Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today because the current administration has gotten too many things wrong in Iraq and has totally misrepresented the lessons of the post-9/11 world. It is now up to Democrats to get things right in Iraq so we can focus our military efforts to fighting terrorists around the world who want to harm us.

Today I ask my colleagues: Will we realistically confront terrorists and terrorism with all the elements of our national power, or will we continue to ignore a proven approach in order to follow a shop-worn, idealistic approach that drains our military of its resources and America of its goodwill with the very partners we need to fight terrorists? That is the choice that our country faces in Iraq and in our national security.

Democrats must speak out against this administration's tendency to overlook problems and push for a policy that centers on oversight of U.S. taxpayer dollars. Unfortunately, we do not practice oversight. This Congress practices ``overlook.'' We must respond to public frustrations by creating a secure future for our military and reestablish a foundation for American efforts to fight terrorists and terrorism across the globe. Congress must confront the legacy of the waste, fraud, and abuse that plagues our efforts in Iraq.

As Democrats, we must continue our efforts, in spite of the current opposition, to bring this waste, fraud, and abuse in Iraq to light.

Some talk about cutting and running. But I say we must confront the legacy of cutting and running from veterans health care. Just as the next generation of combat veterans return home, the long-term veterans health care budget falls $8.6 billion short from projected needs. We must reject that legacy of Iraq.

And, finally, I join my colleagues in commending our U.S. military working in conjunction with Iraqi security and Iraqis themselves for locating and eliminating Abu Musad al Zarqawi. His terrorist violence is gone. But we have learned in Iraq that fighting a classic guerrilla- type war means that a victory like killing Zarqawi cannot be celebrated too long. Much remains to be done in Iraq, and Democrats have to make right where the administration has gone wrong. Our obligations compel us to ask the tough questions that are currently ignored.

I rise today as we reexamine why Congress and the administration diverted attention from our fight against terrorists and terrorism in order to invade Iraq.

The current administration has gotten too many things wrong in Iraq and has totally misinterpreted the lessons of the post-9/11 world. It is up to Democrats to get things right in Iraq so we can refocus our military efforts to fighting terrorists around the world who want to harm us.

Today I ask my colleagues: Will we realistically confront terrorists and terrorism with all the elements of our national power, or will we continue to ignore a proven approach to follow a shop-worn, idealistic approach that drains our military of its resources and America of its good will with the very partners that we need to fight terrorism? That is the choice our country faces.

The administration has made countless mistakes since the start of the war in Iraq. As Congress looks to clean up the mistakes that have been made, Democrats must speak out against this administration's tendency to overlook problems and instead push for a policy that centers on oversight of U.S. taxpayer dollars. We must respond to the public's frustrations by creating a secure future for our military and reestablish a foundation for American efforts to fight terrorists and terrorism around the globe.

We can only do that by confronting and repairing the waste, fraud, and abuse that plagues our efforts in Iraq. We need to emphasize that our commitment to U.S. taxpayers is equally as important as the commitment we have made to the Iraqi people.

I ask the American people to consider the legacy this administration has handed us in the defense budget as we spend billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars without the tools and ability to track these dollars. Will we tolerate the squeeze that will force choices between weapons and warriors because of a lack of administration foresight and lack of congressional oversight? I believe the answer is no.

We must consider the legacy of waste, fraud, and abuse in Iraq. Why are we not getting results for our taxpayer dollars? We do not know because the institution endowed by the Constitution that is responsible for protecting your taxpayer dollars is practicing overlook instead of oversight. Parents who are monitoring their children on the Internet are providing more oversight than the United States Congress.

We learn of events and stories through the media once the waste, fraud, or abuses have reached comic proportions. We know that Halliburton has overcharged both the U.S. Government and the Development Fund for Iraq by over $260 million. The Department of Justice brought criminal indictments against a former CPA contracting official and a contractor for a series of frauds costing taxpayers $13 million, and the CPA lost control of $19.6 billion in Iraqi oil funds.

As Congress overlooks expenditures of billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars in Iraq, it ignores responsibility to provide a secure future for our military.

Just in closing, I join my colleagues in commending our U.S. military working in conjunction with Iraqi security and Iraqis themselves for locating and eliminating Abu Musad al-Zarqawi. His terrorist violence is gone. But we have learned in Iraq that fighting a ``classic guerrilla-type war'' means that a victory like killing Zarqawi cannot be celebrated too long. Much remains to be done in Iraq, and Democrats have to make right where the administration has gone wrong. Our obligations compel us to ask the tough questions that are currently ignored.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and celebrate Howard A. Christianson, a resident of Washington's Second Congressional District, whose life has been defined by his service to his country, his family and his community. I congratulate Mr. Christianson on receiving the first-ever Stillaguamish Senior Center Lifetime Achievement Award.

