Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5692) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to carry out a study to determine the suitability and feasibility of establishing memorials to the Space Shuttle Columbia on parcels of land in the State of Texas, as amended.

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

H.R. 5692, introduced by myself, would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to determine the feasibility and suitability of establishing a memorial to the Space Shuttle Columbia in the State of Texas and for its inclusion as a unit in the National Park System.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to properly commemorate and memorialize one of this Nation's most heroic, yet heartbreaking, tragedies, the disintegration of the Space Shuttle Columbia as it reentered earth's atmosphere in the spring of 2003.

This legislation will serve to begin the process of appropriately honoring the bravery and sacrifice not only of the seven heroic souls of her crew and their families, but also of the numerous citizens that lent a hand in the recovery effort following the catastrophe by initiating a study of the Secretary of the Interior to determine the suitability and feasibility of establishing memorials to the Space Shuttle Columbia on parcels of land in East Texas where the major debris from the shuttle was recovered.

Tragically, it was strewn over hundreds of miles in my district. The commitment by my constituents in the effort to recover as much of the wreckage as possible was pivotal in determining the cause of the incident. These contributions, as well as those made by the crew of the Columbia, deserve this recognition.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 5692 and commemorate ultimately the sacrifice by Commander Rick Husband, Pilot William McCool, Payload Commander Michael Anderson, Mission Specialist David Brown, Mission Specialist Kalpana Chalwa, Mission Specialist Laurel Blair Salton Clark, and Payload Commander Ilan Ramon deserve a memorial befitting their devotion to their fellow man, their spirit of exploration and discovery, along with their courage.

I urge adoption of the bill.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman. I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 56) to establish the Rio Grande Natural Area in the State of Colorado, and for other purposes.

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

S. 56 would restore and protect the riparian zone of the Rio Grande River in southern Colorado without creating a management structure that would conflict with long-standing water uses and agricultural uses in the San Luis Valley. Federal, State and community groups, as well as private property owners, have worked collaboratively to develop a proposal for a Federal designation that protects the resources of concern, property rights and existing uses. S. 56 will establish a 33- mile natural area along the river consistent with these goals.

I urge the passage of this bill.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 2430) to amend the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 1990 to provide for implementation of recommendations of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service contained in the Great Lakes Fishery Resources Restoration Study, as amended.

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

S. 2430 is an important piece of conservation legislation which would extend the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 1990.

S. 2430 continues the coordination between the numerous management entities, Federal, local, regional, State and tribal, involved in the Great Lakes region. In addition, the bill will continue the efforts to improve and restore fish and wildlife resources and important habitat areas.

S. 2430 is sponsored by Senator Mike DeWine, and I commend the senator for his tireless leadership on behalf of the Great Lakes region and, in particular, his Ohio constituents.

I urge an ``aye'' vote on this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

We do thank not only Senator DeWine for his work on this but also Mr. Kildee from Michigan and also not only was our friend from Wisconsin a tremendous asset in being quarterback of the congressional team last week, but his quarterbacking this legislation through. I urge my colleagues to vote ``aye'' on this bill.

Madam Speaker, I yield back my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5690) to adjust the boundaries of the Ouachita National Forest in the States of Oklahoma and Arkansas.

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

Madam Speaker, H.R. 5690 simply makes a technical correction to section 305 of the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996. The Act provided for a land exchange between the Ouachita National Forest and private lands but did not establish the new boundaries for the National Forest. This bill remedies the problem by adjusting the National Forest boundary and also allowing future land management adjustments to proceed without the continuing need for future boundary adjustments.

I urge support for this measure.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I also urge support for this and would thank the gentleman from Oklahoma. But I can't recognize my dear friend from Oklahoma without commenting that he has also got Texas ties that we are proud of.

Madam Speaker, I have no additional requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4876) to ratify a conveyance of a portion of the Jicarilla Apache Reservation to Rio Arriba County, State of New Mexico, pursuant to the settlement of litigation between the Jicarilla Apache Nation and Rio Arriba County, State of New Mexico, to authorize issuance of a patent for said lands, and to change the exterior boundary of the Jicarilla Apache Reservation accordingly, and for other purposes.

