Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the courage of one of the bravest and most dedicated heroes of our Nation.

Sergeant Bruce Horner was part of the search and recovery operations for American soldiers captured by Al Quaida terrorists in southern Baghdad when he was killed by an enemy sniper on June 1, 2007.

An 18-year veteran of the Army, Bruce Horner was a proud non- commissioned officer, mentor and leader to younger soldiers.

He came from a family with a long tradition of military service and did not take his responsibilities to lead younger soldiers lightly.

Sergeant Horner is survived by his wife, parents and the soldiers he left behind, who are continuing the hard work of protecting our Nation's freedoms in Iraq.

SGT. Bruce Horner is gone, but he will never be forgotten.

His memory lives on through the family he left behind and in the soldiers that he so ably led.

Our community and Nation honor Sergeant Horner's memory and we are grateful for his 18 years of faithful and distinguished service to America.

Mr. Speaker, I think the Chicago Tribune said it nicely when they said last week, ``Democrats promised way more than they delivered.'' Because of the lack of follow-through in failure to govern by the Democratic majority, the approval numbers of Congress have sunk to the lowest levels of all times according to the recently released Gallup poll.

Making promises will gain your support in the short-term, but failing to fulfill those promises will quickly be discovered, and I'm afraid that's where the majority party has found itself. After a campaign of promises, little action has occurred on the pledges that so many were elected to withhold.

The 100-hour agenda has seen only one bill receive the support of the President, and that was attached to an emergency supplemental. Republicans have fought hard to reel in spending, yet Democrats are recklessly increasing spending and moving forward with a plan to increase taxes.

Republicans heard the American people and are fighting hard to restore trust and fiscal responsibility within the Congress. We're recommitted to continuing the fight because the American people expect their leaders to stand by them.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the courage of a brave and dedicated hero of the Fort Worth community and of our Nation.

SGT Glenn D. Hicks, Jr., was a proud U.S. Army soldier and a true American hero who gallantly gave his life for his country on April 28, 2007, during combat operations in Salman Park, Iraq.

Assigned to the Third Infantry Division, Glenn enlisted during a time of war, which speaks volumes about his character and patriotism.

Moreover, he was a leader and mentor to younger soldiers and his service as a sergeant--the backbone of the Army, exemplifies that spirit.

Sergeant Hicks is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Glenn D. Hicks, Sr., three brothers and his grandparents.

Our thoughts and prayers are with them and all of Glenn's family and friends.

Our community and Nation honor Sergeant Hicks' memory and we are grateful for his faithful and distinguished service to America.

SGT Glenn D. Hicks will never be forgotten. his memory lives on through his family and the legacy of selfless service that he so bravely imprinted on our hearts.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the courage of a brave and dedicated hero of the Fort Worth community and of our Nation.

PFC Joshua G. Romero was a proud United States Army soldier and a true American hero who gallantly gave his life for his country on May 18, 2007, during combat operations in Tahrir, Iraq.

Assigned to the First Cavalry Division of Fort Hood, Texas, Joshua enlisted during time of war, which speaks volumes about his character, bravery, and clear sense of patriotism.

Joshua is survived by his wife, son, father, mother, step-mother, and all of his sisters and brothers.

Our thoughts and prayers are with them and all his family and friends.

Our community and Nation honor Joshua's memory and we are grateful for his faithful and noble service to our country.

PFC Joshua G. Romero will never be forgotten. His memory lives on through his family and the legacy of selfless service that he so bravely imprinted on our hearts.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the courage of a brave and dedicated hero of the State of Texas and of our Nation.

Corporal Ryan A. Bishop was a United States Army soldier and a true American hero who gallantly and selflessly gave his life for

his country on April 14, 2007 during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq.

Assigned to the tenth mountain division, Ryan enlisted during time of war, which speaks volumes about his character and patriotism.

Moreover, he was a leader and mentor to younger soldiers and his posthumous promotion to Corporal exemplifies this spirit.

Corporal Bishop is survived by his wife, Melanie and his father, Charles Bishop both of Tyler, Texas.

Our thoughts and prayers are with them and all of Ryan's family and friends.

