Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take my Special Order at this time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the brave men and women who serve our country as part of the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment as they return home to a State and Nation grateful for their service.

The 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment is one of two armored cavalry regiments still in existence. The 278th is known as the Tennessee Cavalry and is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee. The other ACR is part of the regular Army.

The 278th was formed and reorganized on June 21, 1977, from units and elements of the 278th Infantry Brigade. Additionally, units of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 117th Infantry Regiment and several other units of various types from the Tennessee Army National Guard were added to round out this regiment. The regiment's motto, ``I Volunteer, Sir,'' is taken from a time in Tennessee's history that exemplifies the attitude of the men and women who serve in America's Armed Forces. In 1846, a call went out for 2,800 volunteers from the State of Tennessee to take part in the War with Mexico; 38,000 Tennesseeans answered the call, earning the Tennessee Militia the ever-lasting nickname of ``Volunteers.'' It is from this heritage that the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment's motto, ``I Volunteer, Sir,'' originated.

This Regimental Shoulder Patch was derived using the green color traditionally associated with cavalry and armor. The three white stars are adapted from the Tennessee State flag. The blue divisions allude to the Tennessee, the Houlston, and the French Broad rivers, environs of the regiment.

In June of 2004, the regiment was alerted and mobilized in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III, the third phase of the deployment of U.S. forces to Iraq. In November of 2004, they deployed from Camp Shelby, Mississippi. This regiment took on a slightly different look for this mobilization. It became referred to as the 278th Regimental Combat Team, from which this organization derives a portion of its history. Soldiers of the 278th were primarily assigned in the Diy' Ala province northeast of Baghdad near the Iranian border. The regiment replaced the 30th Heavy Separate Brigade of the North Carolina Army National Guard.

The sheer size and scope of their mission continues to impress me. Over 3,000 soldiers from the Tennessee National Guard are assigned to this division.

And their mobilization for the war in Iraq was the largest in Tennessee history since World War II. As it was in World War II, their aim was to restore basic freedoms to a people who had been stifled under the oppressive regime of a tyrant dictator, a dictator who would torture and kill his own people because they were different than him, or because they had the audacity to express themselves in one form or another.

While in Iraq, the 278th, like all of our men and women serving in the Middle East, played a major role in what we all hope to be watershed moments in a democratic Iraq's history. The 278th provided security for the Iraqi people as they participated in their first election which took place this past January. For this election, the troops distributed, picked up, and delivered ballots. They again provided their support, this time to the Iraqi army, during the vote on the new Iraqi constitution in October 2005. They also helped restore the basic infrastructure necessary to get the Iraqi economy on its feet and give the Iraqi people a little foundation upon which they can make the country their own.

They helped open schools, dig wells, improve roads and establish basic services, like of electricity, water and sewers. They also helped establish numerous hospitals. Thanks to the renovation and construction of work done by the 278th, more than 50 schools were ready for classes, nearly 70 water and sewer projects were completed, as were 25 electricity and power projects, 8 health clinics were established, and 32 road projects were finished.

Of course, the most harrowing part of their mission was the daily fighting with insurgents that they encountered in northeastern Iraq. While working to suppress insurgency, the 278th conducted 13,000 combat patrols, oversaw the destruction of 340 weapon caches of bomb-making materials and 275 stockpiles of unexploded ordinances.

Additionally, despite constantly being under attack, the men and

women of the 278th were able to train members of the Iraqi police and the Iraqi army, over 10,000 policemen, soldiers and border enforcement personnel. This training is essential to our mission in Iraq. In order for the Iraqi people to truly feel empowered in their new country, they must complete the circle of modern democratic nations.

One half of the circle is being completed by the participation of the Iraqi citizens in both the electoral process and their developing free economy. The other half of the circle, and perhaps the most vital piece, is an established Iraqi security force run by and composed of Iraqi citizens that has the ability to protect its own people without relying on the American military. When the day comes that the Iraqi people and soldiers can provide protection for the average citizen to go about their daily lives with the knowledge they are safe, that will be the day when all Iraqis can point to their country, a country able to stand on it own, and they can tell the world we are free.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to say that all of my thoughts and prayers, along with those of constituents, continue to go to all of our military personnel serving in Iraq, including the 900 Tennessee Guardsmen, who are still ``in country.'' Thank you for their great work. We look forward to their return. God continue to be with the men and women of the 278th and the United States Armed Forces. Keep them safe and strong. Return them home to America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1972, the Franklin National Battlefield Study Act. It is fitting that we protect this piece of American history by preserving this battlefield, home to the Battle of Franklin. As Roberts Hicks and Julian Bibb of Franklin's Charge put it best:

``What happened on the late afternoon and evening of November 30, 1864, was an epic display of courage and valor as troops on both sides gave their lives for causes they believed worthy and just. But the battle was much more. In essence, the Battle of Franklin was one of the most significant events in national unity, peace, and the end of slavery.''

