Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, our new strategy in Iraq is working. Just last week, General David Petraeus, commander of the coalition forces in Iraq, gave his first briefing regarding the situation on the ground. Specifically, General Petraeus reported that the Iraqis are fulfilling their obligations, having sent 10 Army brigades and nine police brigades into Baghdad.

The Iraqi Government has unshackled U.S. forces, allowing them to target both Shiite and Sunni militias. Numerous weapons reserves have been uncovered, car bomb factories have been destroyed, and top al Qaeda members have been captured. Unfortunately, too many of my colleagues refuse to acknowledge these successes. Some have lost sight of the most important factor, achieving victory. Al Qaeda spokesman Zawahiri has declared Iraq and Afghanistan the central front in the global war on terrorism. As the parent of an Iraqi service veteran, I know we must win to protect American families.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September 11.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support House Concurrent Resolution 42, a bill to honor a

group of servicemembers who are oftentimes forgotten, the glider pilots of the United States Army Air Forces.

The United States Army Air Force began training glider pilots in 1942. These exceptional men provided an innovative and silent method of transporting troops and equipment in unarmed gliders during World War II, built of fragile balsa wood.

As the son of a member of the Fourteenth Air Force during World War II who served with the Flying Tigers in China, I especially appreciate the courageous airmen.

The glider pilots, along with airborne forces, participated in eight successful missions, landing behind enemy lines in their unarmed gliders in Sicily, Normandy, southern France, Holland, Bastogne, Rhine Crossing, Luzon in the Philippines, and Burma.

During Operation Husky, which took place in Sicily on July 9, 1943, glider pilots carried British airborne troops, completing their mission despite heavy casualties resulting from landings at sea.

In Operation Broadway, which took place in Burma on March 5, 1944, glider pilots took the Japanese completely by surprise; carried troops, airborne engineers and equipment by night; seized and prepared landing strips for forthcoming transport planes; and evacuated the wounded, accomplishing in 2 hours what would have taken 2 months by ambulance.

Operation Overlord, D-Day, on June 6, 1944, glider pilots took part in the Battle of Normandy, the largest combined airborne and seaborne invasion in history, carrying troops of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions and their equipment to landing areas behind enemy lines during the D-Day liberation.

Tragically, many heroic glider pilots were killed as the hedgerows of Normandy of D-Day were actually rock walls that instantly destroyed the gliders. A survivor of the glider invasion was the legendary major, J. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, who was elected to the U.S. Senate, achieving the age of 100 while still in office.

During Operation Dragoon, which took place in the coastal area of southern France on August 15, 1944, glider pilots delivered troops and cargo despite wooden poles erected in open fields to impede their landings.

Operation Market-Garden, the largest glider operation of World War II, took place in Holland on September 17, 1944. Glider pilots carried their usual cargo of troops and heavy equipment, thereby providing cover for an attempt to clear a road to Berlin.

In Operation Repulse, which took place in Bastogne on December 27, 1944, as part of the Battle of the Bulge, glider pilots, although flying directly through enemy fire, were able to land every glider, delivering badly needed ammunition, gasoline and medical supplies that enabled defenders against the German offensive to persevere and secure the ultimate victory.

America did not redeploy in the Ardennes offensive, but it stood with resolve for victory.

Operation Varsity, which took place at the Rhine crossing in Wesel, Germany, on March 24, 1945, more than 1,300 glider pilots took part in their final European mission, delivering a fatal blow to the Axis forces.

The gliders' final, and only, Pacific mission took place in the Philippine island of Luzon, Philippines, on June 23, 1945. In Operation Gypsy Task Force-Appari mission, glider pilots carried members of the 11th Airborne Division.

In the words of one pilot, ``Imagine flying a motorless, fabric- covered CG-4A glider, violently bouncing and jerking on a 11/16-inch nylon rope 350 feet back of the C-47 tow plane. You see the nervous glider infantrymen behind you, some vomiting, many in prayer, as you hedge-hop along at tree-top level instinctively jumping up in your seat every time you hear bullets and flak tearing through the glider. You try not to think about the explosives aboard. It's like flying a stick of dynamite through the gates of Hell.''