Our community and Nation honor Corporal Bishop's memory and we are grateful for his faithful and distinguished service to America.

Corporal Bishop will not be forgotten. His memory lives on through his family and the legacy of selfless service that he so bravely imprinted on our hearts.

Mr. Speaker, I Rise today to honor the courage of a brave and dedicated hero of the Fort Worth community and of our Nation.

Specialist Lance C. Springer II was a United States Army soldier and a true american hero who gallantly and selflessly gave his life for his country on March 23, 2007, during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq.

Lance--or Craig as his family and friends called him, enlisted during time of war, which speaks volumes about his character and patriotism.

Assigned to the 25th Infantry Division, Craig's service as a field medic, placing the well-being of others ahead of his own, exemplifies the type of selfless and caring man that he was.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Craig's parents and all of his family and friends.

Our community and Nation honor Specialist Springer's memory and we are grateful for his faithful and distinguished service to America.

Specialist Craig Springer will not be forgotten. His memory lives on through his family and the legacy of selfless service that he so bravely imprinted on our hearts.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the courage of a brave and dedicated hero of the Fort Worth community and of our Nation.

MSgt Kenneth N. Mack was a proud United States Marine and a true American hero who gallantly gave his life for his country on May 5, 2007, during combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.

Assigned to the Second Marine Expeditionary Force, Master Sergeant Mack's 25 years of faithful service as a Marine are an inspiration to all Americans, particularly the men he so ably led.

Kenneth Mack leaves behind his wife, Peggy, mother, Mahalia, and his daughter and son.

Our community and Nation honor Kenneth Mack's memory and we are grateful for his faithful and distinguished service to America.

MSgt Kenneth N. Mack will never be forgotten. His memory lives on through his family, the Marines who were entrusted to his care and the legacy of selfless service that he so bravely imprinted on our hearts.

Madam Speaker, we often hear so much about what is wrong with America. I'd like to focus on what is right. And today throughout America, there are great teachers making a great difference in the lives of their students. As I often say, many people spend their lives building careers but teachers spend their careers building lives.

And few have done it better or longer than Mr. Bill Hardisty, the principal of Cassata High School in Fort Worth, Texas.

This year, Mr. Hardisty concludes a 37-year career in education. For two and a half decades, he served in the Fort Worth Independent School District as a coach, teacher and assistant principal. And for the past 11 years, he has served at Cassata. He started as associate director and in 2002, he was named principal.

Hardisty's service extends beyond our children's education. Before he taught in our schools, he defended our country. A marine who later served in the Army Reserve, Mr. Hardisty was the very embodiment of the noble Marine Corps motto: Semper Fi. He was always faithful.

But it is his work as an educator that has touched the lives of so many future leaders. One of his students later served on my staff. Here is what he told me about Hardisty: ``He taught with his heart. He knew that kids don't care what you know until they know that you care. Mr. Hardisty cared. And so his students listened and learned from him.''

This is what teachers do: they shape minds and change lives. It was Yeats who wrote that education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire. Thanks to Mr. Hardisty, countless people are today living lives fueled by a flame lit long ago in his classroom.

Cassata High School will miss Mr. Hardisty. But it will never forget him. His leadership and his legacy will live on in the many students whose lives he touched.

Thank you, Bill Hardisty, for your service to your students and your service to your country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the resolution introduced by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe). Texas has lost 55 law enforcement officers. That is part of the 382 fallen officers across this Nation.

As mayor of the city of Fort Worth, when asked what was the most important thing I did when I was mayor, I always talked about working with the

Fort Worth police officers, those brave officers who risk their lives every day to keep us safe and free. We think about those officers, and we think about their families also.

One of the officers was Dwayne Freeto. He was just 34 years old when he was killed by a drunk driver just 8 days before this past Christmas. He had been a police officer with the Fort Worth Police Department since August 2005. He also served in the United States Army. When he was killed, he left behind a wife, Karen, and two daughters, ages 3 and 9.

Those stories can be repeated about our officers across this Nation so many times. I join in strong support of this resolution and also to remind everyone of the candlelight vigil this Sunday to honor those officers. They are people who sacrifice their lives every day and stand up for us. It is my great honor to speak today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of our troops fighting in Iraq and the plan put forth by General Petraeus to win this war.

Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he believes the war is lost and the surge is failing. What a terrible message for our troops fighting this very minute. Instead of a road map to success, we are being asked to support a plan for defeat. We are being asked to announce to our enemies a date for surrender. Do we think the terrorists will lay down their weapons and go their merry way if we leave? History reminds us otherwise. When the Soviet Union left Afghanistan in the 1980s, the radical Islamists did not lay down their weapons; in fact, they demolished the Afghani Government and took power.

So what can we expect when we announce today that we are closing, that we are losing, and announce tomorrow that we will leave? Al Qaeda leaders have publicly declared their mission is to expel the Americans from Iraq and establish an Islamic emirate in Iraq. So we have taken them at their word with this surge and showed a new determination to win. In the seven weeks since the surge began, the number of weapon stockpiles we have found has doubled. More tips are coming in from Iraqis who want peace and stability to take hold of their country. Sunni leaders are turning against al Qaeda and Iraqi troops are standing up. Just yesterday, the Iraqi troops took charge of security in the southern province of My Soon, the fourth province to come under full Iraqi security patrol.

General Petraeus is coming next week to brief the Congress on our progress. How are we going to greet this brave general, good morning, General Petraeus, we've decided to run the war? What we need to do as responsible Members of Congress is to exercise our oversight, fund and support our troops, ensure that we give them what they need as they fight for our freedom, what they and their families need as they return, and give this plan a chance, paying close attention to its progress.

There is too much at stake in Iraq for responsible leaders to advocate allowing the region to spiral into chaos, and we can't ignore the threat of failure for our country and our citizens.

Mr. Speaker, if Washington Democrats get their way, millions of Americans will see their taxes go up by billions of dollars. In a Gallup Poll released earlier this week, 53 percent of the American people said their Federal income taxes were too high, yet the Democrat leadership has decided to move forward with the highest tax increase in American history.

In an editorial by the Wall Street Journal, they said, ``A tax increase of that magnitude could well lead to a recession and a plunge in receipts.''

Take these examples as evidence that letting the Republican tax cuts expire would only wreak havoc on millions of American checkbooks. Over 115 million taxpayers would see a $1,716 increase in their tax bill in 2011. For 84 million women, it would be an increase of over $1,900. And for 42 million families with children, an increase of over $2,000 would become a scary reality.

Chasing increased spending with higher taxes is not the path of fiscal responsibility and will not lead to further economic prosperity. These tax cuts should not and cannot be allowed to expire.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Northeast Tarrant Chamber of Commerce.

The Northeast Tarrant Chamber of Commerce was chartered on December 23, 1957 as ``The Greater Richland Area Chamber of Commerce.'' The initial meeting to establish the chamber was the dream of Gertrude Tarpley and Jack Bean. Tarpley was Northeast Tarrant County's unofficial matriarch and Bean was its first president. At the time, the Richland Industrial Park was in the planning stages and many people were concerned about how it would affect their homes. Seventy five local civic leaders signed up to participate in the new chamber, coming from as far away as Grapevine and paying an annual fee of $25.

The organization quickly gained momentum. In the 1960's, the chamber worked to balance commercial, industrial and residential zoning. It also helped expedite the Airport Freeway construction and helped form the Tarrant County Junior College District. The organization's membership also increased, with the group's regular dinners averaging 500 to 600 attendees.

In the late 80's and early 90's, the chamber hit a rough patch as questions arose about the organization's effectiveness.

In 1992, Doug Terry, president of Frost National Bank in Hurst, took over as president and the organization agreed to make changes to promote economic development, retain its membership and offer programs to help member businesses. As a result, the chamber became more visible to city councils and became more effective overall.

In 2001, Robert Hamilton was named president and CEO and was responsible for implementing innovative ideas and new programs to enhance the chamber's position in the North Texas region. A new economic development foundation called Quad Cities DFW was founded in early 2003 with marketing of the four cities and chamber membership as the main priority. Throughout the next few years, the chamber, its programs and materials earned top honors from chamber peers throughout the state.

