Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Rice University and celebrate 100 years since its founding in Houston, TX. Since its first class in the fall of 1912, Rice has established itself as a flagship of Texas universities. This October, faculty, students and alumni will celebrate a century of excellence and distinction in the Houston community and the state of Texas.

Rice and Texas Tech, my alma mater, were in the Southwest Conference together during my college years. We Tech fans are often described as very passionate at our football games and other sporting events. I remember how much fun we had when we played against Rice, because Rice fans are just as fanatical about their school as we are about ours.

Rice University cultivates a flourishing learning environment and empowers its students to explore opportunities in and out of the classroom. It has a prestigious and notable alumni list comprised of many people I respect and admire in Texas and throughout the country, including my friend and Texas colleague, Congressman Pete Olson. I'm proud Texas can boast of a quality university like Rice, and I stand today to congratulate Rice University on 100 years of excellence.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to vote on rollcall vote Nos. 294 296. Had I been present, I would have voted the following way: rollcall No. 294, H.R. 5651--the Food and Drug Administration Reform Act of 2012 by Rep. Upton, ``yes''; rollcall No. 295, H.R. 420--the Service Member Family Protection Act by Rep. Turner, ``yes''; rollcall No. 296, H.R. 915--the Jaime Zapata Border Security Task Force Act by Rep. Cuellar, ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, a lot of discussion here this morning about who we're protecting. Well, really the reason we're here today is to protect the future of America.

They're throwing around a lot of large numbers here, but I think what we need to do is put in perspective what we're talking about here today. I want to talk to you about a little family that's making $24,000 a year. Unfortunately, this family is spending $37,000 a year, so they're spending $13,000 more a year than they're making.

And they just got their credit card statement the other day, Mr. Speaker, and they found out they owe $157,000 on their credit card. And people out there would say, that's a family that doesn't have a future.

Unfortunately, the family that I'm just talking about here, Mr. Speaker, is the United States of America, because I took the eight zeros off of the front of these numbers that we're kicking around today.

So I think the American people ought to be excited that we're here today making a start. And let me point out, this is just a start to addressing a very large problem. And so when we go into some of the programs out there like the Consumer Protection Financial Bureau basically that was tucked inside the Fed, has no accountability, that was the reason I was pleased to introduce H.R. 1355 to bring accountability to that.

The American people deserve accountability, and they also deserve for this body to come together and work on this very large problem because, as has been pointed out, a lot of the things that we actually vote on, in fact, this $13,000 deficit, if we eliminated the part of spending that we are talking about voting on in these appropriation bills, it would only eliminate $11,000 of that deficit. And so this family would still have a $2,000 budget deficit, even after we eliminate all of the programs that we vote on.

Mr. Speaker, this is the business that we are supposed to be about. Let's work together and protect the future of our children and our grandchildren so that they will have a future, they will have an opportunity to have jobs and opportunities in America.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Tim Tebow, professional football player and quarterback for the New York Jets, for his superior accomplishments both on and off the field. He is a true leader, a man of character, and a humble servant of God. Throughout his college and professional football career he has been a role model of integrity, providing a beacon of light for Jesus Christ. I would like to recognize him for his athletic achievements, but more importantly for utilizing his special opportunity in the spotlight to provide a Christ-like example to his peers, aspiring young athletes, and our Nation.

Tim was born in the Philippines to American parents, who were serving as Baptist missionaries. He is the youngest of five children, all

of whom were homeschooled and taught to follow the teachings of Christ. At a young age, Tim moved with his family to Florida, where he began developing his football talents that would ultimately culminate in a successful college career and propel him into the National Football League, NFL.

Tim was recruited by the University of Florida, and he played there from 2006 to 2009. During his time at the University, he led his team to national championship victories in the 2006 and 2008 seasons. He also earned the top honor of the Heisman Trophy after his sophomore season in 2007. By the end of his college career, Tim held five NCAA, 14 Southeastern Conference, and 28 University of Florida statistical records.