Madam Speaker, we must not forget the sacrifices these pilots made for the betterment of our country and the world. Let us remember and honor the heroic service and the sacrifices made by the glider pilots. I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 42 and commend Congresswoman McCarthy for her leadership on this issue

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, again I want to congratulate Congresswoman McCarthy for her obvious appreciation of the veterans of World War II, her obvious sincerity for the veterans of World War II. We are so grateful that we have present today veterans who are the greatest generation. With my six visits to Iraq and twice to Afghanistan, I have seen the new greatest generation, and again, I want to congratulate Congresswoman McCarthy for her leadership and urge my colleagues to vote in favor of House Concurrent Resolution 42.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back my time.

Madam Speaker, in tribute of slain Marine Jimmy Regan, Albert Carey Caswell, United States Capitol Tour Guide, penned the following poem:

``In the game of life,

There's only what's wrong or right!

For there are only the very few, who shall so shine there so

who . . . are so very bright!

``For only one thing so counts,

For only one score so adds up, that which so amounts . . .

For it's all about what we've so said and done, and what is

really true . . . as so to be won!

``For there are no second chances!

In these our short minutes, upon this earth . . . as our time

here so advances . . .

Our goal! All in what we've said and done, for whom we've so

bled . . . to take our valiant stances!

``Whether, upon fields of green . . .

Or on oh so heroic battlefields of honor

seen . . .

Jimmy, was always the one! A brave heart! As a leader of men,

time and time again!

``A Marine's Marine,

A brave heart who once so lived, who so gallantly chose to

give . . .

Facing death, with only his magnificent courage left . . .

his heart of a lion seen could not be checked!

``Fast breaking in the game of life, writing his book of

sacrifice . . .

To this our world he so gave, but never took . . . no

mistaking around him the earth so shook!

Strength in Honor . . . was his great life's measure, in each

and every step he ever took!

``For so few of us shall ever be such a treasure,

For so few of us such magnificence, as a hero to their

Country shall be so measured!

Such Splendid Splendor, was Jimmy . . . who to our Lord's

heart brought such pleasure!

``For in the minutes and the hours,

Of our lives upon this earth we give now, upon all others

which so shower!

Are our gifts of Freedom and Peace, in our Lord's eye's hold

such power!

``To Make a Difference With It All,

To be a champion in life! As what Jimmy so lived for and

died, as for what he saw!

Could we, would we . . . ever such the strength so find, to

stand as tall as him in time?

``In the game of life,

Every moment is important, and so sacred until our final

nights!

For such valor and sacrifice . . . our Lord God, Jimmy you up

to Heaven has called!

``For life is not a game,

As each day and night, are so precious the moments we're

alive to claim.

And Freedom is not free, only bought and paid for by

America's greatest of all names!''

In honor of a Real American Hero, Jimmy Regan . . . God

Bless you, my Son, and may your family find peace!

Madam Speaker, in tribute of slain reporter David Bloom, Albert Carey Caswell, United States Tour Guide, penned the following poem:

``In our search for the truth, in a reporters quest

Running on that edge, which so separates the greats . . .

which so leads us to the best

With precious life on the line, all within these their most

heroic moments there in time . . . while, courageously

facing death

``For in these their greatest gifts they give

Here within these, our shortest of all lifetimes we live

As shall so here upon this earth, shall so surely show our

worth . . . as shall so surely carry on, and forever

with us live

``David Bloom

A man for so whom, within this his short lifetime . . . in

our hearts, now so largely looms

As a true and great lesson to us all, of when greatness comes

to call . . . of when, within these our short lives a

heart so blooms

``Such a man of class, such a man of style

Such a man as a friend, you'd but wished you'd known all the

while . . . as why, within our hearts we now carry him

the while

`Ah . . . and through that camera's eye, as we could so see .

