Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, Sergeant Christopher J. Taylor, 22, of Opelika, Alabama, died on July 24, 2005, in Iraq. Sergeant Taylor was assigned to B Battery, 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, at Fort Stewart, Georgia, and according to initial reports died when he was struck by indirect fire on a Coalition forces base. His survivors include his wife Janina, his son Xavier; and his daughter Aaliyah.

Christopher Taylor was proud to serve his country, Mr. Speaker. He was a graduate of Opelika High School and was known in the community as a loving friend and father. Like every soldier, he dutifully left behind his young family and loved ones to serve our country overseas.

Words cannot express the sense of sadness we have for his family, and for the gratitude our country feels for his service. Sergeant Taylor died serving not just the United States, but the entire cause of liberty, on a noble mission to help spread the cause of freedom in Iraq and liberate an oppressed people from tyrannical rule. He was a true American.

We will forever hold him closely in our hearts, and remember his sacrifice and that of his family as a remembrance of his bravery and willingness to serve. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the House's remembrance on this mournful day.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to William M. Morgan, III. Mr. Morgan has been a long time public servant to the Veterans of our great state and it is my honor to recognize his achievements today.

As a Veterans Service Officer from 1990 to 2002, Mr. Morgan provided assistance and counseling to veterans and their families across the state. He helped countless retirees obtain their benefits, and helped ensure our Nation made good on its promises to our heroes.

Mr. Morgan was later promoted to District Manager. He provided supervision and management of ten offices and fourteen employees and was known as a highly professional and dedicated leader.

Our Veterans deserve the very best treatment, Mr. Speaker, and it is because of the kindness and professionalism of public servants like William Morgan that many of our retirees of the Armed Forces enjoy lives of greater comfort and security.

Let us congratulate William Morgan, as well as his wife Pamela and his two daughters Whitney and Alexandria, on this important occasion, and thank him for his service to Alabama and to our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Russell County

Warriors high school baseball team which recently won the Alabama High School Athletic Association Class 5A State Championship in Montgomery, Alabama.

The Warriors are a highly talented group of athletes that are currently ranked Number One in the USA Today and Baseball America standings. The team has had a nearly perfect season at 38-1, and has provided their school, their families, and our community so much to be proud of.

Let us all raise a cheer for the Warriors and congratulate them on their victory.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the House's attention on this day for these talented young Americans.

I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent) for organizing this discussion tonight. It is vital we take the time to talk about these important issues, and I appreciate the gentleman's efforts to highlight some of our accomplishments this evening.

Mr. Speaker, this Congress has done many good things to help secure our homeland, some of which we are discussing tonight, but in other areas, we still have a ways to go.

Take, for example, the issue of border surveillance. About 2 weeks ago, the subcommittee I chair held a hearing to discuss the camera system that monitors our Nation's northern and southern borders. Known as the Integrated Surveillance Intelligence System, or ISIS, these cameras are a critical link for helping secure our border.

Unfortunately, this system is not working as planned. What began as a program to monitor the border crossing of illegal immigrants, drug trafficker, and even terrorists has morphed into what one of our witnesses called ``a major project gone awry.''

According to a 2004 GSA audit, the problems go even further. For example, the initial $2 million contract was awarded without full competition. Just 1 year later that same contract ballooned to over $200 million, again without full competition, and the problems do not end there.

The GSA audit also reported significant issues relating to the surveillance system itself: 60-foot poles that were paid for but never installed; sensitive equipment that failed to meet electrical codes; an operations center where contractors and government employees did little or no work for over a year; and not surprisingly, numerous cost overruns. To top it off, in September 2004, the GSA abruptly ended the maintenance contract. This left approximately 70 border sites without monitoring equipment.

Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve better. What we have here, plain and simple, is a case of gross mismanagement of a multimillion- dollar contract. This agreement has violated Federal contracting rules, and it has wasted taxpayers' dollars. Worst of all, it has seriously weakened our Nation's border security.

Before DHS spends another $2.5 billion on a replacement system known as the America's Shield Initiative, we need to first fix the system we have got. With Federal dollars scarce and budgets tight, it is vital that the American people know what they are getting.

Thanks to the work of this Congress and many of my colleagues here tonight, we are improving the safety of America's homeland, but we still have a ways to go. As we move forward, I hope we can continue to address these issues at DHS.