In the 2010 NFL Draft, Tim was selected in the first round and 25th overall by the Denver Broncos. By the early part of his second year with the team, Tim won the starting job. The Broncos went 7 4 with Tim at starting quarterback and ultimately earned a playoff berth. Earlier this year, he was traded to the New York Jets, where he is expected to bring the same leadership qualities and work ethic that has made him successful throughout his football career.

More important than his accomplishments off the field, however, are Tim's extraordinary pursuits in philanthropy and religious evangelism. He is the founder of the Tim Tebow Foundation, which focuses on reaching out to children with life-threatening diseases, aiding children and families in the developing world, constructing a hospital in the Philippines, and building playrooms in children's hospitals around the world. Tim has a profound faith in God and uses that faith to guide him in his daily pursuits, offering a superb example for all followers of Jesus Christ.

I am honored to speak about Tim's great accomplishments, and encourage him to continue his efforts to spread the word of God and be a positive example for all young athletes. He is a model athlete and a model citizen. On behalf of everyone in the 19th Congressional District of Texas, I thank Tim for all he has given and continues to give to the community.

Mr. Speaker, I .was unable to vote on rollcall vote numbers 107 110. Had I been present, I would have voted the following way: rollcall No. 107, Amendment to H.R. 3606 by Rep. Peters, ``no''; rollcall No.108, Amendment to H.R. 3606 by Rep. Capps, ``no''; rollcall No. 109, H.R. 3606, Motion to Recommit with Instructions, ``no''; rollcall No. 110, H.R. 3606, the JOBS Act, ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the work of the men and women of Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas.

Mr. Speaker, we are a country that has been at war for over 10 years. Whether it is the 317th Airlift Group delivering troops and supplies to the front lines, or the 7th Bomb Wing putting metal on target, the missions at Dyess have played indispensable roles in the war against terror. Today I would like to honor two recent major milestones that have been achieved by these exemplary airmen.

Earlier this month the B 1 bomber flew its 10,000th combat mission. Since 2001, the B 1 has been providing intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and close air support to our troops on the ground nearly 24 hours a day, 7 says a week. In fact, at this very moment, there is a B 1 in the air over southwest Asia. Able to carry a larger payload than any other aircraft in the military, one supersonic B 1 can do the same job of multiple aircraft. It is truly a workhorse in our military.

Additionally, March 7th marked the 3,000th consecutive day of deployment for the 317th Airlift Group. Since December of 2003, more than 7,000 airmen from this unit have been put in harm's way. The air mobility mission is one of the most important missions in the modern military. Operations that used to take weeks or months now take days or hours. The 317th has often been labeled the ``busiest C 130 unit'' in the Air Force, and this current deployed streak is another honored mark in the long history of Dyess Airlifters.

Mr. Speaker, I have come to the floor today to recognize and celebrate these achievements, and to honor the sacrifices the men and women of Dyess have made. And I am a firm believer that when one member of the family serves this country--the whole family serves. Deployments across the globe over the last decade have meant many missed birthdays, holidays, and special moments for our soldiers and their families. May we never take for granted the sacrifices our men and women in uniform make every day for our freedom and security.

I ask that the two attached articles also be made a part of the Record.

[Feb. 27, 2012]

The Bone Notches 10,000 Combat Missions

(By Philip Ewing)

America's favorite low-flying, long-loitering, wing-

swinging bomber has flown its 10,000th combat mission, Boeing

announced Monday.

The B IB Lancer in question flew its sortie over

Afghanistan--where the Bone has had a second career

supporting troops on the ground--and returned to its base in,

er, ``Southwest Asia,'' Boeing announced. (The bases in Qatar

and the UAE aren't actually there, and the Air Force clings

to that non-fact like a vise.)

Here's more of what Big B said:

The heavy bomber entered service with the U.S. Air Force on

June 29, 1985, and has been in nearly continuous combat for

the past 10 years. The milestone mission took off from a base

in Southwest Asia and was flown in support of operations over

Afghanistan before returning to base.

``The B 1 brings tremendous flexibility to our nation's

defense,'' said Lt. Col. Alejandro Gomez, mission team lead.

``In any mission, the B 1 has the ability to loiter, dash,

positively identify targets, show force, and strike targets

precisely. Whatever our aircrews are asked to do, they can

perform with this aircraft.''