My hometown of Arlington, Washington, has benefited from 25 years of Mr. Christianson's vision and guidance as a city councilman, mayor and city administrator. His legacy of leadership extends beyond his public service to civic service as well.

He has been active in the Kiwanis Club, American Legion, VFW and the Shriners, and his years of work with the Masonic Lodge have inspired leaders to name the lodge's new citizen of the year award the Howard A. Christianson Outstanding Citizenship Award.

Madam Speaker, we should all be so fortunate to have community members back home in our districts who so visibly represent the meaning of service and leadership. At a time when many Americans are feeling disengaged from their communities and their leaders, Howard Christianson stands out as a shining example of why we must continue to serve and to lead for the sake of our country and for our communities.

Mr. Chairman, I wish to quickly say thank you to the chairman of the subcommittee for agreeing to accept the amendment.

There is a great amount of frustration in Washington State, all over Washington State. I represent an area that is the largest public utility district. I represent an area that has the only aluminum plant still standing because all the other aluminum plants had to go out of business because of some manipulation that took place on the market with Enron.

We just want some time, some space for the parties to work this out, and this amendment will do that, and I appreciate the chairman's willingness to let us move forward.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank the Department of Defense for its recognition of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island as a model military installation for the country. Base Commander Captain Syd Abernethy and the Island County community will accept the Annual Commander-in-Chiefs Award for Installation Excellence on Friday.

This award recognizes the hard work and exceptional efforts of the people who operate NAS Whidbey, and I praise that team effort, from the men and women on the ground to those in the sky. They make this installation run.

The community and the residents of Oak Harbor and Island County play an integral role in protecting and promoting NAS Whidbey. It is their support year after year that makes NAS Whidbey great.

NAS Whidbey has emerged as a national center of electronic warfare and anti-submarine warfare operations. These missions will be pivotal to creating the type of military the Department of Defense wants to build in the upcoming years. NAS Whidbey will likely have to accommodate tremendous growth in the future, and this award shows that the team and infrastructure are in place to do the job.

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

Mr. Speaker, this event needs really little introduction. Eunice Kennedy Shriver started the concept of the Special Olympics in the early 1960s when she established and opened a summer day camp for people with intellectual disabilities.

2006 marks the 35th anniversary of the D.C. Special Olympics. The torch relay event is a traditional part of the opening ceremonies for the Special Olympics, which will take place at Catholic University. The torch relay event has become a highlight on Capitol Hill and is an integral part of the Special Olympics.

Each year, approximately 2,500 Special Olympians compete in over a dozen events, and more than 1 million children and adults with special needs participate in Special Olympics programs worldwide.

The event is supported by literally thousands of volunteers in the region and is attended by thousands of family and friends of the Olympians.

The goal of the games is to bring mentally challenged individuals into the larger society under conditions whereby they are accepted and respected. Confidence and self-esteem are the building blocks for these Olympic games.

So I stand in support of this resolution and urge my colleagues on my side of the aisle to support this resolution for this very worthwhile endeavor of the Special Olympics. I urge support of H. Con. Res. 359.

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4700 authorizes the conveyance of any interest retained by the United States in St. Joseph Memorial Hall in St. Joseph, Michigan, in the City of St. Joseph, Michigan.

This bill merely completes a land transfer between the Federal Government and the City of St. Joseph, Michigan, which began back in May, 1935. At that time, the city received a non-historic building and property with restricted use for a public park. In 1954, the public use restriction was lifted on the parcel just north of the building through Public Act 348.

The city officials have requested this transfer as the city is contemplating a redevelopment plan for the downtown which would utilize the parcel of land and the building. The city is prepared to pay $10,000 to the General Services Administration for the transfer.

Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 4700 and urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

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

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise today to offer the Kirk-Larsen amendment to articulate our Nation's need to promote Chinese and Arabic cultural exchange and language education. I want to thank my fellow co-chair of the U.S.-China Working Group, Mr. Kirk of Illinois, on his work in drafting this important amendment.

Today's global landscape is increasingly interconnected. China and the Middle East play critical roles towards international peace and security. Our ability to effectively engage China and the Arab world rests on shared economic and political interests and mutual understanding.

From 1998 to 2002, foreign language enrollment in United States colleges and universities increased by 20 percent for Chinese and 92.3 percent for Arabic. By comparison, the learning of more traditional languages, such as French and German, grew by under 3 percent.

Our schools and universities are already leading the movement towards Chinese and Arabic language. Congress must build on this infrastructure and support the education of future diplomats, business professionals, and teachers who are proficient in Arabic and Chinese. We must answer the call for an increased American competitiveness and national security, and in today's world we cannot answer that call just in English.