I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their support.

Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 283, I missed the vote due to a traffic delay. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, Sergeant Charles T. Wilkerson, 30, originally of Columbus, Georgia, died on May 22, 2005, in Iraq. Sergeant Wilkerson was assigned to the Army's 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment of Fort Carson, Colorado, and according to initial reports was killed when an unknown ordnance detonated. His survivors include his wife Whitney and his two children; his mother Tomasa Goodwin of Columbus; and his father, Thomas Wilkerson of Phenix City, Alabama.

Charles Wilkeson was a proud father and had been a member of both the Marine Corps and the Army, Mr. Speaker. He had a strong faith in God, and like all soldiers he dutifully left behind his family and loved ones to serve our country overseas.

Words cannot express the sense of sadness we have for his family, and for the gratitude our country feels for his service. Sergeant Wilkerson died serving not just the United States, but the entire cause of liberty, on a noble mission to help spread the cause of freedom in Iraq and liberate an oppressed people from tyrannical rule He was a true American.

We will forever hold him closely in our hearts, and remember his sacrifice and that of his family as a remembrance of his bravery and willingness to serve. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the House's remembrance on this mournful day.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns), for offering this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, Congress has voted time and time again to remove obstacles facing some of our military recruiters; and to the credit of most institutions, like those in my home State of Alabama, most do the right thing. Yet a small, but growing, group of institutions just do not seem to get it.

Recently, the University of Wisconsin at Stout joined the exclusive club of liberal institutions that prohibit the military from campus. Instead of doing the right thing and opening their doors to the uniformed personnel, this university has instead chosen to make a narrow-minded political statement.

What the university is doing simply flies in the face of common sense, especially during wartime. For the graduating students, this says clearly that a career in the military is not worth their consideration. Try telling that to the soldiers serving with honor and dignity in Afghanistan and Iraq, or their families praying for their safety.

This practice has got to stop, and I urge my colleagues to vote for this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Cox-Sensenbrenner amendment.

I would like to associate myself with the comments of the gentleman from California (Chairman Cox) and agree this proposal would help local law enforcement better enforce our Nation's immigration laws.

Two years ago, 21 Alabama State troopers completed ICE's Federal 5- week training course. Since that time, these State troopers have detained 128 illegal aliens as a result of routine traffic stops. For example, this January of 2004, two individuals were stopped by an Alabama State trooper for a traffic violation. Because the trooper was trained on how to spot false immigration documents, the two were detained. In the course of the investigation, the men were found guilty of attempting to smuggle over $435,000 in U.S. currency out of the country.

Likewise, in March of this year, two other individuals were stopped by an Alabama State trooper for a traffic violation. The driver identified was in possession of a U.S. passport, and the passenger was identified as a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States. A consensual search of the vehicle found nine firearms and ammunition hidden under the bed liner of the truck. Both were taken into ICE's custody for prosecution.

It is important to note that all officers enrolled in this program received extensive training in cultural sensitivity and civil rights procedure.

Contrary to the fears of the program's opponents, ICE has received no complaints of intimidation, harassment or profiling. In fact, Alabama law enforcement officials have reached out to its immigrant community to help educate them on the law.

Overall, the program is an essential force multiplier and helps ICE officials better enforce our Nation's immigration laws.

I would also like to recognize the work of the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul), a member of our committee, and all that he has done on this committee.

I thank the chairman for his leadership, and I ask for the House's support of this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment. As chairman of the Management Integration Oversight Subcommittee, I have concerns about some of the management changes proposed today.

In my analysis, this amendment would create several conflicting changes. It would modify the roles and responsibilities of several key officials within the Department. It would also limit the Secretary's flexibility in making organizational decisions.

And, finally, it seems the amendment contains several duplicating and premature measures. For example, this amendment would require the chief information officer to report directly to the Secretary. In the process, it would also give the CIO direct line authority over other chief information officers in agencies throughout the Department.

Now, I agree with my colleague, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), that it is important we address the reporting and line authority issues. In fact, just last month we held a hearing with these officials to explore ways to improve information sharing within the

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions), for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 269. This rule would provide for the consideration of H.R. 1544, the Faster and Smarter Funding for First Responders Act of 2005.