. . his wonderful warmth, his great humanity . . . that

he carried with him the miles

``For he was such a man of integrity, one of such splendid

grace

A man for all seasons, who but within his short lifetime . .

. so surely made our world a far better place

And these are but the reasons why, we shall never forget his

beautiful smile . . . his debonair, and `oh so very

handsome face

``For so surely, he was headed down that very same path

In all those magnificent footsteps, that which Edward R.

Murrow once so left . . . in his aftermath

For few have so traveled, such this hallowed path . . . as

why to heaven this day, we pray to our Lord to so bless

David we ask

``A reporter's reporter, a real fine man's man

And yet, this man for all seasons greatest assets . . . were

his great warmth, and his oh so caring hand

As you could feel it, radiating through your TV set . . . as

you so watched this superstar your heart he would

catch, time and time again

``Oh what an innovator, oh what a truly marvelous

communicator

While, in his magnificent Bloom mobile . . . we so watched

his genius, courageously communicating

As he brought the light of day, and the truth into our world

. . . as he so brought the proof of a heroes courage,

in the darkness of a war unfurled

``But, just so too

As all of our those fine heroes too, who so gave their fine

lives for us true . . . as he so did for you

Just, as each brave soldier . . . he so too . . . so

heroically went into battle . . . as into hell was so

sent, to bring back the truth . . . for all to view

``Yet, for all of his accomplishments

His greatest gifts, his fondest wish . . . his everything . .

. was his magnificent wife & beautiful daughters to him

from heaven sent

For on the day that he died, in Washington . . . The cherry

blossoms bloomed high . . . as they too cried . . .

knowing what his fine life had meant

``For here within our short lives, when such greatness so

arrives . . . and brightly blooms

As one so surely finds, as one so surely assumes . . . is but

where the greatest of all heart's so looms

For to this our world, these their most sacred gifts of which

they've unfurled . . . that so ever bless our world, as

we live when blossom's bloom

``For in this, Our Search For The Truth

In this a reporter's quest, To Be The Best . . . Do we dare

and never second guess? And go forth with hearts full

of youth

For in putting it all on the line, for in risking our most

precious of all moments with our loved ones therein

time . . . we so find, where lies the proof.''

To David's lovely wife Melanie and his beautiful daughters Christine, Ava, and Nicole, in memory of your magnificent husband and wonderful father.

And to all reporters who have lived and died for the truth, men like Daniel Pearl.

Madam Speaker, as we stand here today, the Iraqi people enjoy a freedom and sense of self-government they were not afforded 4 years ago. Since the United States originally liberated the Iraqis, they have established a democracy, ratified a constitution, and elected a representative government. Such rights were denied under the totalitarian regime of Saddam Hussein.

General David Petraeus, the new commander of coalition forces in Iraq, is an expert in fighting insurgencies by murderers who defy laws of war. Our military officials have made necessary adjustments, and we are seeing signs of progress. Cutting funding, limiting reinforcements and setting artificial timetables only serve to undermine this end. Together, as Democrats and Republicans, we must achieve victory in Iraq to achieve victory in the global war on terrorism to protect American families. We must face the terrorists overseas, or we will face them again in the streets of America.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September 11.

Mr. Speaker, Friday's The Post and Courier of Charleston, South Carolina, detailed the dire consequences of setting artificial timelines for withdrawal from Iraq. The editorial states that it would be tragic if the rug should be pulled from under U.S. forces by the U.S. Congress.

The political message coming from House Democrats threatens to throw efforts to stabilize Iraq off balance. As The Post and Courier, where I was a former reporter, concludes, General Petraeus should be given the time and forces he needs to succeed, and not a legislative recipe for failure. Democrats and Republicans should be united to remember that al Qaeda spokesman for Osama bin Laden, Zawahiri, has clearly identified that Iraq and Afghanistan are the central fronts in the global war on terrorism. Bin Laden has specifically stated, ``The most serious issue today for the whole world is this Third World War that is raging in Iraq.''

