

very soul that the almightily reserves a corner of heaven,

probably around a perpetual lager where some day we can meet

and embrace . . . all of the band of brothers throughout the

ages to tell our stories while envious standers-by watch and

wonder how horrific and incendiary the crucible of violence

must have been to bring such a disparate assemblage so close

to the hand of God.

Until we meet there thank you for your service, thank you

for your sacrifice, God bless you all and God bless this

great nation. . . .

Mr. Speaker, during the August District Work Period, I traveled extensively throughout Missouri's Fourth Congressional district, meeting with residents who were eager to share their views on a variety of Federal matters. In separate visits with Missouri credit union officials and small town Missouri bankers, the state of the economy and Congress' efforts to make financial services more responsive to every day citizens were top priorities for discussion.

Earlier this year, Congress passed and the President signed into law the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act, bipartisan legislation to make credit card agreements more customer friendly. I supported this measure and am pleased it has become the law of the land.

But, when I met with credit union officials in August, they brought to my attention a technical error in the law that is making it difficult for them to provide lines of credit to some of their members.

When I returned to Washington in September, I immediately brought the credit unions' concerns to the attention of Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank. And, at the same time, my colleague from Vermont, Congressman Peter Welch, drafted responsible legislation--which we are considering here in the House today--to correct this technical error so that credit unions can continue offering open-end credit plans that are popular with many of their members.

Chairman Frank, Mr. Welch, and their staffs have worked diligently to fix this problem for America's credit unions. I am pleased that they have moved this bill so quickly through the legislative process. I urge my colleagues to support Mr. Welch's legislation and hope the other body will act to pass it soon.

Missouri Credit Union Association,

St. Louis, MO, August 27, 2009.

Hon. Ike Skelton,

Rayburn Building,

Washington, DC.

Dear Representative Skelton: Thank you for taking time out

of your busy schedule to meet with Missouri credit unions

this month in the district. As discussed, Missouri credit

unions are extremely concerned about unintended consequences

created by the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and

Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009, and the serious implications

for consumers in our state. We are asking for your help and

support in a legislative solution.

Credit unions did not participate in the consumer abuses

regarding credit cards that prompted passage of the CARD Act

of 2009, and do not have an issue with complying with the

provisions of the CARD Act that relate specifically to credit

card accounts.

However, sections of the Act applying to open-end credit

plans do affect credit unions and will disadvantage credit

union members. Credit unions, working with their members,

often set up open-end credit plans because of the flexibility

it provides to members in managing their credit and adding

future loans.

It is common for members who live paycheck to paycheck, or

have trouble managing their money, to request a payment plan

that has funds deducted from their checking account or

payroll direct deposit that is credited to their loan. They

may choose to have funds credited weekly, every two weeks, or

twice a month. The CARD Act requirement that the account

holder receive a 21-day notice prior to payment due dates

(Sec. 106(b)) becomes problematic for the credit union when

the member has requested anything other than monthly

payments.

When payment schedules occur more than monthly, we are not

finding a reasonable solution that meets the 21-day notice

requirement of the law. Credit unions report to our

association that there are significant issues with data

processors in complying with the new law. One of Missouri's

smaller credit unions with $19 million in assets has

approximately 1,800 open-end loans that are not credit card

accounts. Making the necessary changes to comply with the Act

will mean additional ongoing expense. There would be

additional costs for multiple mailings including postage and

staff time. If the credit union incurs additional costs to

comply with the CARD Act, those increases will be passed on

to our member consumers. We are also concerned that it will

cause our members considerable confusion if they begin to

receive multiple notices every month. Many credit unions will

be impacted to the extent that they will have to offer only

closed-end loans, which eliminates the convenience and

flexibility that members need and prefer.

If credit unions adjust all open-end credit plans to only

allow one payment per month, we have taken options away from

consumers that help them better manage their money. We

believe that the intent of the CARD Act is to protect

consumers and avoid confusing disclosures and abusive

practices relative to credit card open-end programs. We do

not believe that the intent was to disadvantage members

and increase their costs to access open-end programs.

Section 106(b) is the only place in the Act where the

wording ``open end credit'' is used to broadly apply beyond

credit card programs. During our meeting, we provided you

with suggested language that would correct this

inconsistency. It is provided below. The words in italics are

currently in the bill. The bold wording in brackets is the

suggested replacement.

SEC. 106. Rules regarding periodic statements.

(a) In General.--Section 127 of the Truth in Lending Act

(15 U.S.C. 1637) is amended by adding at the end the

following:

(o) Due Dates for Credit Card Accounts--

(1) In general.--The payment due date for a credit card

account under an open end consumer credit plan shall be the

same day each month.

(2) Weekend or holiday due dates.--If the payment due date

for a credit card account under an open end consumer credit

plan is a day on which the creditor does not receive or

accept payments by mail (including weekends and holidays),

the creditor may not treat a payment received on the next

business day as late for any purpose.

