Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, I think the best evidence of the President's success in winning this war against terrorism is the silence outside, the absence of any attack on our homeland since September 11, when terrorists used 737s as fuel air bombs and flew them into buildings, two in New York and one here.

I think it is proof of the President's good judgment, the fact that we can trust this good man; that he has so successfully fought this war against terrorism, war on terrorism that he has prevented any further attacks in the United States. With the knowledge that he has of the scope of the threat and where it lies around the world, the President of the United States made the measured judgment to go after the dictator in Iraq, not only to enforce the sanctions that the United Nations imposed, not only to free the Iraqi people from this terrible, brutal dictator; but, most importantly, Mr. Chairman, the President of the United States of America is fighting this war to protect Americans here at home.

This war is being fought and will be won to free the Iraqi people, enforce the U.N. sanctions; but most of all, and I cannot stress this enough, the President is fighting this war to protect our constituents, to protect our families, to protect Americans in their neighborhoods from further terrorist attacks.

So when the French, Germans, Russians, Chinese, and Syrians stood up

and actively opposed American intervention, British intervention in Iraq, the French were, in essence, endangering our own homeland, endangering our constituents and our families.

It is absolutely unacceptable that the French, the Germans, the Russians, the Chinese, and the Syrians who have opposed the United States' efforts to protect ourselves against terrorist attacks should be allowed to profit from the reconstruction of Iraq.

I am proud to be a cosponsor of this amendment with the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Kennedy) and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Nethercutt) to make sure that, as the guardians of the Federal Treasury, that the Congress of the United States will not permit any Federal tax dollars to be used to purchase goods or services from any company or any business from France, Germany, China, Syria, or Russia, because those countries actively engaged in preventing United States from protecting ourselves, freeing the Iraqi people, and enforcing the U.N. resolution.

I am proud to be a cosponsor of this resolution and urge all Members to vote for it.

Madam Speaker, the book of Proverbs teaches that the greatest profession, the most valuable profession on Earth, is our good name, and by that measure, Sam Johnson is one of the wealthiest men in America.

It has been my privilege to serve with Sam in the Texas house, to sit next to him on the floor there, and my great privilege to serve with him here; and I have seen firsthand Sam's devotion to duty, to his country, to honor, to his core principles. Sam Johnson does not take polls to help him decide how to vote.

He has been a mentor to me, to all of us who serve with him. We love him and admire him, and we are immensely grateful to him for his service to this Nation, and it truly is one of the great privileges of my life that I have had the privilege to be here with him, to serve with him; and I salute him and thank him so much for his service to this country.

Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, February 2, 2003, Interfaith CarePartners will celebrate the unprecedented milestone of one million hours of volunteer community service. On behalf of the people of Texas' Congressional District Seven, I want to congratulate and honor Interfaith CarePartners for their incredible accomplishment and for their remarkable service to our community.

Interfaith CarePartners, founded in 1985, has evolved into a national movement of faith-based volunteerism that promotes, sponsors, and conducts volunteer caregiving and associated activities in partnership with churches and synagogues. They are ``Houston's caregiver,'' sponsoring the nation's original and largest faith-based caregiving program with 1,600 volunteers in 83 congregations who serve approximately 1,000 families per year, and providing 60,000 hours of volunteer service for frail adults and children. Volunteers also provide in-home care and caregiver respites to more than 3,600 Alzheimer's and dementia-affected families, frail elderly, and other chronically or terminally ill adults, severely impaired children, and people with AIDS. Partner congregations span the theological spectrum within Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, and Judaism.

Interfaith CarePartners has earned the gratitude of all the families they have helped and the admiration of everyone who knows their work and the depth of their selfless devotion to improve the lives of their neighbors. Today, we honor and thank Interfaith CarePartners for their extraordinary achievement in reaching one million hours of volunteer community service. I would like also to congratulate Nancy Reagan, Dr. John McGovern, and Chip Carlisle and Wells Fargo for receiving the Sustaining Presence Award, an annual award presented to distinguished individuals and organizations whose commitments and activities constitute an exemplary contribution to the creation of caring communities. All of you exemplify the best of America.