Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

I appreciate the opportunity to tell you that back in Texas, we have a saying, bad day at Black Rock. This is one of the blackest days that we could possibly imagine in Texas and anywhere else. The gentleman that just spoke talked about good faith, talked about we have to live within our budget, the budget that we set, talked about the Nation's priorities, talked about hard choices, and finally talked about leveling with the American people.

Well, good faith, Mr. Chairman, is about coming here and doing what is right, making sure that at a time of war we take care of our men and women in uniform and the facilities that they need, the equipment that they depend on, and everything that depends so much on this war on terror.

Live within our budget. I voted against that budget a couple of days ago because I didn't think it was realistic. I knew there were going to be some cutbacks someplace, and now we find out it is cutbacks in our military's budget.

Nation's priorities? Well, I would submit we set the Nation's priorities. The Nation's priorities have been set way too long by the Republican leadership in this House, in the Senate, and in the White House.

Hard choices. Well, our hard choices, people have to live with. Our military people have to live with.

And finally, Mr. Chairman, leveling with the American people means telling the truth about tax cuts versus what is best for our military.

With that, I would like to yield the balance of my time to my good friend from Texas (Mr. Edwards).

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition, even though I am not opposed to the amendment as stated.

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

Mr. Chairman, as a veteran of 26\1/2\ years of working with the Border Patrol, I understand and appreciate the necessity of Mr. Dent's amendment that requires close cooperation between the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

More than ever today, post-9/11 and with the many different challenges that we face with the potential of another strike against our country, it is critical, it is imperative that we continue to urge both the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security to do as much as possible to cooperate, share information, and provide a unified front and protection for our country.

This is a way of ensuring that we codify that cooperation by expressly putting it into the legislation that this cooperation take place. It is critical. It is vital; and based on my experience where there has been a tremendous amount of cooperation traditionally between the Department of Defense and agencies such as the Border Patrol, for Border Patrol operations on the border itself, I believe that this is a good amendment.

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

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

Building on the comments of my good friend and my chairman, I can attest to all of the cooperation, having spent 26\1/2\ years in the Border Patrol, to all of the cooperation since the creation of Joint Task Force 6, which was headquartered in my district, now Joint Task Force North. The number of projects and programs that the Department of Defense provides support to both State, local, and Federal agencies, and in specific consortium projects such as building roads, building infrastructure support such as strategic fencing in certain parts of the border area, that greatly acts as a barrier and as a force multiplier for our Border Patrol agents.

So there are many, many things that the Department of Defense is doing and has done that provide that kind of support to the Department of Homeland Security, formerly Border Patrol and INS.

I know in the next amendment we are going to be debating the issue of giving the Secretary the flexibility to send troops on the border, and I just want to state here in anticipation of leading the debate on that issue, as a Member that represents a border district, we do not need troops on the border. Sufficient support is already coming from the Department of Defense. The reality of this is there are other things that I will address at that time that we could be doing and that we should have done as a result of the law that we passed in 1986.

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity to support Mr. Dent in his amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Goode amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 1\1/2\ minutes.

Mr. Chairman, this is the amendment that I rise in opposition to that I was talking about in the previous conversation. Every year we debate this issue, irrespective of the cooperation that is ongoing, has been ongoing for many, many years from the Department of Defense, that provides technical expertise, that provides construction support, that provides technical support, that provides, even on a limited basis, operational specialized support on that border.

The reality of this amendment is that it is very expensive. It provides authority to the Department of Defense that already exists with the President of the United States should an emergency come up or an emergency exist. It is a bad idea because we need trained, experienced professionals on that border. That border is way too dangerous for us to be sending troops that are trained primarily for combat into a law enforcement situation, understanding that that capability is in reserve, because the President of the United States has that authority.

So I would hope that we would stop bringing these kinds of amendments, because they really are not useful and are counterproductive to our enforcement presence on the border.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to my friend and former sheriff, who represents a border district, Congressman Ortiz.

(Mr. ORTIZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Chairman, it is now my pleasure to yield 1 minute to my colleague from Laredo, Congressman Cuellar, also representing a border district.

Mr. Chairman, it is very clear, every year we come to the floor and we talk tough about putting troops on the border. It is expensive. The Department of Defense already has that authority. The President can direct it at any time based on whatever situation he is made aware of.

One of the things that I would like to tell my colleagues is that we are often here talking about issues and about problems and providing solutions. One of the things, an observation that I will

make about us is that oftentimes we are very hypocritical about the things that we say versus the things that we do in the people's House.

