Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize a constituent of mine, Major, Retired, George Small. At 98 years of age, Major Small is the oldest living survivor of the Bataan Death March in the State of Nevada.

Major Small entered active duty for the U.S. Army on April 25, 1941 where he trained to be a Chemical Warfare Officer. He was assigned stateside until he was transferred to Manila, Philippines 6 weeks before the start of World War II and came to Bataan on December 24, 1941 where he was assigned to the 31st Infantry. The 31st was involved in the intense fighting until their surrender on April 9, 1942. After the Bataan Death march, Major Smalls spent 3 years and 5 months as a POW in five different camps until his liberation on September 10, 1945.

Major Small was discharged from the Army on November 26, 1946 and remained in the Army Reserve until his retirement on March 1, 1968. Major Small earned the American Defense Service Medal, with bronze star, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, with 2 bronze stars, the Distinguished Unit Badge, with 2 oak leaf clusters, the Combat Infantry Badge, The Philippine Liberation Ribbon, with bronze star, the WWII Victory Medal, and the POW Medal.

Please join me in congratulating this great Nevadan for the sacrifices he has made for this country and to extend him our wishes for continued health and prosperity as he celebrates his 98th birthday. Congratulations, Major George Small.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to explain how I would have voted on February 14, 2006 during Rollcall votes No. 8 and No. 9 during the second session of the 109th Congress. The first vote was for H. Con. Res. 322--Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the contribution of the USO to the morale and welfare of our servicemen and women of our armed forces and their families, the second was S. 1989-- Holly A. Charette Post Office Designation Act.

If I had been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on these rollcall votes.

Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to recognize the efforts of one outstanding law enforcement official who dedicated much of his life to fighting crime. After serving almost three decades in law enforcement, Grant D. Ashley will retire from the FBI today, January 31, 2006. Grant Ashley began his service with the FBI in 1976 in his hometown of Los Angeles, California. After being appointed as a Special Agent and following a period of training at Quantico, Virginia, Mr. Ashley investigated White Collar and Violent Crimes in the Los Angeles Division and served on the Los Angeles Division SWAT team.

Grant Ashley would later serve as a supervisor of Drug Investigation in the Criminal Investigative Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He would then supervise the Violent Crimes Task Force and a special squad on Organized Crime and Narcotics in Chicago. In the mid-1990s, Mr. Ashley gained responsibility over national security matters in the San Diego division of the FBI, and was then appointed Associate Special Agent in Charge of the San Francisco Division. In February 1999, Grant Ashley moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, to serve as designated Special Agent in Charge. Three years later he was appointed Assistant Director of the Criminal Investigative Division.

In 2004, FBI Director Robert Mueller appointed Grant Ashley to serve as Executive Assistant Director for Law Enforcement Services, where he had oversight over the FBI's broad efforts to support State and local law enforcement. When Director Mueller appointed Mr. Ashley he said, ``Support for our partners in law enforcement is a priority for the FBI and is absolutely vital to our success in fighting terrorism and crime. Grant's background and experience as an investigator and manager make him ideally suited to oversee these efforts. He will bring to bear the same drive and innovation that he brought to criminal investigations to our efforts to improve the FBI's law enforcement services.''

And indeed he did. Mr. Ashley served admirably as he worked to coordinate the efforts of the FBI, such as the laboratory division, forty-seven legal attache offices, the Investigative Technologies Division, and the Criminal Justice Information Services Division, with the dedicated efforts of our State and local law enforcement. He understood the challenges facing our Nation's law enforcement officials, especially now in the 21st century as we fight terrorism at home and abroad. His dedication to improving law enforcement coordination across-the-board will continue to serve as a model for our Nation.

I am pleased to have had the opportunity to work with Grant Ashley and to have had the great honor to call him, friend. Today, I also call him a patriot. As he retires from close to three decades of service with the FBI, I would like to thank Grant Ashley for his outstanding service to law enforcement and to his Nation. Grant Ashley's commitment and dedication to fighting crime and law enforcement has made our country safer, and for that we should all thank him and congratulate him on an exceptional career with the FBI.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of those communities in the gulf coast region who have been devastated by the recent hurricanes.

However, while well-intentioned, I find today's legislation to spur economic development in the gulf coast region to be significantly flawed in that it specifically excluded a key industry in the area.

Never before in any previous disaster relief legislation, has Congress picked winners and losers. We should not start today.

Businesses on the gulf coast have invested billions of dollars in infrastructure that Hurricane Katrina reduced to rubble in a matter of hours. The gaming industry employs tens of thousands of people in the gulf coast region.

It should be treated equally in legislation seeking to assist the rebuilding of businesses destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. The gaming businesses are legal, well-regulated, and publicly traded companies that should not be discriminated against in Federal economic assistance legislation.