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September 11.

Mr. Speaker, the Washington Post has usually been associated with the Democratic Party. Today's lead editorial is especially courageous in criticizing the Democratic plan for Iraq.

I would like to draw to your attention the following: ``In short, the Democratic proposal being taken up this week is an attempt to impose detailed management on a war without regard for the war itself. Will Iraq collapse into unrestrained civil conflict with massive civilian casualties, as the U.S. intelligence community predicts, in the event of rapid withdrawal? Will al Qaeda establish a powerful new base for launching attacks on the United States and its allies? Ms. Pelosi's strategy leads not toward a responsible withdrawal from Iraq, but to a constitutional struggle with Mr. Bush, who has already said he will veto the legislation.''

Members of both parties should acknowledge the point of this editorial. Al Qaeda spokesman for Osama bin Laden, al-Zawahiri, has clearly identified that Iraq and Afghanistan are the central fronts in the global war on terrorism. To undermine Iraq as clearly part of a global war puts American families at risk.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September 11.

Mr. Speaker, last Friday the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia overturned one of the most unfair laws on the books. The Court upheld second amendment rights and struck down D.C.'s misguided law prohibiting handgun ownership.

For too long D.C. residents have been denied the fundamental right to protect themselves and their families. This ruling is truly a victory for law-abiding, gun-owning citizens in the tradition of the late Rick Daniel, who championed the success of concealed weapons permits in South Carolina.

I find it ironic that our Nation's capital, a symbol of American freedoms and rights worldwide, has had one of the most restrictive gun control laws in the country. Despite these oppressive measures, D.C. has maintained one of the highest murder rates in the Nation. Sadly, last July, 13 people were killed in 12 days.

I applaud the court for defending the Constitution and returning to D.C. residents their right to bear arms.

In conclusion, God bless our troops and we will never forget September 11.

Madam Speaker, on February 6, the South Carolina Military Museum officially opened adjacent to the Bluff Road Armory. Five hundred guests gathered at the grand opening, where Adjutant General Stan Spears dedicated the museum in honor of all men and women who have served in the National Guard.

In 1981, the South Carolina National Guard Museum and State Weapons Collection opened in Sumter, South Carolina. Seventeen years later, the museum was renamed and moved to Columbia. Professionally organized by director and curator Ewell G. Buddy Sturgis, the museum seeks to preserve historically significant properties, to provide educational services, and to enhance esprit de corps among men and women serving in the South Carolina military.

Two years ago, Ross E. Beard, Jr., from Camden, South Carolina, loaned the museum a vast weapons collection dating from the 1500s. Mr. Beard has been collecting rare artifacts since he was 10 years old and is revered among

weapons collectors. He is a true inspiration to our troops who serve to protect our freedoms.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September 11.

Mr. Speaker, I stand before you as a grateful veteran of the South Carolina Army National Guard, and I have four sons currently serving in the military. You can imagine my concern upon learning of the dire conditions our Nation's wounded service members have recently been made to endure. My appreciation for our troops is as a member of the Armed Services Committee, a veteran and as a parent who expects the best for the courageous troops who protect American families.

While Walter Reed Medical Center is renowned as a world-class facility, recent management neglected to provide adequate care. I appreciate Defense Secretary Robert Gates' decisive action in dealing with this disturbing situation. I was honored to attend President Bush's speech earlier this week to the American Legion where he announced a creation of a bipartisan commission to review military and veterans' care.

We in Congress are committed to ensuring our military heroes are well cared for and receive the medical attention they deserve.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September 11.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased we are today considering the ``Brigadier General Francis Marion Memorial Act''. It is with the support of the entire South Carolina delegation that I reintroduced this legislation in January.