In 1986, we passed employer sanctions to address the pull factor in the issue of illegal immigration and immigration reform. This Congress failed to fund employer sanctions, failed to fund the very vehicle that would have addressed the pull factor.

For the last 10 years that I have been in Congress, we have been debating troops on the border. I would say to my good friend from West Virginia, my good friend from Arizona, my good friend from California, if we are interested in controlling the border, if we are truly interested in doing a good job for the American people, then let's fund employer sanctions. And short of that, let's fund H.R. 98, which gives us a fraud-proof Social Security card and a system where employers would be accountable. You would eliminate the pull factor. We wouldn't need to have this useless debate on troops on the border.

Vote ``no'' on the Goode amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

I thank the gentlemen for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment in support of the committee's efforts to obtain effective and fully tested missile defense capabilities aimed at defeating real threats.

Today is not a time to be cutting funds from this critical program. I am particularly concerned about the restrictions the amendment would impose on the Aegis and THAAD theatre defense systems, because just this morning a THAAD interceptor was successfully launched against a simulated target.

Mr. Chairman, we cannot afford to slow down this important theater defense program. I urge my colleagues to support this committee's bipartisan approach and to defeat this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment and in support of the Committee's efforts to obtain effective, fully-tested missile defense capabilities aimed at defeating real threats.

H.R. 5122 redirects missile defense funding from longer range programs--such as the multiple kill vehicle--to near term needs, such as buying upgrades for the Patriot and Aegis interceptors that can protect our service members and allies today. It also places restrictions on developing improvements to the ground-based midcourse defense system until after it successfully intercepts two operationally realistic warheads, and it prevents any development of space-based interceptors.

While we might disagree about whether further adjustments or reductions are possible, I commend the subcommittee chairman for this good-faith effort to develop a bipartisan approach to missile defense.

The amendment before us today goes too far in radically restructuring missile defense programs. It would essentially freeze our missile defense capabilities at their current level and it would terminate numerous programs before we obtain useful information about whether they can improve our defenses against missiles launched by a rogue nation.

I am particularly concerned about the restrictions the amendment would impose on the Aegis and THAAD theatre defense systems. Just this morning a THAAD interceptor was successfully launched against a simulated target. We cannot afford to slow down this important theatre defense program.

I urge my colleagues to support the Committee's bipartisan approach and to defeat this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Missouri and congratulate him on his award that we announced on the floor yesterday.

Mr. Chairman, as the ranking member of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, I rise in strong support of this bill and want to thank our chairman, Mr. Hunter, and ranking member, Mr. Skelton.

The Strategic Forces Subcommittee has jurisdiction over several complex and contentious issues, including ballistic missile defense and nuclear weapons. I want to recognize and thank our subcommittee chairman and my good friend from Alabama, Mr. Everett, for his leadership and all the effort that he puts into making this a truly bipartisan bill. I also want to thank the staff on both sides of the aisle for the truly great job they do and the tremendous work that goes into a bipartisan bill like this.

Sometimes we do not see eye to eye on every single matter, but I am pleased to report that this subcommittee reached bipartisan accord on several major issues.

In the short time that I have, I want to highlight three areas of bipartisan agreement: ballistic missile defense, conventional global strike capability, and operationally responsive space.

H.R. 5122 redistricts missile defense funding from longer-range programs, such as a multiple-kill vehicle, to near-term needs, such as buying upgrades for the Patriot and Aegis interceptors that can protect our servicemembers and allies today.

While we might disagree about whether further adjustments or reductions are possible from within the $10.4 billion for missile defense programs, I commend the subcommittee chairman

for this good-faith effort and great work on this bipartisan agreement. This bill clearly reflects a bipartisan desire to obtain effective missile defense capabilities aimed at defeating real threats.

The bill also slows down development of an advanced global strike capability using the Trident missile in a conventional capacity. While not precluding development of this capability, the subcommittee has concerns that basing a conventional Trident missile on a traditionally nuclear platform could lead to misinterpretation by both our friends and potential adversaries of a launch of a conventional missile. There are real strategic implications of pursuing this capability. We must ensure that we have done all we can to avoid the potential for conflict escalation through misinterpretation.

Finally, the bill as reported contains a $20 million add for operationally responsive space to encourage the Pentagon to pay more attention to the potential of smaller and less expensive satellites that might complement or supplement current expensive satellite systems designed for both military and intelligence purposes. We cannot expect small satellites to meet all mission requirements, but we need a more robust, focused effort to seriously explore their potential given the spiraling acquisition costs of our major satellite programs.