The Franklin battlefield might be one of the smallest battlefields in the United States, but it is also among the bloodiest. A staggering 9,000 soldiers were killed or wounded at Franklin, including the largest number of generals ever lost in any American battle. It was the largest infantry charge ever conducted in North America. In the 5 tragic hours that make up the Battle of Franklin, more men died in those 5 hours than the 19 hours on D-Day. Eleven Congressional Medals of Honor were earned at the Battle of Franklin.

The Civil War Sites Advisory Commission designated Franklin as one of just 45 principal battles having a direct, observable impact on the direction, duration, conduct, or outcome of the war. Marking the beginning of the end for the Western Theater of the Civil War, it is now listed among the country's Top 10 Most Endangered Civil War Battlefields by the Civil War Preservation Trust. I strongly support Representative Blackburn's legislation to correct this injustice. The Battle of Franklin is considered the beginning of the defeat of the Confederacy.

I applaud the efforts of Save the Franklin Battlefield, Incorporated; Mayor Miller of Franklin; Franklin's Charge; the Williamson County Historical Society; interested city and county leaders; and leading preservationists and conservation organizations that have sought to make this legislation a reality. It has been a delight to work with the gentlewoman from Tennessee on this particular issue, which is in her home district, a county that we both share.

I believe it is our duty to preserve this historical battlefield, and we are bound by the respect and homage we must pay for those who died to preserve the Nation we hold so dear and revere today. But this is also for our children and grandchildren who will now be able to experience a chapter in our Nation's history in a way that a textbook cannot provide.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4128.

Mr. Chairman, the people of my home State of Tennessee know the stories of eminent domain all too well. They know the stories of when the Corps of Engineers and TVA condemned property of hard-working farmers to impound lakes. The folks I represent were willing to give up their land for the benefit of the valley.

They knew the public works projects would bring about much needed economic opportunity. They knew that the readily available cheap power would spawn new industries and provide good jobs for hard-working individuals. Although the promised benefits did become a reality, many of my ancestors, like my grandfather, felt the government takeover of land was wrong. Often I would hear stories of dissatisfaction about the loss of lands that have been in families since their families moved to the Appalachians.

I firmly believe that if the taken property had been given to another property owner, my ancestors would have felt like declaring war on the government. Fortunately, my grandfather and others were able to accept that the taking of their land was good for the public.

Mr. Chairman, there is no doubt in my mind that the Court's decision in Kelo is wrongheaded and wrong-hearted. One of the basic founding principles of this country is the right to own private property. Since our founding, governments have had the leverage needed

to encourage capital and economic development for our communities, while still recognizing the intrinsic value of a family's private property.

Mr. Chairman, I know that without a constitutional amendment our actions today are about as far as this Congress can go to dehorn the impact of the Kelo decision. Although this bill addresses and puts in place compelling penalties to cities, counties, and States that violate private property rights, I really think it needs to go further.

It is my hope that some day we can bring about stricter penalties to local governments who choose to run roughshod over the property rights of private landowners. I know that is what my grandfather would have expected of me, and I hope that is what we can expect of this Congress as we work to solidify the intrinsic value of people who own private property.

Mr. Speaker, during a ceremony on November 11, 2005 in Columbia, Tennessee, the late Major General William E. Potts will be recognized for his service to his state and nation. The Veteran's Plaza on the grounds of the Maury County Courthouse will be named the Major General William E. Potts Veterans Memorial Plaza, with a plaque placed as a permanent memorial to his memory.-

General Potts was born December 9, 1935 in Nashville. He later moved to Columbia with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Madden Potts. General Potts graduated from Columbia Central High School and Vanderbilt University. Having played football in high school and college he helped his Commodores defeat Auburn in the 1955 Gator Bowl.

Upon graduation from Vanderbilt in 1958, General Potts was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He studied Turkish at the Army's language school and graduated from both the Command and General Staff College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He also earned a master's degree in public administration from Middle Tennessee State University.

General Potts was company commander of the 801st Maintenance Battalion, 101st Airborne Division, served as an adviser in Vietnam and Army Attache in Ankara, Turkey, and battalion commander of the 702nd Maintenance Battalion, Second Infantry Division in Korea. After being assigned to the Pentagon he was made Deputy Commanding General for research and development, Army Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville before assuming command of the Army's Ordnance Center and School at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.

General Potts passed away February 29, 2004 at Walter Reed Army Hospital, and was

buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery.

In attendance for the November 11th ceremony will be General Potts's wife, Peggy; his sons, Colonel Gary Potts, who is currently serving in Afghanistan, Neil Potts, a former Army Captain, Airborne Ranger, Special Forces, now a restaurateur in Dallas, and their respective families. The General's only surviving sibling, Irene Morris of Columbia, will also be in attendance.

The ceremony will include color guards from the Vanderbilt University Army Reserve Officer Training Corps, the Tennessee State Guard, Spring Hill Junior Army ROTC and the Columbia Central Junior Navy ROTC.

Mr. Speaker, travel to almost any country in the world, tell folks you're from Tennessee, and they're likely to respond with a smile and the name of someone they know from my 4th Congressional District--Jack Daniel.

I'm proud to represent the people who craft one of America's best- known and most-beloved products. Every drop of the 7 million cases of Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey wetting the whistles of folks in more than 140 countries is made and mellowed, drop by drop, in Lynchburg, Tennessee. That's quite an accomplishment for a town with just one traffic light and whose population is advertised as just 361.