(b) Length of Billing Period.--

(1) In general.--Section 163 of the Truth in Lending Act

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 808, I call up the conference report on the bill (H.R. 2647) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2010 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, to provide special pays and allowances to certain members of the Armed Forces, expand concurrent receipt of military retirement and VA disability benefits to disabled military retirees, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the conference report currently under consideration.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to bring before the House the conference report on H.R. 2647, the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2010. I especially want to thank my ranking member, my good friend, Buck McKeon, the gentleman from California, our partners in the Senate, Senator Carl Levin and Senator John McCain, and all the conferees from the Armed Services and 13 other committees who have made this conference report a reality.

Mr. McKeon, brand new as ranking member of our committee, hit the ground running and has done yeoman's work, and I particularly wish to single him out and express my appreciation for the work he has done to help bring this to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, this bill has a base of $550 billion for the United States military. This has $130 billion for the wars in Afghanistan and in Iraq, which total $680 billion.

Mr. Speaker, we are at war. This is a deadly serious moment in this body. This bill is critical for national security, and I am pleased to say this bill gets it right.

The conference report provides several major victories for our troops and their families, and the bill strikes a right balance between our focus on the immediate fights in Afghanistan and Iraq and the long-term needs of our military.

The vast majority of this bill has bipartisan support. The bill provides almost $20 billion combined for Army and Marine Corps reset and equipment shortfalls in the Guard and Reserves. It has $550 million for Army barracks and Guard and Reserve infrastructure. To boost readiness and reduce the strain on our forces, the bill increases the size of the military all across four services and authorizes an additional 30,000 Army troops in fiscal years 2011 and 2012.

This bill reflects our effort to recognize 2009 as the Year of the Military Family by providing a 3.4 percent pay raise for all servicemembers. The bill also extends the authority of the Defense Department to offer bonuses and incentive pay. It expands TRICARE health coverage. It prohibits fee increases on TRICARE inpatient care for a year, provides for $2.2 billion for family housing programs and improves the benefits available to wounded warriors.

To ensure our strategy in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan is effective, this bill requires the President to assess U.S. efforts and report on the progress. The bill authorizes funds to train and equip the Afghan National Security Forces and authorize the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Fund. The bill improves accountability and oversight of U.S. assistance. The bill also requires the Secretary of Defense to submit a report on the responsible redeployment of U.S. forces out of Iraq.

On acquisition reform, the conference report supports the plan to increase the size of the acquisition workforce and reduce reliance on contractors for acquisition functions.

It eliminates waste, fraud, and abuse through better contract oversight. The bill also repeals the National Security

Personnel System, returning employees to the general schedule over 2 years while providing additional flexibility for hiring and personnel management.

The conference agreement prohibits the release of Guantanamo Bay detainees into the United States, its territories and possessions, and restricts detainee transfers until after the President has submitted a plan to Congress.

The conference report revises the Military Commissions Act to make military commissions fair and effective and ensure that convictions stick.

Let me briefly address two difficult aspects of the conference report.

First, I am disappointed, and so very disappointed, that we were not able to retain the House's provision implementing the President's proposal on concurrent receipt for disabled military retirees. The Armed Services Committee fought hard with the assistance of our leadership and many other committees to pay for that proposal. The Senate's budget rules, however, would not support a solution. And I urge the President to work with us in a way to pay for this, which will meet the budgetary rules of both the House and the Senate.

Finally, regarding the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, I have said several times that I would have preferred it to have been enacted as a stand-alone bill, not on this Defense bill. But it's important to note that the conferees included important sentencing guidelines for crimes against military servicemembers and added protections for the first amendment rights of preachers and ministers to that bill.

I might add, Mr. Speaker, that the Senate passed its version of the bill with the hate crimes provision by a vote of 87-7, which is a strong bipartisan vote in the United States Senate.

Whatever one's position on hate crimes, I believe that the enormous good done in this legislation merits its support by every Member of the House.

Mr. Speaker, we are at war. We should support the troops. We should support their families. We should make sure that they have the finest equipment and training possible. That's what this bill does. This bill will support our troops in the field and their families at home and meet our Nation's immediate military requirements and preserve the ability to deter and respond to future threats.

I urge the House to vote for this conference report and move it to the President's desk as soon as possible.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon) for his straightforward

commitment to the young men and women in American uniform. At this time I yield 3 minutes to my colleague, my friend, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Readiness, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ortiz).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to my friend, the chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel, the gentlelady from California (Mrs. Davis).

I wish to remind my fellow Missourian that the United States Senate voted for the Defense bill with the inclusion of the section that he objects to by 87 votes to 7, a strong bipartisan vote.

I now yield 3 minutes to my friend, the chairman of the subcommittee on Strategic Forces, Mr. Langevin.