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

Madam Speaker, H.R. 4876 settles a lawsuit between the Jicarilla Apache tribe and the county of Rio Arriba in the State of New Mexico. In 1987, the tribe challenged the validity of a county road located on land owned by the Apache tribe. In 2003, the tribe and the county entered into a settlement agreement to resolve all claims that were raised in the lawsuit. Accordingly, H.R. 4876 ratifies this settlement agreement and authorizes the conveyance of a portion of the Apache reservation to the county. Changes to the exterior boundary of the reservation will be made accordingly. As a result, this long-standing, nearly 20-year-old lawsuit will be resolved.

I urge support for the bill.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, we are also grateful to Mr. Udall from New Mexico for his hard work in resolving this dispute. As a former judge, there is nothing that looks better than when all the parties can come together and agree, and I appreciate the gentleman's hard work in making that happen.

Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5516) to allow for the renegotiation of the payment schedule of contracts between the Secretary of the Interior and the Redwood Valley County Water District, and for other purposes.

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

Madam Speaker, H.R. 5516, sponsored by Congressman Mike Thompson, amends Public Law 100-516 and allows for the renegotiation of the payment schedule of water contracts between the Secretary of the Interior and the Redwood Valley County Water District in northern California.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3606) to modify a land grant patent issued by the Secretary of the Interior.

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

Madam Speaker, H.R. 3606 is a simple measure that updates a land patent reference to an outdated management plan currently being used by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. This 8-acre property was obtained in 1992 from the Department of the Interior under a land grant patent. Under the new resource management plan, the museum will be able to greatly improve its visitor access to wildlife areas and expand its facilities to accommodate additional shipwreck exhibits.

I urge an ``aye'' vote on this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2134) to establish the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino Community to develop a plan of action for the establishment and maintenance of a National Museum of the American Latino Community in Washington, D.C., and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Madam Speaker, H.R. 2134 would create a commission to study and report on the potential creation of a National Museum of American Latino Heritage. The commission would be comprised of 23 members appointed by the President, the Speaker, the House Minority Leader, the Senate Majority Leader, and the Senate Minority Leader. The commission would issue a report on the cost of the museum, fund-raising, its impact on other Hispanic- and Latino-related museums, the possible location, and how the museum should be operated.

I appreciate the cooperation of Chairman Ehlers of the Committee on House Administration to allow this bill to be scheduled today, and I urge adoption of the bill.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, we are grateful to the gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra) for his work.

We have no additional speakers, and yield back the balance of our time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5340) to promote Department of the Interior efforts to provide a scientific basis for the management of sediment and nutrient loss in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Madam Speaker, under H.R. 5340, the U.S. Geological Survey will supplement, coordinate and manage data collection on sediments and nutrients in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. The data would be used to provide the baseline data and modeling tools needed to make the scientifically sound and cost-effective river management decisions.

The House passed a similar version of this bill in the 108th Congress, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill at this time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, last week we witnessed Mr. Kind from Wisconsin as the quarterback of the Congressional team run and pass doing amazing feats on the football field, and now we have seen him run with this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to help him pass this bill.

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

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 213) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain Federal land to Rio Arriba County, New Mexico.

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

Madam Speaker, S. 213 would convey 171 acres of Bureau of Land Management lands located on the Sebastian Martin Land Grant to Rio Arriba County. The land is needed for county facilities, a cemetery for a local parish and a new public school.

Representative Heather Wilson, as well as the two Senators from New Mexico, are also supportive of this bill. I urge the passage of this measure.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers. We urge adoption and yield back the balance of our time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2110) to provide for a study of options for protecting the open space characteristics of certain lands in and adjacent to the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in Colorado, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Madam Speaker, H.R. 2110 would require the Forest Service to review lands in or adjacent to the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest and report to the Congress on the present ownership of the lands, which undeveloped lands may be risk of development, and what appropriate actions could be taken to preserve the open and undeveloped character of the lands. This study involves how best to protect the open space between the western Denver metro area and the National Forest from development.

This bill was amended in committee to address issues raised by the Forest Service, and we urge its support.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time and urge adoption.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record on the 21 bills just considered.