Many people in this region lost everything; their homes, their jobs, personal belongings, and the schools their kids attended. It is regrettable that some in Congress are willing to put the hardship of one displaced individual--who may work for a refinery or a grocery store--over another individual's who happens to work in the gaming industry.

This was a terrible disaster and loss for everyone, and Congress today is ignoring that simple fact.

I will not support the Gulf Opportunity Zone legislation today, because I am extremely disturbed with the dangerous precedent this sets.

I will work with our delegation and the conference committee to ensure that the final bill includes equal treatment for the gaming industry--just like any other business in the gulf coast region.

Mr. Speaker, as a veteran of two wars, I know that our military men and women fighting overseas watch what we do right here all the time. They see this on TV, they hear it on the radio, and they read our words in the newspapers. I know our brave men and women want to see their brave leaders, us, those of us in Congress here at home, have the political fortitude, yes, indeed the political stomach, to support their actions abroad.

Like many in this Chamber from both sides of the aisle, I have been to Iraq, I have been to Afghanistan, I have met with our troops there, and I have met with them as they have returned home to Nevada. They know, they see, and they hear. They read what we are doing in Congress, and they listen, and they are listening to us today.

What message do you want to send to these soldiers on the front line, a message of surrender, or do you want to send a message of support, a message that we will bring them to victory?

Some will call this vote symbolic or political. Well, call it what you want, but I want our troops overseas to read about this vote, and I want them to know that we support them.

As a veteran of two wars, I know first hand that our military men and women fighting for our freedoms overseas watch our actions at home.

They see this on TV, they hear it on radio, and they read it in the newspapers.

I know our brave men and women watch to see whether their leaders at home have the political fortitude, and the stomach to support their actions abroad.

Like many in this Chamber, from both sides of the aisle, I have been to Iraq.

I have been to Afghanistan.

I have met with our troops there, and I have met with them as they have returned home to Nevada.

They know, see, hear and read what we are doing in Congress, and they are listening to us today.

What message do you want to send these soldiers on the front line?

A message of surrender or a message of strength and support, that will bring us victory.

Some call this vote simply symbolic or political.

Well, you call it what you want, but I want our troops overseas to read about this vote.

To hear about this vote.

And I hope we can demonstrate not through just words, but our actions, that we are with them in this hour.

We will remain with them, and supply them, and support them, until the job is done, until we are victorious, and until we can proudly bring them home and applaud their victory.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take on just a little bit of a different tone about this bill that provides a plan to reform our government to really add some savings here. And I want to talk about the subtitle B, section 6, which allows for mining claims, et cetera, to be utilized for our rural communities.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Resources Committee provisions contained in this title. If you oppose the budget bill because of this title, then let me just say patently straight out you are against rural America.

My home State is Nevada, and it has 85 percent of the land owned by the Federal Government, and there are few places that are more rural than Nevada. My western colleagues know what I am talking about because they are largely in the same boat that I am in.

In the western United States, where a majority of the land is owned by the Federal Government, our rural communities depend on industries like the mining industries for their basic survival.

My colleagues from the East tell me that western communities should not be so dependent on one industry for their survival. Well, in this case I would agree with them. Today, we have an opportunity to show our support for diversifying rural economies by giving rural western communities a second chance at survival after one of these mines closes. We are giving them a chance to keep their economic base and to give their families hope for the future.

Contrary to the misrepresentation that you have heard from opponents of mining, this is not about putting national parks up for sale or a massive land grab or building K-Marts on every mountain top. This is about sustainable economic development for rural communities that otherwise would have no options when mining companies leave. These provisions will provide jobs and money for schools, law enforcement, hospitals, and other vital services and communities after a mine closure.

I urge my colleagues to disregard the half truths and misinformation they have heard about these provisions, stand up for rural America, stand up for this bill, and pass this very important piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to explain how I would have voted on November 7, 2005 during rollcall vote Nos. 570, 571 and 572 during the first session of the 109th Congress. The first vote was on H. Con. Res. 260--Recognizing the 40th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council's Declaration of the Relation of the Church to Non- Christian Religions, the second vote was H.R. 1973--Water for the Poor Act of 2005, and the third vote, H. Res. 444--Gynecological Resolution for Advancement of Ovarian Cancer Education.

If present, I would have voted ``yea'' on these rollcall votes.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 4128, a bill that seeks to undo the damage wrought by one of the worst Supreme Court decisions in my memory.

The court in Kelo decided that the fifth amendment of the Constitution can be hijacked by a rogue, private developer to take homes or private property from hardworking Americans to build new shopping malls and luxury resorts in their place to increase tax revenues.

Our Constitution, which every Member of this body has sworn to uphold and protect, has, in essence, been changed by five people who are charged only with interpreting the Constitution, not rewriting it.