Today, the chamber has 925 members. As a current member of the Board of Directors, I can attest to the hard work and commitment the Northeast Tarrant Chamber has to its members and community. The chamber has been a key player in helping bring economic development and leadership to local businesses and the Tarrant County community.

I commend the Northeast Tarrant Chamber for its hard work and dedication. Your involvement in the economic development of our region is very crucial and greatly appreciated.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to express my strong opposition to section three of amendment No. 18 offered to H.R. 1401, the Rail and Public Transportation Security Act of 2007, which would undermine a long standing principle of Federal uniformity in the area of railroad safety law. The railroads have long had Federal preemption from a variety of State-level laws because railroads, as a national system, could not function effectively under a patchwork of laws from 50 different States.

Regulation of rail safety must be uniform nationwide. The Federal Rail Safety Act was not intended to create minimum standards for rail safety; it was intended to create uniform standards governing railroad safety because Congress recognized that given the interstate and interdependent nature of the industry, uniformity was essential to effective safety regulation.

It would be counterproductive for States and localities to impose widely disparate safety requirements that could hinder a railroad's ability to operate efficiently across State and local boundaries. In 1970, Congress found that the railroad industry: ``. . . has a truly interstate character calling for a uniform body of regulation and enforcement. . . . The integral operating parts of these companies cross many State lines. In addition to the obvious areas of rolling stock and employees, such elements as operating rules, signal systems, power supply systems, and communication systems of a single company normally cross numerous State lines. To subject a carrier to enforcement before a number of different State administrative and judicial systems in several areas of operation could well result in an undue burden on interstate commerce.'' (H.R. Report No. 91-1194 (1970))

Congress' reasoning was sound then, and that reasoning remains sound today,

In conclusion, I am concerned by the fact that this sweeping provision was labeled ``technical'' in nature. In addition, there have been no hearings on this topic and no analysis of its effects on the railroad industry and interstate commerce. Federal preemption is vital to fluid daily operations of the railroads which we all rely on to move goods efficiently across the country. In fact, we should not forget that, this is precisely why the founding fathers included important interstate commerce protections in the Constitution.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor one of the bravest and most dedicated young heroes of North Texas and of our Nation.

Army Private Clarence Spencer was killed in Blad, Iraq while fighting against enemy forces in one of the most important conflicts our Nation has ever engaged in.

Clarence Spencer gallantly and selflessly gave his life for his country while fighting alongside his fellow soldiers of the First Cavalry Division from Fort Hood, Texas.

Private Spencer is survived by his mother, son and loving wife, Army Private Charlotte Spencer, who has also devoted herself to our Nation's noble military profession.

Clarence Spencer served three tours in Iraq, two of which were as a marine. Wounded in Iraq on a previous tour, he demonstrated tremendous courage by deploying into harm's way once again.

Private Clarence Spencer is gone, but he will never be forgotten. His memory lives on in our hearts and America is eternally grateful for his spirit and dedication.

As Clarence's Dunbar High School football coach said about him, ``I've coached faster, stronger and more talented students, but I've never coached anyone that I was more proud of.''

That is precisely the way that the Fort Worth community and our Nation feel about soldiers such as Private Clarence Spencer--a true American hero.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the courage of one of the bravest and most dedicated heroes of the Fort Worth community and of our Nation.

Sergeant First Class Allen Mosteiro was an 18-year veteran of the Army who was assigned as a scout leader in the first cavalry division based at Fort Hood, Texas.

He gallantly and selflessly gave his life for his Country as a result of wounds he received during a firefight in Taji, Iraq on February 13, 2007.

Sergeant Mosteiro is survived by his wife, son, parents, one brother and three sisters.

As a career soldier and senior non-commissioned officer, Sergeant Mosteiro's leadership was instrumental in developing younger soldiers and he did not take this responsibility lightly.

Sergeant First Class Mosteiro is gone, but he will never be forgotten. His memory lives on through the family he left behind and in the soldiers that he so ably led.

Our community and Nation honor Sergeant First Class Mosteiro's memory and we are grateful for his 18 years of faithful and distinguished service to America.