Now, to tell you the truth, Lynchburg's population is a bit larger than that. As one of my Moore County constituents has confided, ``Why does it say population 361 on the bottle? There is probably five or six hundred people living in Lynchburg. They just want us to look small.''

Small or not, as the home to the Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey and America's oldest registered distillery, Lynchburg and Moore County have made sizeable contributions to the American way of life. In fact, the little town of Lynchburg may be the largest per capita tax contributor in the country when it comes to federal revenues generated by the fruits of their labors. Each gallon of whiskey in Jack Daniel's warehouses will generate about $13.50 in federal taxes. Multiply by the more than a million gallons resting in each warehouse, then multiply it again by the 74 warehouses dotting the hillsides, and it adds up to right at a billion dollars. And that's not just a one-time contribution. The whiskey made by the people of Moore County and the Jack Daniel Distillery generates more than $115 million a year in federal, state and local taxes across the country.

But as significant as these taxes revenues are, Jack Daniel's contributions to American culture are far greater. Through the years, Jack Daniel's virtues have been heralded by presidents, movie stars and musicians.

U.S. Vice President John Nance ``Cactus Jack'' Garner, in office during the repeal of Prohibition, was said to have invited friends to his office right here in the Capitol to ``strike a blow for liberty'' with the help of Jack Daniel's.

It's been reported that Winston Churchill approved of the whiskey to the point his appreciation provoked extraordinary discomfort among his country's Scotch-makers.

Jack Daniel's association with the Rat Pack and its Chairman of the Board, Frank Sinatra, is legendary. During his lifetime, he was said to have always traveled with a supply of Jack Daniel's just in case his favorite libation was unavailable. That may also be the case with his final journey. A small bottle of Jack is reported to have been buried with Mr. Sinatra.

With this rich heritage, the legend of Jack Daniel's lives on stronger than ever today. The Rolling Stone, has named Jack Daniel's an American Icon while Stephan Jenkins of Third Eye Blind--a popular rock band, so I am told--has said to the people of Lynchburg, ``Ya'll should be proud of yourselves because Rock `n' Roll would not have been invented without your product.''

And, finally, no less than the great American writer and Noble Prize- winning author William Faulkner once sized up Jack Daniel's real appeal when he said ``It's a good thing that in a changing world there are some things you can count on, like the quality of Jack Daniel's.''

As in the best of American stories, Jack Daniel rose to its heralded place from humble beginnings. It all started with Jasper Newton Daniel born in Lynchburg sometime in September, sometime around 1850. Then as now, Jasper Newtown's friends just called him Jack. And a fortunate thing, since I can't imagine a glass of Jasper would have captured the America's fancy as completely. Jack was just five-foot-two-inches tall and left home before he'd reached the age of ten. He took up with and learned the art of making whiskey from a local Lutheran preacher named Dan Call and his African American still hand, Nearest Green. Jack later bought the minister's distilling operation when Call's congregation forced their spiritual advisor to choose between making spirits and saving them.

About the time Jack set out on his own, the American Civil War broke out. The land around Lynchburg was taken and retaken by Union troops seven times, and the foraging armies of the North and South made corn and grain for whiskey-making hard to come by. Through it all, Jack held fast to his simple philosophy--``Every day that we make it, we'll make it the best that we can.''

Making it Mr. Jack's way meant adding an extra step to the traditional whiskey-making process. Jack mellowed his whiskey drop by drop through 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal before putting it up to mature in white oak barrels. This extra blessing added time and expense to making his whiskey, but a taste of what emerged from the barrels had most folks agreeing it was worth the wait. During its 150-some-year history, Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 has been awarded seven international gold medals, beginning with the first it won at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. The 1904 World's Fair helped usher in the American Century, which the little man from Tennessee and his whiskey was destined to be a growing part of.

In 1911, the distillery was left to Jack Daniel's nephew Lem Motlow, who watched over the distillery through 29 years of state and national prohibition. One of the ways Mr. Lem occupied himself during those long dry years was to engage in one of the grandest of diversions--politics. Straightforward to a fault, Lem ran for the state legislature on the campaign promise--``Elect me and I'll do something for myself! But I'll also do something for you!'' And that's exactly what he did. Lem eventually helped change the law in Tennessee so that he could return to making whiskey and his friends could go back to enjoying it.

Major General George S. Patton and his Second Armored Division trained in Camp Forrest, a military base near Lynchburg, in 1941. Along with learning the tactics that would ultimately free Europe, the men who trained there acquired a taste for Jack Daniel's--a taste they would eventually take home with them, spreading the word about this smooth Tennessee spirit. Sales of Jack Daniel's rocketed from 150,000 cases in the early 1950s to more than 1 million cases by 1970. To support this rapid growth and to make sure friends of Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 wouldn't have to go without, Lem's four sons entrusted the care of their Uncle Jack's distillery to another American whiskey family-- the Browns of Louisville, Kentucky.

