Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, before I get my chart and bring it up, if they'd bring it up for this situation, I just might respond to the previous speaker. He forgot to mention that they handed this mess to this new administration just a matter of a few months ago and went through 8 years of borrow and spend. So I hope the people take that with a grain of salt.

What I, Madam Speaker, would like to speak to you a few moments about today is to highlight an institution of great importance to our national security and to myself, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College located at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Most Americans are probably unaware of the role that this fine institution plays in keeping our Nation safe by training future generations of military leaders. The Command General Staff College plays a vital role, giving our Nation's Army commanders the advanced technical and tactical education they need in order to effectively lead soldiers in battle. They have been doing so since its founding in 1881, and during the past 128 years, it has provided a first-rate military education to thousands of accomplished men and women who have defended our freedom. I'd like to commend the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College on its commitment to excellence, throughout history, in support of our military.

I'd like now to draw your attention, if I may, to a particularly distinguished group of alumni. The five war heroes you see beside me, Generals George Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight Eisenhower, Henry Arnold, and Omar Bradley, served our country with valor and distinction during the Second World War and became household names through their renowned accomplishments.

It is a little-known fact, of which we are all proud, that these great men all were graduates of the Command General Staff College where they received their unique training and education needed to excel in leading our brave servicemembers into battle.

Since then, the college has continued to improve and adapt its training in response to the ever-evolving challenges of war. Though the specifics of the instruction may have changed, the honorable mission has not. I, too, am a graduate of, and a former instructor, at the U.S. Army Command General Staff College. Madam Speaker, I speak from personal experience of the pride and the satisfaction that comes from knowing that I received the best military leadership education our Nation has to offer and stood in the footsteps of these great men.

General George Marshall was the Army Chief of Staff under President Roosevelt and one of the chief architects of victory for our Greatest Generation and later served as the third Secretary of Defense.

General Douglas MacArthur bravely led our forces to victory in the Pacific theater.

General Dwight Eisenhower, our past President, was the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe and directed the D-day operation, whose anniversary was just celebrated, before going on to lead our Nation through some of the most trying times during the Cold War.

General Henry Arnold commanded the Army Air Corps in Europe and remains the only person ever to hold the title of General of the Air Force.

Last, but certainly not least, General Omar Bradley commanded the Allied forces on their march to victory in North Africa and became the first to hold the position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

At this point, I'd like to make mention of an organization that provides invaluable support to the U.S. Army Command General Staff College, which is the U.S. Army Command General Staff College Foundation. This organization is funded by private donations, and its mission is to enrich the academic experience of the college by providing resources in areas not covered by appropriations.

Since its inception, this foundation has established a number of awards for academic excellence for students of the college in recognition of their achievements in the fields of tactics, logistics, and military arts. It has supported professional development at the Harvard Business School for college faculty members. The Foundation has also sponsored the Colin Powell Academic Lecture Series, which began in April of 2008. General Powell is also an alumni of the college. Indeed, it is hard to overstate the degree to which the Foundation has enriched the experience of both students and staff at the college.

Its board of directors comprises retired officers, business and community leaders, all of whom have a keen interest in improving the quality of the education provided by the college. I would like to commend the Foundation's board and, in particular, its CEO, Colonel Robert Ulin--who is in the gallery I do believe--U.S. Army-Retired, for the invaluable work that he does to enhance the college and its future military leaders. Colonel Ulin is also a graduate and instructor of the college.

It is with this Foundation and the Command and General Staff College in mind today that I would like to mention H.R. 1177, the Five Five- Star General Commemorative Coin Act. This bill would authorize the U.S. Treasury to mint a series of commemorative $5, $1 and half-dollar coins bearing the likeness of these distinguished five generals. These coins would honor the historic contributions these men have made in defense of justice and freedom. Americans young and old could admire and collect them, and the stories of these great men might be reinforced in the popular imagination, perhaps even inspiring some to follow their lead.

This bill will honor the great soldiers of the past. Please sponsor

Offered By: Mr. Boswell

Amendment No. 41: In the item relating to ``Department of

Justice--General Administration--Salaries and Expenses'',

after the first dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by

$2,500,000)''.

In the item relating to the ``National Criminal History

Improvement'' in paragraph (25) under the heading ``State and

Local Law Enforcement Assistance'', after the dollar amount,

insert ``(increased by $2,500,000)''.

Madam Speaker, I regret missing afternoon and evening votes from the House on June 4th. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall votes 304, 305, 306, 307 and 310, and ``nay'' on rollcall votes 308 and 309.