Brigadier General Francis Marion well represented the State of South Carolina and our fledgling Nation with his brave service in the Revolutionary War. As a South Carolinian, I am proud his legacy has been honored with a memorial park in Washington, DC. Yet, I feel strongly that a statue of the ``Swamp Fox'' should be erected on its premises. Passage of this bill is a crucial first step in making this dream a reality.

I would specifically like to thank Ken Driggers and Nancy Stone- Collum of the Palmetto Conservation Foundation. Additionally, I would like to thank the South Carolina Humanities Council for supporting John McCabe, the historian who originally had the vision to honor the ``Swamp Fox.'' John created the Francis Marion Park Project to assist with fundraising and planning once this bill is enacted. The National Park Service also deserves recognition for their guidance through this important process.

The House of Representatives originally passed this bill in the 109th Congress, yet it failed to be considered by the Senate. It is my hope we can enact this legislation during the 110th Congress and erect a memorial befitting General Marion.

Today I was presented a copy of The South Carolina Encyclopedia, edited by the noted historian Walter Edgar. The book is a project of The Humanities Council, ably led by Director Randy Akers. Presenting the book was Bob Hazel of West Columbia who is former Council Board Chair who was elected to the board of the Federation of State Humanities Councils. South Carolina was the site of more battles and skirmishes than any other province during the American Revolution.

General Francis Marion is a significant entry in the encyclopedia with highlights beginning on page 591:

Marion, Francis (1732-1792). Soldier. Marion, of Huguenot

descent, was born in St. John's Berkley Parish, the youngest

of six children born to Gabriel Marion and Esther Cordes. A

planter, Marion in 1773 built his home, Pond Bluff, about

four miles south of Eutaw Springs, a site now beneath the

waters of Lake Marion. He commenced his military career in

the parish militia in 1756 and joined the campaigns against

the Cherokees (1759-1761), rising to the rank of first

lieutenant. Having served in local offices, he was elected in

1775 to the First Provincial Congress. Commissioned a captain

in the state's Second Regiment in June, he participated in

the capture of Fort Johnson in September. As a major, Marion

distinguished himself at the Battle of Sullivan's Island

(June 1776), after which he was commissioned a lieutenant

colonel in the Continental army.

With a militia commission as a brigadier general, Marion

organized a partisan force in the Pee Dee region. Between

August and December 1780, in an otherwise dismal period for

America, Marion gained national recognition for his actions

at the Great Savannah (August 20), Blue Savannah (September

4), Black Mingo (September 29), Tearcoat Swamp (October 26),

Georgetown (November 15), and Halfway Swamp (December 12-13).

While some counts place the number of ``Marion's Men'' at

more than two thousand, his band generally consisted of

considerably fewer than that and included Continentals.

Marion's nickname, the ``Swamp Fox,'' reportedly came from

the infamous British officer Banastre Tarleton, who,

unable to snare Marion, called him a ``damned old fox''

and swore that ``the devil himself could not catch him.''

Marion's small-scale hit-and-run tactics disrupted supply

lines, intercepted communications, and hampered the enemy

considerably. In December 1780 he established a camp on

Snow's Island between Pee Dee and Lynches Rivers and Clark's

Creek. Conditions improved by the spring of 1781, when Marion

became a vital part of General Nathanael Greene's combined

operations in South Carolina. In 1781 Marion's troops

participated in the battles at Fort Watson (April 23), Fort

Motte (May 12), Quinby Bridge (July 17), Parker's Ferry

(August 13) and Eutaw Springs (September 8).

After a penniless Marion, whose plantation had been ruined,

was awarded a gold medal, a full Continental colonelcy, and

command of Fort Johnson in Charleston harbor. He served in

the S.C. Senate in 1783-1786, 1791, and 1792-1794 and was

elected to the 1790 state constitutional convention.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 497.

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

Madam Speaker, I am pleased that yesterday a resident of South Carolina's Second Congressional District, Brian Bohlman of Columbia, had the honor of meeting with President George W. Bush at the White House. Chaplain Bohlman was 1 of 11 leaders of military service organizations with whom the President met.