I am not sure how many ways there are to interpret the clause: ``nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.''

Mr. Chairman, it seems pretty clear to me that an office building owned by a private party that restricts its use to only those who pay rent is not a public use facility; or that a public use is a highway, not a high-rise; or that a public use is a park, not a private parking lot; or that a public use is a courthouse, not a condo.

A society that allows its big developers to take the private property of ordinary citizens in the name of economic development is not a free society.

The potential for greater profits and higher tax revenue is not what our Founding Fathers envisioned as public use.

Importantly, Mr. Chairman, one of those constitutional provisions is the protection of private property. The Founders of this great Nation knew that a government that can take a citizen's property on a whim is a government that can take away everything else as well.

H.R. 4128 offers a reasonable solution, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to commemorate the 75 years of service the Department of Veterans Affairs has provided to the servicemen and women of this great Nation.

May we never forget, and continue to honor, those who made a commitment to protecting the security of our Nation by joining the Armed Forces. We owe our veterans a tremendous debt of gratitude for this commitment, and commend the VA for their pledge to ensure that they continue to receive support and assistance.

The men and women of the VA are dedicated each and every day to meeting the needs of the millions of veterans who have defended our Nation's freedom.

Nearly a quarter of a million veterans reside in our great State; a number that continues to grow. The VA ensures that these men and women, who were dedicated to defending our Nation, receive the services they rightly deserve. As a nation, we owe these great Americans a debt of gratitude for their sacrifice for our Nation's freedom and security.

With an ever growing population of veterans, may we always be reminded of Abraham Lincoln's philosophy and principles that guide the Department of Veterans Affairs: ``To care for him shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan.''

I join in thanking the Department of Veterans Affairs for their continued work and service for 75 years to our Nation's heroes.

May God bless Nevada, America, and our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to explain how I would have voted on October 17, 2005 during Roll Call votes #521, #522, and #523 during the first session of the 109th Congress. The first vote was for approving the Journal, the second was H. Res. 457--Recognizing the importance and positive contributions of chemistry and supporting the goals and ideals of National Chemistry Week, and the third was H. Res. 491--Expressing the sense of the House with respect to raising awareness and enhancing the state of computer security in the United States, and supporting the goals and ideals of National Cyber Security Awareness Month.

If present, I would have voted yes on these roll call votes.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 504 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to explain how I would have voted on September 20, 2005 during Rollcall vote No. 476, and No. 477 during the first session of the 109th Congress. The first vote was on H.R. 3761--the Flexibility for Displaced workers Act, and the second was H. Res. 441--to congratulate the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Discovery Crew.

I respectfully request that it be entered into the Congressional Record that if present, I would have voted ``yes'' on these rollcall votes.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Nicole Robbins of Nevada: mother, concerned citizen, and modern-day crime-fighter. On July 13th, Ms. Robbins observed a series of events unfold outside her apartment complex involving what appeared to be an attempted kidnapping of a five year old girl by an intoxicated, convicted Tier 2 sex offender. The man, calling himself ``Pastor Tree'', attempted to lure the girl away with him, promising to take her to a store. Thankfully the little girl was smart enough to alert her mother, who subsequently called the police, after the man went to retrieve his car. The boyfriend of the mother confronted the man upon his return for the girl. During this confrontation, the man started to drive away.

Although police were en route, this man had already begun to flee. Realizing the potential getaway, Ms. Robbins claimed that ``something made her go inside her home and grab her car keys and cell phone.'' A mother of two young sons herself, Ms. Robbins bravely followed this attempted kidnapper for four miles, in contact with police the entire way providing details to help in his apprehension. When stopped by police, the man was found to be driving with a blood-alcohol limit more than twice the legal limit, and was subsequently arrested on suspicion of first-degree kidnapping and child luring.

Ms. Robbins' actions should be commended in that not only did she aid local authorities by providing accurate and detailed information on a fleeing suspect, but she was wise enough in exercising restraint by not interfering before his capture. For her efforts, Ms. Robbins was honored by Reno police by receiving a citizen commendation certificate and medal, a prestigious award presented only once a year.

Ms. Robbins stands as an example to all future kidnappers and child molesters that the people of Nevada are serious about protecting their children. I would like to conclude by addressing the next child molester or kidnapper that comes to Nevada with an intention to commit a crime against a child. Know that we are watching our children with you, protecting our children from you, and in cases like Ms. Robbins, even helping local authorities arrest you.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, our Nation has a solemn responsibility to protect the most innocent among us, our children. The Children's Safety Act of 2005, introduced by our chairman, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), will help to ensure that sex offenders are registered properly and that they maintain their registration wherever they reside.