Madam Speaker, I regret my absence from the House on April 21st and April 22nd, but I was in my district welcoming President Obama to Newton, Iowa, former home of Maytag, and now home to a growing wind power industry, where we celebrated Earth Day and focused on alternative energy development and the green collar jobs this will create. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall votes 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, and 199, and I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall vote 198.

I rise in support of H.R. 887, to honor my friend, former colleague and Congressman, Jim Leach. Jim's survival for three decades, winning election 14 times, and his strong record of principled, bipartisan leadership is a superb example to all of his colleagues, to all of us.

He was born in Davenport, Iowa, where he made a name for himself by winning the 1960 State Wrestling Championship for Davenport High School. He went on to earn an impressive set of degrees from Princeton University, Johns Hopkins University, and the London School of Economics.

Jim began his public service career in 1965 as a staffer to then- Congressman Don Rumsfeld. In 1968, he entered the Foreign Service, where he served as a delegate to the Geneva Disarmament Conference and the U.N. General Assembly. He resigned his commission in 1973 to protest President Richard Nixon's firing of the first Watergate special prosecutor, Archibald Cox.

Jim was first elected to represent Iowa's Second District in 1976. A political moderate who was always willing to reach across the aisle, Jim chaired the Ripon Society and the Republican Mainstream Committee, two organizations formed to encourage bipartisan policymaking. In Congress, Jim distinguished himself as a steadfastly ethical and independent-minded public servant.

Throughout his career, Jim supported diplomacy before unilateralism, pushing for full funding of U.S. obligations to the U.N. As chairman of the Arms Control and Foreign Policy Caucus, Jim pressed for a comprehensive test ban and led the House debate on a nuclear freeze. Jim was also one of the only six House Republicans to vote against the 2002 Iraq War resolution.

Jim's post-congressional career has been no less extraordinary. He holds eight honorary degrees, and has received decorations from two foreign governments. He is a recipient of the Wayne Morse Integrity in Politics Award; the Woodrow Wilson Award from Johns Hopkins; the Adlai Stevenson Award from the United Nations Association; the Edgar Wayburn Award from the Sierra Club; and the Norman Borlaug Public Service Award.

Jim continues to serve the public on the boards of several public companies and nonprofit organizations, including the Century Foundation; the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; the Social Sciences Research Council; Pro Publica; and Common Cause, which he chairs.

Additionally, he is currently a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and teaches at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School as the John L. Weinberg Visiting Professor of Public and International Affairs.

Jim is not only a remarkable public servant, but a good friend. It was a tremendous honor to serve alongside him.

Just in closing, I'd like to say this. Jim Leach reminded me of a person that I knew in the legislature named Horace Daggett. Outstanding people in their own right in every way. Truly, community people. Iowans, Americans. And they put the country first.

Jim was a privilege to know, as the person he was, the person that he is, the person that reaches out and continues to serve us with distinction, and someone that we all can be very, very proud of.

So, I urge all to support H.R. 887.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend President Obama for overturning former President Bush's ban on Federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

Lifting this 8-year-old restriction provides hope for doctors, scientists, and those in my district, our State, our country, who have waited far too long for research that may provide them with cures for diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, cancer, and others.

Just this weekend, I met with a young lady who I've grown to know very well, Karli Borcherding, who lives with juvenile diabetes and has done a great service to so many by sharing her story and educating countless Americans on this life-altering illness. Each time I meet with her, she reminds me of the hope that stem cell research holds for not just her, but children and young people like her who live with this disease.

Stem cell research has the potential to revolutionize the way patients are treated. We must utilize the best minds and the best science to find cures for people living with chronic diseases.

Our ability to utilize and encourage scientific and medical research has been put on hold too long. I am confident that President Obama will continue to work to enhance medical research and bring renewed hope to those who deserve access to the best medicine possible.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great American, a great servant of the people, a great patriot, and a great friend, the longest serving Member of the House, the gentleman from Michigan, Congressman John D. Dingell.

Mr. Speaker, John Dingell has served his district, his State, his Nation, and this great and noble body with distinction and honor. His achievements on behalf of our Nation are profound, and they are numerous. John's unyielding commitment to bettering the lives of the people he serves, in fact bettering the lives of all Americans, in this great body shines as an example that we can only hope to live up to.

The gentleman's contribution to our country, and the House of Representatives, will stand the test of time. I wish him many more years of good health, active service, and I look forward to working with him on meeting many of the challenges that we face today. I for one can say, with all honesty and a sense of humility, that I feel fortunate to have been able to serve with our dean, the gentleman from Michigan, John Dingell.