Madam Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 12 o'clock and 3 minutes a.m.), the House adjourned until today, Thursday, September 28, 2006, at 10 a.m.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from North Carolina, the gentlelady, Ms. Foxx. Thank you for yielding and thank you for the time you have taken tonight to talk about our national security issues. As always, you are most impressive. If someone didn't know before, they might know, Mr. Speaker, that the gentlelady from North Carolina is a teacher, is an educator, and then, of course, got forced to being president of a school. But, anyway, from someone who bore that great title of teacher, it is an honor.

Mr. Speaker, there are so many people in our country that want to blame America first. They think America is the cause for so much of the ills in the world, when the fact is that this is the Nation that has brought about freedom all over the world.

We have some people in the world say America is a bunch of imperialists, when the fact is no nation in the history of the world has helped so many countries obtain the right to rule themselves. If we were imperialists, France certainly wouldn't be speaking French anymore. Germany wouldn't be speaking German anymore. Countries around the world, including in the Middle East, would not be speaking their native tongues. They would be speaking English. But that is because we are about freedom and allowing people to reach their God-given potentials.

I started something last week, and it continues this week, and that is, although there are those who seek to blame America first, and we have had people that have stood right here on this floor, a former Marine accusing Marines of being cold-blooded killers and the military covering things up without a trial, without a charge being made. It just seems with all the blame going around and being made that we need to recognize those who were willing to do what Jesus himself said, which was show the greatest love. As he said, greater love hath no man, no one, than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. Certainly he would know.

But the U.S. military has been faced with tremendous challenges since September 11, 2001. Fortunately, we are blessed to have an exceptional fighting force that is full of troops that are ready and eager to rise to the challenge.

As an example, and this is what I started last week, every day we are in session I want to recognize someone who has received one of our Nation's highest honors and what they have done. This is the America that the world should acknowledge. This is the America that this body should acknowledge, the true heroes who put others above self.

That is the example of Sergeant Leigh Ann Hester. She made history last year when she was the first female soldier to receive the Silver Star since World War II and became the first female ever to be cited for close combat.

The Silver Star, as many of you may know, is awarded for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force.

On March 20, 2005, Sergeant Leigh Ann Hester was serving in the 617th Military Police Company. It is a National Guard unit out of Richmond, Kentucky. Her squad was shadowing a supply convoy south of Baghdad near Salman Pak when about 50 insurgents ambushed the convoy. Sergeant Hester's squad moved to the side of the road, flanking the insurgents and cutting off their escape route.

Sergeant Hester herself led her team through what is known as the ``kill zone'' and into a flanking position, where she assaulted a trench line with grenades and M203 grenade launcher rounds. Sergeant Hester and her squad leader, Staff Sergeant Timothy Nein, then cleared two trenches, at which time she killed three insurgents with her own M- 4 rifle.

Her actions saved the lives of numerous convoy members. When the fight was over, 27 insurgents were dead, six were wounded and one was captured. Many, many Americans were saved in the process.

Sergeant Hester was only 23 years of age at the time of her action. She was born in 1982 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, later moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and she joined the National Guard in April of 2001.

These are the people that we need to honor and recognize, and cease playing the blame game. We would encourage all of our colleagues to begin looking for the good, because, as Abraham Lincoln said, if you look for the good in people, you truly will find it.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlelady from North Carolina for the great good she is doing.

I thank the gentleman. I appreciate the time, and I appreciate your calling attention to so many of these important issues. We have heard today that there is an agreement between the White House and the Senate on the issue of interrogation.

It has amazed me, Mr. Speaker, that so many people that work here in the Capitol, most of them down at the other end, have not understood what really goes on. You would have thought, especially someone who had been a POW, would understand what people like my hero, former POW Sam Johnson, understands, that, as he has pointed out to me, Korea signed on to the Geneva Convention, Vietnam signed on to the Geneva Convention, they did not observe it at all. Yet we had people in this Capitol saying, gee, we have got to be careful because it might cause mistreatment of our troops.