Brown-Forman Corporation purchased the Jack Daniel's Distillery in 1956 and wisely left untouched the whiskey-making and mellowing methods faithfully practiced by the distillery for more than a century. Under the watchful care of Brown-Forman, Jack Daniel's Old Tennessee Whiskey has continued to make new friends, satisfying people of different tastes by bringing along side its venerable Old No. 7 brand new family members like Jack Daniel's Single Barrel, Gentleman Jack Rare Tennessee Whiskey and Jack Daniel's Country Cocktails.

Jack Daniel's and Brown-Forman have long been industry leaders in promotion responsible drinking. These are good folks. They want their products enjoyed but never abused. Each year, they invest millions of dollars in The Century Council's award winning educational programs to combat drunk driving and underage drinking. Their brand advertising, repleat with images of the beautiful landscape and good people of Moore County, is highly responsible. And most recently, Jack Daniel's has carried this message to millions of Americans through a NASCAR sponsorship promoting the use of designated drivers and--literally and figurateively--driving home the message emblazoned on the aptly numbered 07 car--``Pace Yourself. Drink Responsibly.''

This care for the whiskey, the consumers who enjoy it and the special people and special place where it is made are the things that add up to the global legend of Jack Daniel's today. Under the watchful care of Brown-Forman Corporation Chairman Owsley Brown, President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Varga, Master Distiller Jimmy Bedford and the good people of Moore County and Lynchburg, Tennessee, I'm proud to inform the House that Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 become this year the No. 1 selling whiskey in the world. Congratulations, Moore County, and Mr. Jack.

Finally, in honor of Jack Daniel's and the people of Moore County, their status in the world as ambassadors of American culture, hard work, and timeless truths; and in this the month in which we celebrate the birth of Mr. Jack Daniel, I would ask my colleagues to join me in saying--Here's to the spirit of America, Mr. Jack of Lynchburg, Moore County, Tennessee, 155 years old, and still out on the town-- responsibly--every night.

Mr. Speaker, I am a Conservative Democrat representing a rural area of Tennessee, and I rise today in opposition to the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement.

Mr. Speaker, I will support any trade agreement that results in American job growth and allows our manufacturers and farmers to export their products to new, fair, and competitive markets in other countries. In fact, I have supported previous trade agreements with Chile, Singapore, Australia, and Morocco. But my constituents and I are fearful of this particular agreement.

Our fear is that the only export we will see in this country because of CAFTA is American jobs. This fear is based on our real life experience with a similar agreement that sounds much like this one. That agreement, of course, was NAFTA. My congressional district has been devastated by the loss of jobs since NAFTA's passage.

You know, I've been told a lot of different things by a lot of different folks about why I should support this agreement. One argument was that supporting CAFTA is the Christian thing to do. Well, I am a devout Christian, and I for one do not think exploiting cheap labor for corporate profits is particularly Christian. So, I have a message for corporate America: the real Christian thing for you to do is provide wages to your new Central American employees that are equivalent to wages of the employees in my district who will lose their jobs as a result of this Central American Free Trade Agreement.

I strongly urge all my colleagues who truly care about the American working man and woman to reject this trade agreement, and let's work on creating new jobs in this country instead of outsourcing the ones we currently have.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a few minutes to recognize a remarkable woman and Pickett County, Tennessee's oldest known living resident.

Ms. Odie (Riley) Rich was born on December 10, 1901 in Pickett County, where she has lived all her life. Ms. Rich is the daughter of the late William and Irene Riley.

Ms. Odie married A.L. Rich on December 23, 1923 when she was 22- years-old. When asked by her granddaughter, Paula Perry, in the local newspaper, where her wedding dress came from, Ms. Rich replied ``I made it myself.''

Mr. and Mrs. Rich raised several children, Dorthena Price, Paul Rich (deceased), Eladean Tompkins, Jack Rich, Morris Rich, Odell Rich, and Carolyn Long. She has 20 grandchildren, 38 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great grandchildren.

Ms. Odie is a wonderful witness to history and the times. She remembers when women first got the right to vote, having voted for the first time herself in 1921. The first vehicle her and her husband owned was a 1941 Chevy truck. Up until then, they traveled by horse or mule. When asked how she rode with a dress on, she commented ``Why, side saddle of course!'' However, she never learned to drive an automobile. She remarked that if she ever learned that she would have been a speed demon.

Today, Ms. Rich still lives on the old home place and loves to do gardening and canning. Ms. Rich is an endearing character that has provided insight into the past all the while bringing joy and happiness to her loved ones and neighbors. May God continue to bless Ms. Odie Rich.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.

Mr. Chairman, Cordell Hull is the father of the United Nations, and has been recognized as such. His birthplace is located in the Fourth Congressional District of Tennessee, where he served as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Mr. Hull received the Nobel Peace Prize as a result of his work forging the alliances to establish the United Nations. He had observed the failures of the League of Nations and, as a result, saw the unleashing of the horrible occurrences of World War

Mr. Speaker, it was certainly a blessing to have traveled with the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) and with the entire delegation to Iraq, the time that we spent in Jordan, the times that we spent with the ladies from Iraq as we tried to relate to them how wonderful a democracy is and how wonderfully it works in our country.