Chaplain Bohlman is founder and president of Operation Thank You and the So Help Me God Project. The mission of these organizations is to inspire faith, promote patriotism, and support our troops through inspirational and patriotic resources honoring God, Country, and family. Specifically, the Operation Thank You Project is working to have 150,000 cards signed for our troops.

Chaplain Bohlman has served in the U.S. Armed Forces since 1992 and is currently a chaplain in the Air National Guard. He also authored the best-selling book, So Help Me God: A Reflection on the Military Oath. It is an honor to represent this true American hero. He is making a positive difference encouraging and supporting our troops.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September 11.

Madam Chairman, I thank Mr. Kline for his leadership in protecting American workers.

Madam Chairman, I rise today in support of Ranking Member Buck McKeon's alternative to the misnamed Employee Free Choice Act. Mr. McKeon's substitute, originally championed by the late Congressman Charlie Norwood, guarantees employees the right to hold secret ballot elections when deciding whether to form a union and prohibits the implementation of a coercive card check authorization.

Just as American voters are free to elect their public officials in secrecy, so should American workers be free to vote for or against union representation. While no one would approve of exposing voters to public ridicule or intimidation at the voting booth, this is exactly what proponents of the Democrat card check bill are seeking to force upon American workers.

Several of our colleagues wrote to Mexican officials in 2001 urging the sanctity of secret ballot elections be upheld. Specifically they penned: ``We feel that the secret ballot is absolutely necessary in order to ensure workers are not intimidated into voting for a union they may not choose otherwise.'' I hope today all of our colleagues adopt the original position of 2001 for a secret ballot.

Evidence suggests that under card check agreements, employees are likely to be coerced or misled or falsely told the forms are nonbinding ``statements of interest,'' requests for an election, or even benefits forms or administrative paperwork. The McKeon alternative will ensure workers are not left vulnerable to this type of arm twisting.

A poll will be released today by the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace demonstrating that 87 percent of Americans believe workers should have the right of a secret ballot. In fact, 79 percent oppose the incorrectly named bill.

I urge my colleagues to join with me in supporting the wishes of the majority of Americans and voting in favor of Ranking Member McKeon's alternative.

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow the House will consider the unfortunately named Employee Free Choice Act. Contrary to the title's implication, this bill will repeal employees' rights to hold secret ballot elections when deciding whether to form a union.

The so-called card check provision of the bill would force union membership by the signing of a form and thus denying employees having secret ballot elections. As citizens of a democratic Nation, Americans have the right to elect their public officials in secrecy and without coercion.

Republicans will fight to uphold a worker's rights by offering an alternative to this misguided legislation. This alternative, championed by the late Congressman Charlie Norwood, guarantees workers the right of a secret ballot election and prohibits anyone from coercively subjecting employees to a card check campaign.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September 11.

Mr. Speaker, during Black History Month, Diane Sumpter has earned front-page cover status in the Greater Columbia Business Monthly of South Carolina for developing one of the most prestigious minority business firms. DESA, Inc., has grown to be a nationally recognized management consultant firm.

Ms. Sumpter is a native of Jacksonville, Florida. She later moved to Columbia, where she graduated from Booker T. Washington High School and then attended the University of South Carolina, where she obtained both a B.A. in English and a master's degree in social work.

Ms. Sumpter's dedication to the growth and success of minority- and women-owned businesses is evidenced in her efforts with the South Carolina Minority Business Development Center, which is operated by her company. The center has assisted businesses by acting as a liaison to facilitate business growth for over 10 years.

Since DESA was started in 1986, it has been awarded service contracts from HHS, the Department of Commerce, the Minority Business Development Agency, the Army, the Air Force, the Small Business Administration, as well as various contracts from the private sector. DESA works with companies from the very beginning of projects until their completion.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September 11 and the courageous service of Army Chief Warrant Officer II, Jason De Frenn of Barnwell, South Carolina.