(Mr. LANGEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my friend, a member of the Committee on Armed Services, the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo).

I yield 3 minutes to my friend, my colleague, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Taylor).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my friend, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews), a member of the Armed Services Committee.

(Mr. ANDREWS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my friend, my colleague, a member of the Armed Services Committee, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Marshall).

I yield the gentleman 1 additional minute.

May I inquire as to the amount of time remaining.

I yield 1 minute to my friend, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler).

I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to my friend and chairman of the committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Towns).

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

I continue to reserve my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my friend, my colleague, the distinguished majority leader, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

Does the gentleman from South Carolina have any additional speakers?

I prefer to close, Mr. Speaker, after the gentleman from Ohio speaks.

Mr. Speaker, in your mind's eye picture a young Army corporal preparing to drive down a road in his security vehicle to help in an ongoing firefight in the mountains of Afghanistan. Picture in your mind this young corporal dressed in the Army fatigue uniform, an M16A2 standard-issue rifle in his hand with bullets made in America for that M16A2, wearing body armor furnished him and in the latest security vehicle provided by the United States Army.

That M16A2 rifle was furnished by the Congress of the United States. The ammunition for that rifle was furnished by the Congress of the United States. The body armor on that soldier was furnished by the Congress of the United States, and the vehicle in which he rides, that security vehicle was furnished by the Congress of the United States.

As a young soldier, this young corporal goes down the road, look at that soldier and answer the question, Did you vote to support me as a Member of Congress of the United States?

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, first let me thank my good friend and a valued member of the House Armed Services Committee, Walter B. Jones of North Carolina, for introducing the first bill in the House to fix the first time homebuyer tax issue for our servicemembers. Mr. Jones is a good friend of the military, and I was proud to join him in this effort.

Let me also thank Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel, a Korean war veteran and supporter of our troops, for recognizing that we needed to improve the Federal Tax Code for military personnel and their families and for wrapping together several related tax bills into the legislation we are considering today, the Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act.

The first time homebuyer tax credit, which was enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, has been popular with the American people and has had a positive impact on the economy.

Since the tax credit took effect, home sales have increased and there have been glimpses of price stability in the housing market. While much work remains before a full recovery can be achieved in the real estate sector, this tax credit has produced results.

To qualify for the tax credit, a first time homebuyer must meet certain criteria, including a stipulation that he or she live in the house as a primary residence for 3 years or be forced to repay the credit to the Federal Government.

For those military personnel, Foreign Service officers, and intelligence officers who wish to purchase their first home but who might be required by government orders to move duty stations within a 3-year window, this stipulation has proven problematic.

To fix it, I recently co-authored the Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act, which would waive the repayment clause if the servicemember, State Department official, or intelligence officer receives official orders and is forced to sell his or her house within that 3-year window.

The measure would also allow qualifying Defense and State Department personnel and intelligence personnel who have served outside the United States for at least 90 days in

2009 to have an additional year to participate in the first time homebuyer tax credit, which is currently scheduled to expire on November 30, 2009.

In addition to these particular changes, the legislation would ensure that certain payments under the Department of Defense Homeowner's Assistance Program are exempt from taxation.

The Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act is important for our troops and their families and would foster economic activity in areas near military bases. I urge its quick passage in the House of Representatives.

Madam Speaker, it is with sadness that I inform the House of the death of Donald Blakesklee, Colonel, United States Army (Ret.) of Miami, Florida.

Col. Blakesklee was born in Fairport Harbor, Ohio. During his teenager years, he became fond of airplanes after watching them race every year at the National Air Races in Cleveland. Consequently, he and a friend, in the mid-1930s, bought a Piper Cub.

Prior to U.S. entrance into World War II, Col. Blakesklee's enthusiasm for fighting became clear when he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. After pilot training, he was deployed to Britain, where he flew combat missions for the Royal Air Force (RAF) alongside a group of American volunteers known as American Eagle Squadrons. Ultimately, he became commander of the 133rd RAF Eagle Squadrons. When the Eagle Squadrons joined the U.S. Army Air Forces in September 1942, he became commander of the 335th Fighter Squadron. Then on January 1, 1944, Col. Blakesklee was named commander of the 4th Fighter Group of the 8th Fighter Command.

After fours years in the European theater, Col. Blakesklee flew nearly 500 missions and had about 1,000 combat missions. According to Barrett Tillman, a former executive secretary of the American Fighter Aces Association, Col. Blakesklee had more missions and hours ``than any other American fighter pilot of World War II.'' Some of his achievements include leading the first escort mission to Berlin on March 6, 1944, in which his group protected Boeing B-17s and Consolidated B-24s while dropping bombs over the German city and setting a record for most enemies shot down in one day at 31 planes on April 8, 1944.