B 1 crews in Southwest Asia fly a variety of missions,

including close air support for troops on the ground, giving

them cover and alerting them to threats they cannot see. On-

site maintainers keep the fleet ready to fly.

``10,000 conventional combat missions for a relatively

small fleet of 66 B 1s is a major milestone and a testament

to the men and women who built, sustain and modernize the

fleet, including the U.S. Air Force, Boeing and our

subcontractors,'' said Rick Greenwell, Boeing B 1 program

director. ``We continue to draw on expertise and experience

from across Boeing to enhance our support of this amazing

aircraft.''

The B 1 bomber has advanced over the years as it is

modified for current needs. The aircraft began as a nuclear

bomber and moved into a solely conventional role in the

1990s. It carries the largest payload in the Air Force's

long-range bomber fleet--during Operation Iraqi Freedom, it

dropped 40 percent of all weapons while flying only 5 percent

of the sorties.

Today's B 1 can carry a mixed load of weapons in each of

its three bays. Its long range allows it to base far from the

conflict and loiter unrefueled for long periods. Its swept

wings allow it to fly fast, slow, low or high as the

situation demands. With only four crewmembers required,

missions can rapidly be adjusted in flight to keep up with

adversaries. The radar and targeting pod can be used for

positive target identification and the aircraft can employ a

variety of other weapons, including Joint Direct Attack

Munitions (JDAMs), Laser JDAMs, Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff

Missiles-Extended Range, and BLU 129 warheads.

``The B 1 fleet and crews have readily adapted to an ever-

changing environment to accomplish this 10,000th combat

sortie milestone,'' said Greenwell. ``This aircraft has

proven its ability to continue to evolve and be effective

well into the future.''

And as the B 1 's adopted parent, Boeing isn't the only one

pleased with its performance. The Air Force appears to have

quietly shelved its onetime idea of beginning to pare back

bombers to save money, at least in the near term. Its fiscal

2013 budget submission this month included this unambiguous

sentence: ``The Air Force does not plan to retire any bomber

aircraft in FY 2013.''

That will mean ever more combat missions for the Lancer

fleet, at least for now.

Mr. Speaker, due to an unforeseen delay, I was unable to vote on rollcall votes 906 and 907 during the 1st session of the 112th Congress. Had I been present, I would have voted the following way on H.R. 1633: rollcall No. 906, Amendment by Mr. Rush-- ``no''; rollcall No. 907, Amendment by Mrs. Christensen--``no.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember the Honorable Judge Rusty Ladd--a great man, a tireless public servant, and an advocate for the homeless.

Larry Brown ``Rusty'' Ladd passed away Friday, September 30, 2011, and he will be missed by all who knew him. I was privileged to know Judge Ladd, and I know the legacy he leaves behind will not soon be forgotten by his family, his friends, or his community, and especially Irene and the children.

Rusty was born in Breckenridge, Texas, on August 8, 1952, as the oldest son of a cotton ginner. He graduated from Lubbock Christian College in 1975 with a degree in Biblical Studies, and joined the police force in 1977. In 1988, he graduated from Texas Tech Law School and started his own practice as a defense attorney in Dallas. He then moved back to West Texas as a prosecutor in Amarillo and Plainview. In 1996, he continued his practice in Lubbock as assistant and then deputy district attorney at the Lubbock County District Attorney's Office. In 1999, Rusty assumed the judge's bench of the Lubbock County Court-at- Law No. 1.

When he took the bench, he said, ``I'm a new judge, and in taking the bench, I'm going to be able to fulfill my oath to defend the laws of the State in an absolutely fair and impartial way.'' He was true to his word--serving fairly and impartially, compassionate when possible and firm when necessary.

Rusty showed kindness not only in the courtroom but also on the streets of Lubbock. He opened his heart to the homeless in the Lubbock community, serving on the homeless committee of the Lubbock City Council since 2010 and volunteering through Carpenter's Church. Rusty dedicated his time and effort to serving the poor and the marginalized.