In the years since 9/11, our Nation has spent billions of dollars to strengthen our firefighters, police, and emergency personnel. These hard-working Americans known as our first responders are the frontlines of our Nation's homeland defense. They keep our communities safe, and they respond when disaster strikes.

The bill we will be debating today is a good piece of legislation and is designed with our first responders in mind. It does several things. First, it reforms the grant funding system that most States, including my home State of Alabama, believe is ineffective.

For example, a 2004 committee report found that nearly 85 percent of the grants distributed to States have not yet been utilized. And because current law requires a minimal level of funding given to States, many States receive a lump sum of money from DHS without a clear understanding of how to spend it.

Three-and-a-half years after 9/11 I find this unacceptable. Yet these facts speak to the need for a bipartisan reform which will ensure taxpayers know what they are getting.

Second, H.R. 1544 helps the Federal Government allocate first responder funding based on actual risk. Under this legislation, States like Alabama would be required to submit an annual State homeland security plan to the Federal Government. This plan would outline the State's projected risks to 16 economic sectors, such as agriculture, the number of military bases and its transportation infrastructure. States meeting these risk criteria would be eligible for a greater funding.

For our rural areas, this could mean new funding sources. For example, States like Alabama could see increased funding for agro- terror initiatives. States with a heavy military industrial base could receive additional assistance to protect communities near bases, and of course, ports like Mobile would continue to receive much-needed support for cargo security initiatives.

I do want to acknowledge that H.R. 1544 changes the minimum level of guaranteed funding to each State, and while some of my colleagues have called this a cut, I like to think of it as better use of limited homeland security dollars.

We all know of instances where the Federal Government funds State projects which, in reality, have little or nothing to do with securing our homeland. This bill will help correct that situation.

I also want to make clear what this bill does not do. Essential programs like FIRE grants, COPS, grants bulletproof vests funding, or secure school initiatives for local police are not affected. These programs have provided rural areas, like my district, with millions of dollars for new safety equipment and vehicles, and I will continue to do my part to ensure they are fully funded each year.

H.R. 1544 is bipartisan, both in spirit and intent. Every Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, both Republicans and Democrats, have signed on to this bill as original cosponsors, and the committee reported it out by a unanimous voice vote.

The bill also closely resembles the 9/11 reform legislation passed by the House during the 108th Congress and has been endorsed by the 9/11 Commission and a majority of first responder groups nationwide.

I am pleased to support this legislation and ask for support of this rule so the House can consider it today.

I want to thank the gentleman from California (Chairman Cox) for his ongoing efforts to advance this legislation.

Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague from California for yielding me time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the amendment offered by the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Berry).

This amendment would add the administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service as a full member of the First Responder Grants Board.

As an integral part of the Department of Agriculture, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service monitors our Nation's agriculture to protect against agricultural pests and diseases. It also works closely with the Department of Homeland Security in agro-terrorism preparedness and prevention.

Under the bill debated today, the First Responders Grants Board will be charged with prioritizing grant applications on the basis of risk. Adding the administrator to the board would help ensure this panel has the necessary expertise when considering the risks to rural America.

In my home State of Alabama, for example, agriculture is the number one industry, employing nearly half a million people. An agro-terrorist attack in Alabama could cripple our economy.

So it is essential we include these changes today to ensure that the voice of rural America is heard during the process.

I would also like to note this amendment has the full support of the Committee on Agriculture on which I sit. I thank my colleague, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Berry), for offering this commonsense amendment. I also thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox) for his efforts on this subject and urge my colleagues to support the amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a distinguished public servant of Alabama's Third Congressional District.

Mrs. Beth Freeman, hired just two months after she turned 18, has worked for the people of Alabama for more than 30 years. Over her career she has progressed from answering phones and clipping newspaper articles to handling nearly every issue addressed by the Federal government, from military affairs to Social Security.

She has been a faithful and non-partisan public servant, having served with the four most recent officials representing this office, including the late Congressman Bill Nichols; Congressman Glenn Browder; and then-Congressman Riley.

While I have only known `Ms. Beth' since taking office in 2002, in that short time I have developed a deep appreciation for her hard work and dedication to the people of Alabama. Families and seniors across this district have called upon her expertise for years, and relied upon her persistence to get their problems solved. She will be missed here in this office, and across East Alabama.