Madam Speaker, I strongly support Israel's right to defend itself against the rocket attacks by Hamas--attacks which have killed and injured many Israeli citizens. Israel's actions are understandable. We must stand by our ally and be involved in any negotiations. I'm heartened to learn of a possible cease fire proposal. However, any cease fire must ensure an end to the terrorist attacks by Hamas.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the time and effort you have put into this and all the people of Iowa do, across the Nation in fact, because I know that when Congressman Braley and Congressman Loebsack and I took it upon ourselves to visit with the Speaker about this before we were on the work period last July, there was assurance that something would happen. And I felt that she could give us that assurance because we are a United States and we stand together when things happen that we have no control over, natural disaster.

Some parts of Iowa were hit by windstorms, tornado, and then almost immediately followed with flood. So we were hit pretty hard.

Our Speaker stopped and spent a day with us on the way back after the work period and went to all three of the areas that were hit the worst, and how much it was appreciated by the people of Iowa and, of course, as people were watching across the Nation. We appreciate it very much, and she was able to say, because of the confidence that I'm sure she has in not only her leadership but in this institution, that we do stand together when it comes to natural disasters, and that's been our history.

So I'm very appreciative of this. It will be a great help to homeowners, small businesses, getting levees put back in place, and preparing for whatever Mother Nature may bring us next.

I thank you again for the time. I appreciate again your good, hard work.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity. I want to thank my good friend and colleague from North Carolina (Mr. Etheridge) and Mr. Goodlatte and the rest of you for us coming together and correcting this error that's taken place, or this misrepresentation.

As the cosponsor of H.R. 6849, I'm extremely pleased the full House has taken action today so that Iowa and the Nation's small working farmers across the Nation will have an opportunity for an adequate safety net. The legislation suspends a provision in the new farm bill which prohibits producers farming 10 acres or less to receive USDA payments.

Now hear this. When the farm bill was drafted and during the conference process, it was the intent of Congress to allow farmers to aggregate their base acres, to bring them together. This is evident by the Joint Explanatory Statement of the managers that accompanied the 2008 farm bill which clearly states, ``The managers intend for the department to allow for aggregation of farms for purposes of determining the suspension of payments on farms with 10 base acres or less.''

This needs to be corrected. I ask that everybody that would participate to be sure we make this clear and make sure small farmers will be taken care of. The USDA has misrepresented Congress' intent putting thousands of small producers at risk.

I would like to urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4544, the Code Talker Recognition Act.

I am proud to say that this legislation, which I am an original cosponsor, will finally recognize the men who served as code talkers for our great Nation during World War I and World War II.

Eight of those men who specifically will be honored today are members of the Meskwaki tribe based in Tama County, Iowa.

In January 1941, nearly a year before Pearl Harbor, 27 Meskwaki men, then 16 percent of Iowa's Meskwaki population enlisted in the Army. Of those 27, eight became code talkers: Edward Benson; Dewey Roberts; Frank Sanache; Willard Sanache; Melvin Twin; Judy Wayne Wabaunasee; Mike Wayne Wabaunasee; and Dewey Youngbear.

The Meskwaki men trained in Marshalltown and served together in the 168th Infantry, 34th Division. After jungle warfare training in Louisiana and code talker training in Scotland and then in England, they were sent to North Africa.

While in North Africa Frank Sanache ventured out far beyond the battalion and using a walkie-talkie directed artillery fire in the desert. He said ``It was the worst place this side of hell.''

The enemy was never able to translate the native Meskwaki language, and the Meskwaki Code Talkers, among other Code Talkers are credited with saving the lives of countless members of the United States Armed Forces and contributing significantly to the victory of our Nation.

I am pleased to see that finally this bill will be brought to the House floor--it has taken many years to get to this point and even though many of those who are being honored are no longer with us at least their family members and loved ones have the opportunity to finally see them receive the gratitude and respect of our country.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6304.

This is the kind of work I came to Congress hoping for--bipartisan legislation that protects our security and our liberty. It's a solid compromise that does what it needs to do for the country.

One of my specific concerns in FISA reform over the last year has been finding a way to protect reasonable private companies, who assisted government out of patriotism.

This bill does that. It doesn't give anyone a free pass, but it allows companies to come before the courts and make their case in order to be protected from lawsuits.

That's a good result, and I thank Chairman Reyes for his work in reaching this reasonable bipartisan compromise.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

I think all of you have been watching the news the last few days out in the Midwest and Iowa. This is the Iowa delegation here, of course.