I had an opportunity on more than one occasion, once before, in February, to go to Iraq. And when I was there it was just before the insurgency really started. It was February of 2004. And we spent time in Basra, as well as in Baghdad in the Sunni triangle. The troops I met there were upbeat, they were excited. We had, very quickly with the military that we had, won a war from what many of us in this country felt would be more difficult. But I think the enthusiasm of our troops, the training of our troops, the commitment of our troops to be sure that Iraq was liberated from a tyrant called Saddam Hussein was the driving force in those who serve in our military services. I think that all of us who have been to Iraq or Afghanistan have renewed energy for support of our troops that are there.

If one goes to Iraq or Afghanistan, they also have this deep, abiding feeling that if they only knew how it was in America, if every person only knew in this country how it is in America how wonderful it would be, because the insurgencies and the occurrences that are happening there today would cease to exist, because even they would realize what a greater life they could have, a better life they could have if they would just look at this country as an example.

Can that happen? I hope it can. I think it can. We must believe that it can, and we must be sure that we support the newly elected officials of Iraq to be sure that that happens.

I was asked a question in late 2003 by a sixth grader in one of the schools in Manchester, Tennessee. And sixth graders will ask, How much do we make as a Congressman? Have we met the President? What kind of person is he? Do we like him? Do we have a family? Do we have children? Do we have grandchildren? Obviously they look at me, and they think he has grandchildren, which I do. So we get a lot of questions.

But this one little girl, with almost a certainty and it seems like she had just a mission, she said, ``Congressman, do you think we can establish a democracy in Iraq?'' And generally what I would tell someone at the general store, where I go on Saturdays when I have time, or on Sundays after church, generally what I would tell them is that we have to try, we have to try, because it is important that people living throughout the world have an opportunity to enjoy the freedom that we enjoy in this country.

But I felt that sixth grader, who may not have watched TV, needed a more concise answer; and my comment to her was that virtually all the democracies today, Israel, started from within, as a result of a holocaust and as a result of many of those individuals removed from other countries, in many cases arrested for being expelled from those countries.

This great country we live in with the assistance of other nations, obviously our army that was put together, the Continental Army, fought to achieve our liberty and our freedom and we established, as a result of that, a democracy where we are governed by our Constitution. So most of the democracies today started from within.

And I was looking at Iraq and saying, I am not sure this is possible, until I made the visit to Iraq. I realized democracies can be established without an uprising from within, because I believe when our troops went to Iraq and we deposed the tyrant who was imposing on the people of Iraq, the ill will that he was imposing, the horrible circumstances, the deaths of so many that he took, I realized that those individuals in Iraq have suffered and suffered greatly.

So I truly believe that in Iraq we can see a democracy established. And what I told the young lady was that if we can work in the Middle East to establish a democracy in Iraq and perhaps in Afghanistan, in my opinion, it will be the crowning accomplishment of this century. Democracies do not go to war with each other.

So I am extremely impressed with our troops that I met there. I am impressed and pleased with what I think is a great opportunity for a country in the Middle East to reach out and be governed by laws rather than a man. When we are governed by laws instead of men, then we do have a democracy. And I truly believe that will happen.

I watched the women, the Iraqi Women's Democracy Initiative Training Conference, and I sat with them, like all of us did. We talked to them. And I was sitting in this breakout group where there were eight or ten individuals, and we were talking about whether or not a shelter should be built for women who may have been abused, or whether there should be a safe haven for them; and that was just part of a schedule problem they had to solve. It did not matter whether they supported or did not support it; they had to find a solution to it.

And this one lady sitting to my right continued to get very fretful. She was extremely irritated because she was in this group that was in the process of putting together a reason why there needed to be shelters in Iraq for women who had been abused.

There was another group that was put together, problem solving, that would say, We do not need a shelter for women. She finally left that group. And when one of the ladies who was helping to put the program together came to me, I said, I do not think I have ever seen as much fear in anyone's eyes as I saw in that woman's, and I do not understand why she would be so fearful of even putting together a plan which is like problem solving in math skills, why she would be so frightened.

She came back to me a little bit later and she said, The lady has had an attempt on her life because she was advocating this in Iraq and she was fearful that somehow it would get back to her neighbors that she was participating in just problem solving.

So when I realized that these ladies who came to Jordan to be a participant in this initiative, talking about democracy, and all of those who were traveling were actually fired upon with small arms fire, it opened up my eyes about the challenges that lie ahead for the nation of Iraq. But with the heart of the women that I met and with others that in Iraq that are Iraqi citizens, the men there, I truly believe that we have made the right decision, and I believe we will see a democracy established in the Middle East in Iraq.

One of the things that impressed me was the troops, all of them, wanted me to be sure to tell folks back home, We are safe. We are okay. Let our families know that we are okay. Great morale, totally committed.

The district I represent is in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee. We have a volunteer spirit in Tennessee. The 278th Cavalry is one of two of the cavalries in our Nation's Army. The regular cavalry was brought back from Iraq. The 278th was activated; 2,200 members of that 278th, of 3,000, are from Tennessee's Fourth Congressional District that I represent.