Beth, on behalf of the citizens of Alabama's Third Congressional District, thank you for your service to our state. We wish you all the best in your retirement.

Mr. Speaker, Warrant Officer 1 Charles G. Wells, Jr., 32, originally of Montgomery, Alabama, died on March 30, 2005, in Iraq. Warrant Officer Wells was assigned to the Marine Forces Reserve's 6th Motor Transport Battalion, 4th Force Service Support Group of Orlando, Florida, and according to initial reports died in action from an improvised explosive device. His survivors include his wife Freda Nicole and his daughter Cierra; his mother Orlean Johnson Wells of Montgomery, Alabama; and his father Charles Gary Wells, Sr., also of Montgomery.

Charles Wells, Jr. was a proud Marine and eager to serve his country, Mr. Speaker. He willingly signed up for a third tour of duty in Iraq after having just completed his second. Back home, Mr. Wells had planned a career serving the community as a firefighter, yet dutifully left behind his family and loved ones to serve our country overseas.

Words cannot express the sense of sadness we have for his family, and for the gratitude our country feels for his service. Warrant Officer Wells died serving not just the United States, but the entire cause of liberty, on a noble mission to help spread the cause of freedom in Iraq and liberate an oppressed people from tyrannical rule. He was a true American.

We will forever hold him closely in our hearts, and remember his sacrifice and that of his family as a remembrance of his bravery and willingness to serve. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the House's remembrance on this mournful day.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Coach Frank Tolbert of Auburn High School in Auburn, Alabama. Coach Tolbert is a man of great accomplishment--a highly respected mentor for our youth who was recently inducted into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame after leading the boys' basketball team to victory at the Class 6-A State Championship.

Since 1969 Coach Tolbert has been coaching boys' basketball in the Auburn City Schools, and has achieved an outstanding record of 535 wins including area and state championships.

Because of his record of accomplishment, Coach Tolbert was honored recently on two separate occasions. On March 15 the Auburn City Council commemorated Coach Tolbert and his team at the local council meeting. In addition the citizens of Auburn recently observed March 16, 2005, as ``Coach Frank Tolbert Day'' in recognition of his unique accomplishments.

I am proud to acknowledge Coach Tolbert in the House today and congratulate him on this remarkable and memorable occasion.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the late Ross Dunn, a longtime Chambers County Commissioner who recently passed away. In January, Mr. Dunn was honored for his service to the community and to the state. He was always eager to serve mankind.

After graduating from Lanier High School, he pursued his dream of serving in the military by enlisting in the Army. Following his service to the nation, Mr. Dunn earned his degree at Alabama State University.

Throughout his life, Mr. Dunn exemplified his ability to promote change by becoming the first African American to serve in many organizations. Among his many achievements, he was the first to serve on the Chambers County Pension and Security Board, the first to serve as principal of two schools in Harris County, and the first to be elected to the Chambers County Commission. He has been listed in ``Men of Achievement,'' ``Personalities of the South,'' ``Personalities of America,'' and all the editions of ``Who's Who Among Black Americans.''

Words cannot express the sense of sadness we have for his family, and for the gratitude our community feels for his service. Our community will remember him for years to come, and I am honored to be able to recognize his achievements on this day.

Mr. Speaker, SFC David J. Salie, 34, of Columbus, Georgia, died on February 14, 2005, in Iraq. Sergeant Salie was assigned to B Company, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, based at Fort Benning, Georgia, and according to initial reports died when his military vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. He is survived by his wife Deanna; his mother Patricia H. Miers of Phenix City, Alabama; his father Jim Salie of Box Springs, Georgia; and many other family members including his children.

David Salie was eager to serve his country, Mr. Speaker. He served almost 17 years in the Army, including combat tours in the Persian Gulf, Panama and Haiti, and like every other soldier he dutifully left behind his family and loved ones to serve our country overseas.

Words cannot express the sense of sadness we have for his family, and for the gratitude our country feels for his service. Sergeant Salie died serving not just the United States, but the entire cause of liberty, on a noble mission to help spread the cause of freedom in Iraq and liberate an oppressed people from tyrannical rule. He was a true American.

We will forever hold him closely in our hearts, and remember his sacrifice and that of his family as a remembrance of his bravery and willingness to serve.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the House's remembrance on this mournful day.