All you got to do is look around, look at the news, read the news. Our troops have been, are being, mistreated. When you stick a knife and cut the guy's throat and head as he is screaming, that is not somebody that observes the Geneva Accords. We don't do that kind of thing. We never have, never will. But we are in a war for our survival.

One of the things that has probably amazed my friends on this side of the aisle is we have heard even from a former marine lambasting current active duty marines as being cold-blooded killers, as saying the Defense Department is all engaged in this coverup. They need to give credit where credit is due.

I spent 4 years in the Army, and I can tell you having visited troops around different spots in the globe and the country, we have the best fighting forces, men and women, ever in our history; and they deserve better treatment than they have been getting. Oh, yes, we hear, oh, we support our troops, and in the same breath turn around and lambaste them.

So if it would be permissible, I would like to pay tribute to one more. I did this last night, a man that won the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery and heroism. I would like to pay tribute right now to another gentleman. I have been asking for information on people that won our Nation's highest awards, to pay tribute, as a contrast to what some of our friends across the aisle have done in lambasting and criticizing so unfairly our troops.

Tonight, I would like to recognize another true American hero. On October 28, 2005, Dallas native Captain Joshua Glover was presented this Nation's third highest award for valor in combat, the Silver Star Medal.

The 2001 Naval Academy graduate received his award in Washington, D.C. from the commandant of the Marine Corps, General Michael Hagee.

Glover received the award for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving as 81mm mortar platoon commander with Weapons Company and quick reaction force platoon commander, 1st Marine Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on April 13, 2004, in Fallujah.

That morning, First Lieutenant Josh Glover led and directed his platoon through enemy lines to recover classified material from a downed CH-53 helicopter. As the sun came up, they started receiving incoming fire, including a mortar fire explosion that created three casualties.

With wounded marines, Glover got permission to return to base. On the way back, the convoy ran into between 30 and 40 insurgents hiding in reeds, irrigation ditches and standing by the road firing from the hip. As they plowed on, one of the Humvees was hit, wounding several more marines, which also included one fatality.

Running on flat tires, the convoy made its way back to base, only to be sent out again 7 hours later. Despite losing one of their own that morning, Lieutenant Glover's marines were ready to go again under his command.

About 15 marines were trapped behind enemy lines after insurgents hit their amphibious vehicle with several rocket-propelled grenades, killing one marine and wounding two others. Under heavy insurgent fire, a rocket-propelled grenade, or an RPG, was shot at Glover's vehicle at close-range and thankfully missed.

Glover and his marines found themselves up against a company-sized Iraqi force along the enemy's main line of resistance where as stated in the Silver Star citation: ``He repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire as he engaged enemy targets at point-blank range while directing the rifle platoon's relief and coordinating recovery operations.''

Ultimately, Lieutenant Glover and his marines fought their way through to the marines trapped and were able to get them and the slain marine's body out.

When asked about the war, Lieutenant Glover humbly diverted attention away from himself and said, ``I received this award because of something we did as a platoon. I am really proud of what we accomplished that day.''

He said, ``When you are in combat, I think you do it for your fellow marines. You know you got 60 reasons why you have got to do it well.''

While the battle for which Glover was awarded was a success, he feels the enormity of the price that was paid. ``I lost a marine that day, as did another unit in the battalion. We cannot separate the victory from the loss, and I think we need to do our best to make them and their families proud.''

In addition to the Silver Star, Captain Glover has also received two Purple Hearts, a Navy Achievement Medal and a Navy Commendation Medal, both with combat distinguishing device for valor. He served three tours in Iraq.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to stand here tonight and share this story of heroism, bravery and humility. Josh Glover, like so many others fighting alongside him, represent the best of the best. That is the kind of story America needs to hear, not predetermined judgment of our fine troops. They deserve our support, not just in lip service that, oh yes, we support the troops, but are they ever a bunch of cold- blooded killers. That is not support. That is both condemnation and hypocrisy.

So it is an honor to stand here with my colleagues, Mr. Speaker, and pay tribute to our troops. They are not only protecting freedom, they are spreading freedom, and we ought to thank God for them, as we do, and thank God for our freedom, thank God for our liberty, and thank God for the opportunity all of us have to serve.