It's been tough, it's been really rugged, and I think you know that, because you've been watching the news. It's devastating to communities to see what's going on when you have a flood. I know last Saturday, for example, all of us have been in and out of the emergency operating centers, and I flew over the district, flew up to Vinton, Iowa, those of you know. I went close to Waterloo and then down to Belle Plaine, around up to Vinton and then down over Iowa City, Cedar Rapids. It was really tough.

When you see a little town where all you see is rooftops, you know that there is a lot of pain there, fields flooded and so on. We are just very appreciative that the people have really bonded together.

I will just say this, and I would guess every one of us could bear testimony. For example, I was talking to some of the folks in one of the emergency operations centers, and after he told me all the things that were going on there, losing their power plant, this, that and many things, I said, how are you feeling?

They said, you know, we're like family. It's bonded us together, and we're going to conquer this. We hope that we could, of course, have some help.

I was reminded of that just yesterday when I was here for a moment of personal privilege, or the 1-minute, as we call it, and was asked to give the Pledge, and so I did. Of course, the part of the pledge that says ``one Nation, under God, indivisible,'' and that word ``indivisible'' all of a sudden meant so much to me, because we are a great country, and we won't have to face this alone. We know that.

I wanted to appreciate that to all of you. All the damage to businesses and homes and everything else is tough, and that's all up and down the whole way from Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana or Illinois, Missouri, right on down the river. That whole area is under this. Businesses and homes can be rebuilt, but lives are lost and suffering takes place. Over 20 at this point that we know about.

If I could, Madam Chairman, I would like to ask us to take a moment of silence in memory of those that are suffering at this time.

Madam Speaker, Iowa, the State I am proud to represent in this great body, is facing one of the worst natural disasters it has ever witnessed. Record flooding has affected hundreds of communities, devastated hundreds of businesses, displaced thousands of our fellow citizens, and has done billions of dollars in damage.

The waters are beginning to recede in some parts of the State, but we are not out of the troubles yet. The level of devastation has not yet been fully realized, and probably won't for some weeks. I saw firsthand the damage done as I toured my district this weekend, and words cannot begin to illustrate just how damaging the floodwaters have been.

I rise today to salute my fellow Iowans, and salute the sense of community that is so strong in Iowa. In preparation for the floods, there were countless instances where Iowans banded together, from all walks of life, from all ages, to work together to do whatever was necessary to save the communities we all love to call home.

And this is what Iowans will continue to do. We will continue to work together to rebuild our communities and heal the wounds the flood waters opened. We will continue to work together and fight on because our families, our communities, and our State are worth nothing less.

But Madam Speaker, Iowa will need generous Federal assistance to get back on its feet. Iowans will do whatever they can, but the fact is the flooding that has hit Iowa has never been witnessed, ever, and the damage and challenges presenting themselves are simply too much for the State and local governments to handle by themselves. Iowans will do their part, but we must do ours.

Madam Speaker, Iowans continue to display what is best in the American spirit as we continue to face the challenges that are presented to us today, and we will persevere, for as Iowa goes, so goes the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, today I come to share with you that Iowa is in a lot of trouble. We have had extensive floods, the worst I have ever seen, in our part of the country, and it is devastating. Since I saw you last, I have spent hours and hours with the United Way, Red Cross, civic leaders, both city, county, State, emergency operations centers in and out, and so on, and it is really tough.

We have experienced that before in this Nation. In our Pledge we say ``indivisible,'' and we are. This country will stand behind us, we know that, and we look forward to that possibility.

I fly an old airplane, and so I spent Saturday afternoon with one of my staff flying over the various cities, and a lot of them were really tough. When I flew down over Cedar Rapids low level and looked down upon the homes and businesses, at the devastation, the roads out, bridges, et cetera; over Iowa City, the university, with a lot of flooded buildings and so on; and then over to Ottumwa and back up the Des Moines River, it looked like a big lake. A lot of cropland is ruined, over 17 percent, maybe more, and will not produce this year.

So we need the help of the country. We need the help of this Congress. And I salute the people of Iowa for coming together. They have come together with determination. I asked one lady in the Emergency Operations Center after telling me all these things, I said, ``How are you doing?'' She said, ``You know, we are like family. We have pulled together. We are going to do this, but we are going to have to have some help.''

Mr. Speaker, I would hope today our Speaker and leaders will be ready to help Iowa and other States out there who are in dire need of help at this time.