I met some of them in Iraq, and I can assure the folks back home, we can all be proud of our soldiers that are serving us in Iraq and other parts of the world. The ones I met with, if one is a father or a mother or a husband or a wife or a son or a daughter or a grandparent of one of these troops, they can rest assured they are making us proud, and I know they are making them proud.

I thank the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) for the opportunity to go on the visit. It was a wonderful trip. I got to know a lot about the gentleman. As a matter of fact, a young fellow named Chris Ruehl was telling us about the 278th, if the gentleman from Nebraska remembers, and he got emotional and showed pictures, and he even found out some of the trials that we had had in Tennessee, which I will not express here on the House floor, but he even gave us a history of part of Tennessee that he learned from some of our 278th. So our folks of the 278th are serving us well in Iraq, and when they come back home, we will welcome them with open arms.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Arkansas; and, certainly, it is a privilege to serve in the U.S. House with my good friend, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cooper). The gentleman at one time served the district that I represent, and he is one of the few great intellects we have in Tennessee. He is, in my opinion, very analytic on this issue, and it is certainly a pleasure to follow the gentleman, although sometimes quite difficult, obviously, but he is someone we can be proud of.

I am extremely pleased to be a part of a group who call themselves Blue Dog Democrats, and there is a reason for that. We truly believe that deficit hawks and defense hawks are something that America believes in, and that is why I can believe in this group, in this caucus of 30-some-odd individuals who have committed themselves to fiscal responsibility and being sure that our Nation is defended against our enemies, and our enemy today comes in more than one way. It certainly can come in the form of what happened on September 11 from individuals who want to do harm to liberty and freedom. It can also come from an economic assault on this Nation.

I want to talk some about that in a few moments. But as we look at what has happened in this country since 2000 and look at the huge deficits, and it is my understanding that if we take the trade deficits in the last 4 years and total those up, I have heard that it is greater than the entire deficits, trade deficits in the history of this country.

What does that mean, and what does that do for us? It means we are losing our jobs. It means that as that continues to happen, we will also start losing our revenue streams. So we have got to start looking at putting our house in order and managing what we are doing today. Otherwise, this country not only could be attacked by some military power; I am not sure there is one in the world that would threaten to do that, by those who are terrorists who would threaten this country or attack this country, but the economic threat to our Nation is almost as equally dangerous today unless we get our fiscal house in order.

To my colleagues and folks back home who may be watching, this may sound a little partisan to you, but a lot of folks back home on both sides of the aisle I think that have supported me, and I appreciate that, but I think it is time that I expressed my views pretty strongly because I love this country. I want my grandchildren to be sure that they enjoy the same liberties and opportunities and options in their life that this wonderful country gave me.

I do believe that this administration and the Republican majority has spent a great deal of time in the first session of the 109th Congress trying to convince the American people that Social Security is in a crisis. Well, that is debatable, and I am sure Congress will

spend valuable time over the next few months arguing about how to fix this system. While I think that we should address Social Security's pending solvency problems at some point in the future, I truly believe the responsible and moral thing for this Congress to do is to address the crisis that is knocking at our front door.

That crisis is a $7.7 trillion national debt, over $600 billion a year in trade deficits, and over $400 billion a year in budget deficits. These numbers are so big that they sound like something out of a science fiction movie. If only they were science fiction. Sadly, it is really the fact.

Since this administration has taken office, we have seen, as the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cooper) said a moment ago, the largest Federal increase in spending since Lyndon Johnson. Our friends on the other side of the aisle often cite that 9/11 and the war on terrorism are responsible for this. There is no doubt it is true that the new threats to our security has caused a need for new spending in the areas of defense and homeland security. But even if we exclude those spending increases, we have still seen under this administration and Republican majority the largest spending increase in the past 30 years. I find it ironic that the party of small government has overseen a 33 percent growth in government during the President's first term.

As a recent publication by the Cato Institute says, the GOP establishment in Washington today has become a defender of big government.

Mr. Speaker, maybe this is just a result of partisan politics during the Clinton administration, but Republicans and Democrats were forced to work together if they were going to get anything done. What happened? From fiscal year 1998 to 2001, we actually had budget surpluses and a projected overall surplus in the range of $5 trillion. Even if we remove the Social Security surpluses from the total budget line for these years, we still had budget surpluses in fiscal year 1999 and 2000, and the largest budget deficit we saw was $32 billion.

Under this administration, we have seen on-budget deficits as high as $567 billion, a remarkable turnaround. In my humble opinion, the Republican majority has been reckless and spent the taxpayers' money like drunken sailors on a weekend pass.

Mr. Speaker, it is time to resolve that pass and to revoke it and take a stand for all of the American people because, sadly, the Members of Congress currently serving are not going to have to pay off this debt. Instead, our children and grandchildren will have to pay it off. Our soldiers who are serving us so bravely in Iraq will come back home and find they have to foot the bill for the war we sent them off to fight; and this is simply wrong. It is simply immoral.