So I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this amendment, which is merely a sense of Congress amendment to promote language education in Arabic and Chinese.

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk).

Mr. Chairman, I also want to thank the chairman and the ranking member of the committee for their help and support on this.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment today, and I want to thank my fellow Meth Caucus cochairs, Mr. Boswell, Mr. Calvert, and Mr. Cannon, and also the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot) for their work in drafting this critical amendment.

Methamphetamine is a highly dangerous drug that is wreaking havoc on families and communities throughout this country. The drug's use is spreading across the United States. And while meth produced in home- grown labs has actually decreased in certain parts of the country, meth use has exploded with the availability of crystal meth from superlabs from places like Mexico.

Meth impacts every aspect of our community, every aspect of our neighborhoods, of our businesses, of the environment, and of our children. According to a 2005 survey by the National Association of Counties, 58 percent of the counties across the country reported meth as their greatest drug problem. The Federal Government needs to treat our Nation's meth problem with the same urgency and commitment that our State and local governments have been treating it for years.

We must provide for local law enforcement, treatment professionals, and prevention experts with the tools they need to combat this deadly drug. Our amendment is a step in the right direction. For the past several years, the Meth Caucus has worked to engage the Office of National Drug Control Policy on this issue. We have tried to get their attention that meth requires a strong, comprehensive Federal policy. While some gains have been made, ONDCP must take meth more seriously and devote more resources to its eradication.

Our amendment calls on ONDCP to increase reporting on several critical meth issues, including State Drug Endangered Children programs and State laws and access to meth precursors. These reports will help us develop a coherent and comprehensive national strategy to fight meth. It is also creates the National Methamphetamine Information Clearinghouse to provide current information to Federal, State, and local agencies about meth's trafficking, abuse, treatment, and abuse prevention.

I want to conclude quickly by thanking the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder) for working with us to craft this important amendment. I also want to thank him for his willingness to work with the Meth Caucus to get good meth policy passed. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the heroism of a man

named Matthew Scott who nearly 9 years ago performed an act of uncommon courage that saved the life of a young woman in my congressional district.

In August of 1997 a 15-year-old woman and her friend were out driving a truck near a very dangerous area in my congressional district called Deception Pass. The road was dark, and the two girls could not see the road in front of them. Leslie, the driver, yanked her steering wheel in the wrong direction and drove off a 185-foot cliff into the freezing ocean below. Her passenger managed to jump from the truck at the last second before it went over the edge. At the same time, Mathew Scott, a young Naval Chief Petty Officer, was driving by the location when he spotted a busted guardrail, and a hysterical group of people pointing to the ocean below.

Matthew does not consider himself a hero. On that night in 1997, he was just there for another human being--a young girl he had never met. He scaled down a treacherous, dark cliff with only a small flashlight to guide him. At the bottom of his remarkable 185-foot descent, he swam 30 yards out in strong tides and frigid water to rescue young Leslie. She was in bad shape. Leslie suffered a broken back, leg, and arm and had numerous cuts and bruises covering her body.

Because of his selfless, courageous heroics--Leslie is now 24-years- old and the manager of a local coffee shop. She is also the mother of a little girl and an upstanding member of her community.

Matthew Scott has continued to dedicate his life to one of military service. He is now a Lieutenant studying for his MBA at the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, California.

Those who know Lt. Scott talk about his everyday heroics. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I am honored to have had Lt. Scott serve at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington state's 2nd Congressional District. He is the truest face of our U.S. Navy. Every day he honors what is described as the Navy's unofficial motto-- ``not self but country.''

Lt. Scott has spent his life serving his country. That dark night in 1997 was no different. But that night he served his country and his fellow Americans in a personal and profound way. Off duty, he still put his own life at risk to save the life of another.

For this, I come to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to honor him and call on all of my colleagues to look to Matthew's example to inspire us and spur us on to our own acts of selfless service and care.

Because of Matthew's humble heroics, Leslie is alive today.

Matthew is not just a good father--not just a good sailor--he's a good person. And he is a true hero.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the heroism of a man named Matthew Scott, who nearly 9 years ago performed an act of uncommon courage that saved the life of a young woman in my congressional district.

In August of 1997, a 15-year-old woman and her friend were driving on a narrow, windy road near a dangerous area called Deception Pass. Unable to see the road, Leslie, the driver, drove off a 185-foot cliff into the freezing ocean below. Her passenger managed to jump to safety from the truck before it went over the edge. At the same time, Matthew Scott, a young Naval Chief Petty Officer, was driving by the location when he spotted a busted guardrail and a group of people pointing to the waters below.