``The thing a homeless person misses the most is not food or shelter,'' Ladd said. ``It's a genuine relationship with somebody that's got a stable life going on.'' His Christ-like attitude toward the poor is inspiring, and I hope and pray that we can continue the selfless acts that he initiated.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in extending my sincere thanks to Judge Rusty Ladd for leaving this world a better place than he found it. I am truly honored to recognize his accomplishments. He will certainly be missed, but he will never be forgotten by those who knew him and were touched by his life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember the Honorable Judge Rusty Ladd, a great man, a tireless public servant, and an advocate for the homeless. Larry Brown ``Rusty'' Ladd passed away Friday, September 30, 2011, and he is missed by all of us who knew him. I was privileged to know Judge Ladd, and I know the legacy he leaves behind will not be soon forgotten by his family, friends or community.

Rusty was born in Breckenridge, Texas on August 8, 1952, as the oldest son of a cotton ginner. He graduated from Lubbock Christian College in 1975 with a degree in Biblical Studies and joined the police force in 1977. In 1988, he graduated from Texas Tech Law School and started his own practice as a defense attorney in Dallas. He then moved back to West Texas as a prosecutor in Amarillo and Plainview. In 1996 he continued his practice in Lubbock as Assistant and then Deputy District Attorney at the Lubbock County District Attorney's Office.

In 1999, Rusty assumed the judge's bench of the Lubbock County Court- at-Law No. 1. When taking the bench, he said, ``I'm a new judge, and in taking the bench, I'm going to be able to fulfill my oath to defend the laws of the state in an absolutely fair and impartial way.'' He was true to his word, serving fairly and impartially, compassionate when possible and firm when necessary.

Rusty showed kindness not only in the courtroom, but also on the streets of Lubbock. He opened his heart to the homeless in the Lubbock community, serving on the homelessness committee of the Lubbock City Council since 2010 and volunteering through Carpenter's Church. Rusty dedicated his time and effort to serving the poor and marginalized. ``The thing a homeless person misses the most is not food or shelter,'' Ladd said in a 2010 interview, ``it's a genuine relationship with somebody that's got a stable life going on.'' His Christ-like attitude toward the poor is inspiring, and I hope and pray we can continue the selfless acts that he carried out.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in extending my sincere thanks to Judge Rusty Ladd, for leaving this world a better place than he found it. I am truly honored to recognize his accomplishments. He will certainly be missed, but he will never be forgotten by those who knew him and were touched by his life.

I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank him for his tireless work for the unborn.

I think it's a little interesting. I came down here tonight to talk about life, and my colleagues across the aisle are talking about the jobs bill that their President introduced. Unfortunately, the last time I checked, zero Democrats had cosigned that bill.

Really, what I want to talk about tonight, Madam Speaker, are the rights of the unborn.

We were told when we did this health care bill, Don't worry about it. We'll do the Executive order because we're going to take the Stupak- Pitts amendment out.

The truth of the matter is, if we were going to do the Executive order, why didn't we go ahead and pass the Stupak-Pitts amendment? The reason is that we know, inside that bill, in several paragraphs and in several areas, is the ability for taxpayer money to be used for abortion.

In fact, according to Douglas Johnson, the Federal legislative director of the National Right to Life Committee, ``ObamaCare contains multiple provisions that provide authorizations for subsidies for abortion, both implicit and explicit, and also multiple provisions which may be used as bases for abortion-expanding administrative actions.''

Let's vote for life.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Earlier this year, I introduced H.R. 558. This legislation would rename the Veterans Affairs Medical Center located in Big Spring, Texas, after Medal of Honor recipient George H. O'Brien, Jr. I would like to thank Chairman Miller and Congressman Flores for working to include this legislation as a part of the bill before us today.

Born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1926, Mr. O'Brien enlisted in the Marine Corps while attending Texas Tech University. Shortly after graduation, he was deployed to Korea.

On October 27, 1952, the Americans mounted a counterattack during the Battle of the Hook, a position of key strategic significance. When the battle began, Second Lieutenant O'Brien leapt from his trench and bravely led his platoon into deadly small arms, artillery, and mortar fire against a numerically superior force.