There is hope. It is called the Blue Dog Coalition 12-point plan. And I am up here to ask for an up-or-down vote. We have heard that a lot recently, have we not? An up-or-down vote for the people of America. An up-or-down vote, because ultimately this issue does not just affect people in certain districts. It affects all Americans.

So I am here for the American people asking for an up-or-down vote. I want an up-or-down vote on H.R. 903, the Fiscal Accountability and Honesty Act of 2005. This will, among other things, extend PAYGO that expired in 2002 and close the loopholes on emergency spending.

I want an up-or-down vote on H.R. 121, a package of rules changes for the House. These changes will require a rollcall vote on raising the debt ceiling and give Members of Congress 3 days so that we can actually read and study the bills we vote on. I mean, if the Republican majority is so confident that the legislation they send to the floor is right for the American people, should it not withstand 3 days' public scrutiny? What is there to hide? Why not an up-or-down vote on 121?

I want an up-or-down vote on House Joint Resolution 22, the Balanced Budget Amendment. This amendment has already been passed by the House as part of the GOP Contract with America.

Now, the Blue Dogs, in an effort to provide security for our current and future retirees, have added language to protect Social Security benefits from being cut to balance the budget. There are 49 States in this Nation that require a balanced budget. If it is good enough for them, it is good enough for me.

Mr. Speaker, I will repeat this three or four times. Give us an up- or-down vote on budget restraint issues, measures that have been introduced, get them out of the committee, bring them on this floor. Give us an up-or-down vote, an up-or-down vote. If it is good enough for judges and Presidential appointees, it is good enough for all 200- some-odd million people who live in this country.

So to the majority on this floor, I ask you, an up-or-down vote. Now is the time. It is time to get it done.

Mr. Speaker, thank you for an opportunity to be here tonight. And I deeply appreciate it. This is my second term, so I am kind of new as far as being a Member of Congress. But it is a delightful group that I am with, and I certainly look forward to this Nation having better leadership with individuals like those I serve with who are Members of our Blue Dog Coalition.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in proud recognition of Dr. Ivan Raley. Dr. Raley is a native Tennessean who has selflessly served the people and the State of Tennessee as a pastor for the last 30 years. My local church, the First Baptist Church in Byrdstown, has been blessed as the home of Dr. Raley for the last 3 years, and today, following in the tradition established by Benjamin Franklin and our Founding Fathers, Dr. Raley delivered the opening prayer to the United States House of Representatives.

In addition to serving as pastor of my local church, Ivan Raley works as regional vice president of the Tennessee Baptist Children's Home, Inc. The Tennessee Baptist Children's Home was founded in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1891 to provide residential care to orphaned, neglected, abandoned and abused children while helping them become whole persons in the name of the Lord.

In my opinion, Dr. Raley is a rare individual who truly believes in serving his fellow man. By tirelessly spreading the message of faith, hope and caring for others, Dr. Raley has been able to help thousands of Tennesseans seek comfort in the Lord's arms. Dr. Raley understands that words like morals, values and faith are not just punch words that should be used shallowly for personal gain, but rather, they should be the foundation and driving force of every human life.

Dr. Raley knows that love lives in the heart of every individual, whether they be friend or stranger, and that when we know and accept this love, we will understand the blessing of life that God has given us.

I thank Dr. Raley for all he as done for me and my family and all he continues to do for the orphaned children in Tennessee.

Madam Speaker, last week the Pro-Life Democratic Members of Congress introduced an abortion reduction proposal called the 95-10 Initiative. This comprehensive proposal of 15 different policy programs should reduce the number of abortions in America by 95 percent over the next 10 years by providing women with support, information, and viable alternatives to abortion.

The initiative is a clear indication that pro-life Democrats in Congress, in conjunction with the Democrats for Life of America, are firmly committed to reducing abortions in America. By looking into the different reasons that women choose abortion rather than just politicizing the issue, we have been able to come up with a comprehensive and commonsense initiative that would empower women and encourage them to choose life.

The 95-10 Initiative seeks to eliminate the pressures that lead to abortions through various measures, including adoption tax credits, abortion referral information, adoption referral information, and fully funding the special nutrition WIC program.

Additionally, the initiative calls for expanding insurance coverage to pregnant women and to newborns, and removes pregnancy as a preexisting health condition. I strongly urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join the pro-life Democrats in supporting a comprehensive 95-10 abortion reduction bill.

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

First of all, I would like to commend my colleague, the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert), for her constant work on the Science Committee and these particular areas for the work that she has done over the last several years and her consistent leadership in support of the high-end computing.

I also thank my colleagues in the House for passing the previous version of this bill in the 108th Congress, and hopefully the Senate will pass this bill also in a timely manner.

H.R. 28 aims to restore U.S. world leadership in the area of high- performance computing. Supercomputing is a large national effort spread out over seven Federal agencies. This resolution seeks to better coordinate those agencies' efforts and to improve both short-term and long-term planning.

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory near my district is a center of national leadership and high-performance computing. Oak Ridge is the Department of Energy's largest science and energy laboratory. This lab is involved in many innovative research projects, including renewable energy, materials science, national security, and bioscience.

I am proud that the Oak Ridge National Lab near my district stands to become the home of the world's most powerful supercomputer.