Matthew scaled down the treacherous, dark cliff with only a small flashlight to guide him. At the bottom of his 185-foot descent, he swam 30 yards out in strong tides and frigid water to rescue Leslie who had suffered a broken back, leg, and arm. Because of his selfless, courageous heroics, Leslie is now a 24-year-old mother and a manager of a local coffee shop.

Matthew has continued to dedicate his life to one of military service and is now a lieutenant studying for his MBA at the Naval Post Graduate School in California. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I am honored to have had Lieutenant Scott

serve at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington State's Second Congressional District, so I come to the floor of the House of Representatives today to honor him and call on all my colleagues to look to Matthew's example to inspire us and spur us on to our own acts of selfless service and care.

Because of Matthew's humble heroics, Leslie is alive today. Matthew himself is not just a good father and not just a good sailor, he is a great person and a true hero.

Mr. Speaker, I am here today to highlight the contents of H.R. 3889, the Combat Meth Epidemic Act, which has been included in the PATRIOT Act conference report. As a co-chair of the Meth Caucus, I worked with our caucus members to craft a comprehensive meth bill that would attack our Nation's meth problem on multiple fronts. While I would have preferred a straight up-or-down vote on a stand-alone meth bill, these meth provisions do benefit our communities.

Meth has been attacking this country, starting on the west coast and moving steadily eastward. It devastates communities, affecting not just meth users, but families, neighborhoods, public health, the environment, and crime rates.

This conference report takes necessary steps to limit access to a key meth precursor, pseudoephedrine. Significantly, it will allow for an additional prison sentence for individuals convicted of cooking or selling meth where children reside. Children are too often the silent victims of this drug. So this will help protect them by authorizing grants to assist children who have been found in meth labs.

For the first time, Congress is passing comprehensive anti-meth legislation that gives our local law enforcement and communities the tools, resources, and standards to protect themselves against the scourge of meth.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 798, the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act. I commend Mr. Gordon, Mr. Calvert, and Mr. Boehlert for their work introducing this important legislation; and bringing it to the floor.

Meth is a scourge on our communities. It is literally a chemical cocktail, made from hazardous, caustic substances. In the process of cooking a batch of meth, those chemicals seep into the interior of a home. Often, unsuspecting, innocent families move into these houses and apartments, completely unaware that the new home was once used to cook meth. It isn't until they become ill that they learn something is wrong, terribly wrong.

DEA reported over 17,000 meth lab busts last year in 47 states. There is currently no federal standard to determine when a former lab is safe to inhabit. This bill will do that.

H.R. 798 will establish a research program to develop voluntary, health-based, model guidelines for the clean-up of former meth labs. It will establish a research program to develop meth detection equipment for use by first responders, and will require a study on the long-term health impacts on first responders and children taken from meth labs.

It is important for us to know when a house used as a meth lab is safe to inhabit again. It is important that we know the health impacts of exposure to a meth lab. This bill will do both of these things. As a Co-Chair of the Meth Caucus, I am proud to see an important meth bill like this one finally see its day on the floor. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes''.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin) removed as a cosponsor of

Mr. Chairman, I would like to express my support for the Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act, and specifically title IV, the VAWA reauthorization.

I want to thank and recognize the gentleman from Wisconsin and the gentleman from Michigan for their efforts drafting this bill and for including legislative provisions from my bill, the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act.

This bill would protect the thousands of so-called ``mail-order brides'' who come to the U.S. each year through international marriage brokers. And although it is not a practice I particularly endorse, it is a practice that is largely unregulated.

In December 2000, this issue hit close to home when Anastasia King, a mail-order bride in Washington State, was murdered and buried in a shallow grave by her husband. It was later discovered that her husband had abused a former wife whom he had also met through a marriage broker.

Each year hundreds of Internet bride services recruit thousands of women, mostly from Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, and other economically depressed parts of the globe, to marry their American clients. These marriage broker Web sites play off old stereotypes of foreign women as subservient wives.

A 1999 report by the INS estimated that there were at least 200 marriage broker companies operating in the United States and that each year as many as 4,000 to 6,000 individuals in U.S., almost all male, found foreign spouses through for-profit international marriage brokers.

My International Marriage Broker Regulation Act, and this DOJ authorization bill, will give these foreign women knowledge to protect themselves. They will know if their American fiance has a history of violence, and they will know their rights should they find themselves in an abusive relationship.

This bill will also stop what I call the ``wife lottery,'' where men apply for several fiancee visas at the same time and marry the woman whose visa is approved first.

This legislation is a giant step towards protecting women who use the services of marriage brokers. I want to thank the chairman and ranking member for including it in this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it.