Mr. O'Brien's official citation tells his story best: ``Although shot through the arm and thrown to the ground by hostile automatic-weapons fire as he neared the well-entrenched enemy position, he regained his feet, waved his men onward, and continued to spearhead the assault, pausing only long enough to go to the aid of a wounded marine. Encountering the enemy at close range, Second Lieutenant O'Brien proceeded to hurl handgrenades into the bunkers and, utilizing his carbine to best advantage in savage hand-to-hand combat, succeeded in killing at least three of the enemy.''

Impressively, despite being wounded, Second Lieutenant O'Brien refused to be evacuated for medical treatment for nearly four hours, and continued to lead his men in battle.

One year to the day after his actions, Mr. O'Brien was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Eisenhower for ``conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a rifle platoon commander in action against enemy aggressor forces.''

Upon his discharge from the United States Marines, O'Brien settled in Big Spring, Texas, to raise a family and begin a career in petroleum geology. He often participated in volunteer programs at the Big Spring VA. In a 2003 interview with American Veteran magazine, old Mr. O'Brien stated, ``This Medal of Honor is not mine. I hold it in trust for so many young people who didn't become grandfathers.'' George Herman O'Brien, Jr., passed away on March 11, 2005. He was 78 years old.

I urge my colleagues to support the underlying bill, and I am proud to honor this great American veteran.

Mr. Speaker, due to an unforeseen delay earlier this week, I was unable to vote on the following bills: H.R. 2076, H.R. 2633, and H.R. 1059 that were rollcall vote numbers 699-701. Had I been present, I would have voted the following way: rollcall No. 699, H.R. 2076, Investigative Assistance for Violent Crimes Act of 2011, ``yea''; rollcall No. 700, H.R. 2633, Appeal Time Clarification Act, ``yea''; rollcall No. 701, H.R. 1059, To protect the safety of judges by extending the authority of the Judicial Conference to redact sensitive information contained in their financial disclosure reports, and for other purposes, ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Howard College on its 65th Anniversary. Howard College is a fine institution of higher education in West Texas that has been educating young people since September 30, 1946.

The original Howard County Junior College District was created when residents of the county approved a ballot measure on November 17, 1945. That vote shows area residents had a vision for the future as they began to move beyond World War II, which had just ended a few months before.

After a few years of operating in a converted hospital, the decision was made in 1951 to move the college to a new location consisting of 120 acres where it could build a new campus in. Over the years, the Big Spring campus expanded and satellite campuses have now been added in the cities of Lamesa and San Angelo. Additionally, a campus for the hearing impaired, known as the Southwest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf, was opened in August of 1980.

Howard College has also developed an exceptional athletics program over the years which offers team sports for students including baseball, softball, men's and women's basketball and a rodeo team. The accomplishments of these teams include the record setting 2009 Hawk Baseball team that had a record of 63-1 and won the 2009 JUCO World Championship and the Men's Hawk Basketball team won the NCJAA D1 National Championship in 2010.

Today, Howard College has a service area that includes 13 counties and 13,000 square miles. Students at Howard College can receive two- year degrees in a number of areas including computer technology, respiratory care, or business just to name a few. Howard College has and I suspect will continue to offer a quality two-year education to young adults in the West Texas region.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in extending my hearty congratulations to Howard College and its staff, alumni, students and supporters on reaching 65 years as an educational institution. I applaud them and extend my best wishes for all their future endeavors.

Offered by Mr. Neugebauer

Amendment No. 78: At the end of the bill (before the short

title), insert the following:

Mr. Speaker, due to an unforeseen family medical emergency yesterday morning, I was unable to vote on amendments to H.R. 2354 that were rollcall vote numbers 534-538. Had I been present, I would have voted the following way on the amendments: rollcall No. 534, Tiernery of Massachusetts Amendment, ``nay''; rollcall No. 535, Graves of Missouri Amendment, ``yea''; rollcall No. 536, Scalise of Louisiana Amendment, ``yea''; rollcall No. 537, Woodall of Georgia Amendment, ``yea''; rollcall No. 538, McClintock of California, ``yea.''