I envision thousands of scientists traveling to Oak Ridge to use the computing facilities. The discoveries they make will change how we diagnose and cure diseases, heat and cool our homes, travel from place to place, and defend our liberties in time of warfare.

H.R. 28 will strengthen and streamline our national efforts in the areas of high-performance computing. I commend this bill and recommend this bill to my colleagues and ask for their support.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman).

Mr. Speaker, how much time is remaining?

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman).

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

I certainly understand the gentleman from California's (Mr. Sherman) efforts in an attempt to amend the bill in the committee process. As the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) has explained, however, there are other areas today in the policy of NSF that literally would look into the particular issues that he has raised with his amendment.

As a result of that, both the ranking member and the chairman agreed that this legislation is what we need to be considering today. So I strongly support this bill. I think that it is good for America. I think it is good perhaps even for the world; but, certainly, it is good in the areas where research and science is a major part of offering opportunities and options for those of us who live in this country.

So on that effort, I again make my comments of being sorry that the gentleman from California's (Mr. Sherman) efforts were not successful in the committee. Actually, last year, we did consider that amendment, and it actually passed the House floor; but I recommend strongly to the Members of the House passage of this bill, strongly support this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the efforts of individuals in Tennessee who are providing a much needed training program for the law enforcement community. Columbia State Community College under the direction of its President, Dr. Rebecca Hawkins, in partnership with the Governor's Highway Safety Office directed by the distinguished Charles Taylor, along with countless others have worked together to institute a Spanish Language Training program for police officers.

These two organizations have joined in the development of the Tennessee Criminal Justice Language Academy. The Academy is housed at Columbia State Community College and provides Spanish language training for police officers in Tennessee. The program is funded through a grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

As you know, Mr. Speaker, the Hispanic population is surging across our nation. A large number of Latino and Hispanic individuals have made their way into Tennessee. Both urban and rural communities in Tennessee have seen a great influx of people with Hispanic origin. This causes new demands on the social institutions of our state and it has created a major need in the law enforcement community. Law enforcement officers must be able to communicate with the citizens in their communities or they will not be effective in carrying out their duties. In large cities, police departments sometimes have officers who can speak the diverse languages of the citizens, but this is not the case in most areas of Tennessee due to the rural composition of our state. Most law enforcement in Tennessee are English speaking only, which causes many disadvantages for both the officers and the Hispanic citizens in the community.

Verbal communication is crucial for police officers in traffic stop situations. The officer and driver must have a common understanding and way to communicate. If not, a barrier develops leaving both the officer and the Hispanic citizen with few options to resolve the issue. Officer safety becomes a problem in these type cases as well.

In traffic stops where the driver is suspect of being impaired, it is extremely important for the officer to be able to communicate with the individual. The commands for the NHTSA approved Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST) must be given by the officer and understood by the suspect to be effective. If the officer cannot speak and understand Spanish and the suspect cannot speak and understand English the then the SFST is not effective in assisting the officer in making the decision to arrest or not. This leaves two scenarios: the officer allows the impaired driver to leave without arrest, or an innocent driver is arrested. The breech of communication causes both actions.

Tennessee has not overlooked these problems. The Hispanic population is already in our communities, and we have started providing training to law enforcement agencies so that a bridge of communication can be built. The Spanish for Law Enforcement Program has trained over 1000 officers thus far. This joint program by the Tennessee Governor's Highway Safety Office and Columbia State Community College serves as a model for other states that are experiencing the same need. Simply put, this program provides officers in Tennessee with a necessary new tool to better serve their communities.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of playwright Tennessee Williams and the University of the South.

In 1983, following the death of the great American playwright, Tennessee Williams, the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, received the most generous bequest of the playwright in honor of his grandfather, Walter E. Dakin. Since then the university, known as Sewanee, utilizing the income from the bequest and subsequent revenues from the hundreds of productions of Tennessee's award-winning plays, has established the Sewanee Writers Conference, which supports the work of emerging writers in all disciplines. In addition, the university has constructed the Tennessee Williams Center, a monument to the vision and craftsmanship of the late playwright, where each year gifted young writers develop their talents aided by artists from all over the world who visit the center as Tennessee Williams Fellows in Theatre.

This month, the Tennessee Williams Festival, an annual event featuring new works by established artists as well as students in the university, will present the premieres of two important theatrical productions.

The first, The Poetry of Tennessee Williams, will bring to dramatic life the poems of the great playwright. In the poems, we often hear ``Tom'' Williams at his most intimate and lyrical. Audiences will discover this powerful aspect of Williams' artistic life, very much the work of a master dramatist and storyteller.

The second, The Cherokee Lottery, is adapted from the book of the same name by

William Jay Smith, a former Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress and a student friend of Tennessee Williams at Washington University in St. Louis. This new work for the theatre commemorates one of the saddest and most shameful moments in American History: the ``Trail of Tears'', the forced removal of the Native Americans of the Southeast to Oklahoma in the 1830's.

Both works illustrate the commitment of the Department of Theatre Arts of the University of the South to further the legacy of one of America's greatest artists, Tennessee Williams.