On April 11, 1944, Col. Blakesklee was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by General Dwight D. Eisenhower. For his service in the Korean War, he received the Legion of Merit. In all, his military service earned him two Distinguished Service Crosses, seven Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Silver Stars, six Air Medals and the British Distinguished Flying Cross.

After the World War II, Col. Blakesklee remained in the Air Force. He led the 27th Fighter Wing in Korea and served in Vietnam. In 1965, he retired to Florida to live with his wife, Leola Fryer. Col. Blakesklee is survived by his daughter Dawn Blakesklee.

Madam Speaker, Col. Donald Blakesklee was an honorable officer in the military. I am certain that the members of the House will join me in extending their heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. He will be greatly missed.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Armed Services, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 2647) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2010 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, to provide special pays and allowances to certain members of the Armed Forces, expand concurrent receipt of military retirement and VA disability benefits to disabled military retirees, and for other purposes, with a Senate amendment thereto, disagree to the Senate amendment, and agree to the conference asked by the Senate.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Johnson).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank) who is the distinguished chairman of the Financial Services Committee.

I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to my friend, my colleague, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

Let me point out, Mr. Speaker, under the new title 18 of United States Code section 1389, one of the classifications is Prohibition on Attacks on U.S. Servicemen on Account of Service.

Let me also point out this legislation includes the Brownback amendment which fully protects religious speech under the First Amendment, which says that nothing in this bill will burden religious speech or expression, including sermons from the pulpit on Sundays.

I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Baldwin).

I yield 4 minutes to my friend, my colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler).

I have no more speakers, but I reserve the balance of my time.

How much time do I have remaining, please?

Mr. Speaker, let me first thank the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon) for his efforts in the Defense authorization bill this year. It's important that I do so because he's been a great partner. He's been jumping in with both feet as ranking member from the day he began serving as ranking member. At a time when the Department of Defense is fighting two wars and simultaneously promoting and serving America's strategic interests around the world, I'm proud to say that our Congress is nearing completion on a strong and effective Defense authorization bill.

The bill that this House approved overwhelmingly on June 25, like its Senate counterpart, reflects the Congress' deep commitment in supporting American servicemembers and providing the necessary resources to keep our Americans safe. Both bills provide our military personnel with a 3.4 percent pay raise, an increase of .5 percent above the President's request. The House bill also includes a number of initiatives to support military families this year, which, of course, is the Year of the Military Family. We fully fund the President's overall budget request, and worked hard to provide robust funding for military training, equipment, maintenance and facilities upkeep.

The House bill continues the commitment to oversight of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, which has been a hallmark of our committee, as well as personal pride on my behalf. The bill also works to equip and modernize our military forces and extend our acquisition reform efforts which we passed a substantial bill here earlier this year.

With that, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews).

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 12 of rule XXII, I move that meetings of the conference between the House and the Senate on H.R. 2647 may be closed to the public at such times as classified national security information may be broached, provided that any sitting Member of Congress shall be entitled to attend any meeting of the conference.

Madam Speaker, it is with sadness that I inform the House of the death of Jeffery R. ``Puff'' Adams, Ray County's presiding commissioner.

Mr. Adams was born in Richmond, Missouri, in 1957. After graduating from Richmond High School, he became involved with many Richmond community activities. For example, he was a lifetime member of the Richmond All Sports Club. He also served on the Spartan Football Chain Gang for several years. Since 1990, he was responsible for painting the Spartan football field before every football game. Additionally, he was past president of the Richmond Little League Baseball program. He also coached several of Richmond's Parks and Recreation girls' softball teams. In 2008, Jeff was named the grand marshall of the Richmond Spartan Homecoming Parade. He was a loyal alumni and lifetime supporter of the Richmond sports community.

In addition to his involvement with Richmond athletics, Mr. Adams served in a variety of community roles. He served on the Mid-America Regional Council for Presiding Commissioners Board, Ray County's 911 Board, Ray County's Rural Fire Department Board, and Ray County's Planning and Zoning Board. He was past president and served on the Shirkey Golf Club Board, and was very active on the Club House Building Association. Jeff was co-owner of Adams and Howell Floor Covering in Richmond.

Madam Speaker, Jeffery Adams was a respected leader in the Richmond community. I

am certain that the members of the House will join me in extending their heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. He will be greatly missed.

Madam Speaker, let me take this means to celebrate and pay tribute to the commissioning of the USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108).

On October 10, 2009, the United States Navy will commission this guided missile destroyer named in honor of a native Missourian,

Rear Admiral Wayne E. Meyer. Long regarded as the ``Father of Aegis,'' Rear Admiral Meyer dedicated his life to serving our country. The USS Wayne E. Meyer will be commissioned in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and home ported in San Diego, California.

Madam Speaker, I am certain that my colleagues will join me in congratulating the Commanding Officer, Officers and Crew upon the commissioning of this beautiful ship.