I originally sought to offer an amendment to this important bill that would have required States to ensure that sex offenders are properly registered before they are issued a driver's license and in doing so mandate that their license would have to be renewed every single year. The State of Nevada passed a law earlier this year that does just that.

The purpose of such a requirement is to add another layer of protection for the children and families of our communities. In short, if a sex offender refuses to keep their registration current, which is now a problem facing too many States, then he would be unable to obtain a legal driver's license. This means that the sex offender is at risk at any time of being caught driving without a license and arrested.

I think that this threat can serve as a useful deterrent and encourage sex offenders to maintain their registration--in fact, improving the registration compliance rate of these offenders.

In a State where over 30 percent of sex offenders are non-compliant and lost in the system, we took these very same steps in Nevada to ensure a greater compliance rate.

We simply must do everything we can to protect our children and prevent sexual crimes against them.

I am proud that Nevada is a leader in this Nation in having modern, efficient computer systems that will allow it to implement this licensing procedure.

Unfortunately, several other States have not yet fully updated their DMV and criminal registry systems.

As a result, concerns have been raised regarding the cost on other States of such a system, and these concerns should be addressed.

In consideration of these concerns, my amendment today will require the GAO to study the feasibility and costs of this driver's license requirement.

This amendment also will require the GAO to study what type of Federal grant program may be needed to assist the States with implementing this requirement.

This study will also seek the opinions and expertise of Federal and State law enforcement to ensure that this additional reform of our sex offender laws assists them in protecting our children.

Finally, my amendment calls on the GAO to study the effectiveness of Nevada's State law so that Congress and this Nation can learn from my State how this system might work on a national level and how we can do a better job in monitoring sex offenders.

Since I think that it is prudent for all States to follow Nevada's lead, I will also introduce stand-alone legislation today that will require States to begin implementing Nevada's driver's license requirement.

However, I understand the importance of ensuring appropriate resources are provided, and will work with Mr. Sensenbrenner to study this issue so we can move forward in implementing these regulations to protect our children and prevent these horrible crimes.

I look forward to gathering the necessary information and finding a legislative solution that will not put an undue burden on our States, but will ensure the safety of our children.

I want to thank the chairman and his staff for working with me on this issue.

Finally, I want to close by expressing my thanks to George Togliatti, Director of the Nevada Department of Public Safety and to Donna Coleman, member of Demanding Justice for America's Children.

They both have worked tirelessly with my office to ensure that Nevada's children are protected.

Mr. Chairman, I ask my colleagues to support this amendment.

I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 252) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain land in Washoe County, Nevada, to the Board of Regents of the University and Community College System of Nevada.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 252.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge passage of Senate 252, the Dandini Research Park Conveyance Act, which was introduced in the Senate by Senator Harry Reid and co-sponsored by Senator John Ensign.

I was proud to introduce the companion legislation in the House, and I am pleased to be here today to champion passage of this important bill.

This legislation will direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey 467 acres of land in Washoe County, Nevada, to the Board of Regents of the University and Community College System of Nevada.

The land is patented under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act, which now prevents the Board of Regents from expanding a university- sponsored research park that provides for technology transfer, science- based economic development, and partnering among academic, governmental, and industrial sectors in Nevada.

Known as the Dandini Research Park, the land is currently used by leading research and education institutions in Nevada, including the Truckee Meadows Community College and the Desert Research Institute.

The research being done by TMCC and DRI at the Dandini Research Park benefits not only Nevada but communities across the western United States. The science park stands as a great example of a successful public/private partnership that brings the highest quality researchers to this educational facility.

For example, DRI is a world-class nonprofit research campus of the Nevada Higher Education System, and their research is driven by a special emphasis in atmospheric, Earth and ecosystem, and hydrologic sciences.

Additionally, DRI has three state-of-the-art interdisciplinary centers for arid lands, watershed and environmental sustainability, and environmental remediation and monitoring.

DRI's research has helped provide innovative and important advancements in their field and has increased demand for their expertise. The state-of-the-art research being conducted at the Dandini site has resulted in the need to expand these facilities. However, since the University and Community College System of Nevada does not own the land of the Dandini Research Park, they are unable to obtain financing to expand the science center.

Today's bill allows for the transfer of this land to allow the Board of Regents to develop and expand the Northern Nevada Science Center. Additionally, the bill mandates that net proceeds of any future sale of this property would be returned to the Secretary of the Interior for use by the Bureau of Land Management.

The goal of much of the work being done at the Dandini Research Project is to provide innovative solutions to maintaining the vital balance between environmental protection and the development of our natural resources.

This work helps us to better understand how we can live in harmony with our environment.

Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to pass this noncontroversial bill that is supported by the entire Nevada delegation and which passed the Senate in July. This bill will allow Nevada's leading education and research institutes to continue to expand upon their great work on behalf of Nevada and this great country, as well as our environment.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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