Mr. Chairman, there are differences in the way we approach some of these issues, but as we have seen this afternoon everyone gets an opportunity to express their views. Time does not permit me to describe in detail the rest of our subcommittee's mark and important issues, but I again want to thank our chairman, Mr. Everett, for his bipartisan leadership, our chairman of the committee and ranking member, and I commend this bill to my colleagues and hope that everyone will support this.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Congressman Mike Rogers specifically for his leadership in introducing H.R. 5037, the Respect for America's Fallen

Heroes Act. I would also like to thank House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Buyer and Ranking Member Lane Evans for their strong support and for helping bring this legislation to the House floor.

Today, I was scheduled to be in my congressional district in El Paso, Texas, to participate in a Medicare prescription drug conference, which I helped to organize, so that our seniors would be provided the latest information on Medicare part D.

Mr. Speaker, while I would have liked to have been able to attend that conference, this issue is just as important, and I am proud to be here today and serve as the lead Democrat cosponsor of this bill, which has gained, by the way, Mr. Speaker, very strong bipartisan support, including the entire House Democratic leadership.

I know that all of us agree that our servicemembers who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country deserve to be laid to rest with respect and dignity. The families of these courageous men and women also deserve funerals that allow them to say good-bye to their loved ones and mourn their loss in that same peace and dignity. Organized protests have disrupted the sanctity of these funerals that have been conducted throughout the United States for servicemembers who have been killed while serving in our current military operations. Some protestors have disrupted these funerals with shouts and signs that read, ``Thank God for IEDs'' and ``Thank God for Dead Soldiers.''

In my congressional district of El Paso, our community has mourned the loss of 20 servicemembers who have made this ultimate sacrifice while serving our country in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As a Vietnam combat veteran and member of the House Veterans' Affairs and House Armed Services Committees, I knew I had to do my part to ensure that our Nation's heroes are given the burial that they deserve.

To that end, the respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act would, first, prohibit all demonstrations during the 60 minutes prior to and after funerals taking place at Department of Veterans Affairs national cemeteries or the Department of the Army's Arlington National Cemetery.

Second, impose 500-foot restriction on demonstrations near national cemeteries and Arlington National Cemetery during the funeral and for a brief period before and after the funeral to allow mourners to enter and leave that cemetery in peace and dignity.

Third, allow for civil infraction for violations, including monetary fines and/or jail time of 6 months to a year, as consistent with authority granted to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to maintain order in national cemeteries under current regulations.

Fourth, express the sense of Congress that all States should enact similar restrictions for State and private cemeteries, as well as funeral homes.

Mr. Speaker, this bill is narrowly tailored to protect military families at the sacred time from verbal attacks, while protecting our freedom of speech at the same time. Furthermore, provisions in this legislation are in line with judicial precedents specific to time, place and manner of demonstration.

In Griffin v. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the United States Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of existing regulations that prohibit demonstrations on property under the control of the National Cemetery Administration. The Supreme Court held: ``All visitors are expected to observe proper standards of decorum and decency while on VA property. Toward this end, any service, ceremony, or demonstration except as authorized by the head of the facility or his designee, is prohibited.''

As mentioned earlier, our bill is limited to Federal land under the control of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Army's Arlington National Cemetery.

Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, in Grayned v. City of Rockford, the Supreme Court held that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs maintains very broad discretion to implement regulations to prohibit demonstrations. The Court stated: ``Because the judgment necessary to ensure that cemeteries remain `sacred to honor and memory of those interred or memorialized there' may defy objective description and may vary with individual circumstances, we conclude that the discretion vested in VA administrators is reasonable in light of the characteristic nature and function of our national cemeteries.''

Mr. Speaker, this legislation is narrowly drawn to allow the families and friends of our fallen heroes to lay their loved ones to rest in peace and dignity. The restriction on freedom of speech is content neutral.

The restriction is limited in time, manner and place to balance the constitutionally protected rights of law-abiding speakers against the legitimate competing interests of unwilling listeners who would otherwise be distracted from an important social objective, the dignified burial of our honored dead.

So with that, Mr. Speaker, in a few weeks, our Nation will come together to remember and honor our servicemembers who have made the ultimate sacrifice while in service to our country. I ask all my colleagues to join me, to join us, in honoring our fallen servicemembers by voting in favor of H.R. 5037.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Baca) who knows the pride of wearing America's military uniform, an Army veteran.

(Mr. BACA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to read into the Record a statement from our minority leader, Ms. Pelosi.

``I urge all of my colleagues to vote today for H.R. 5037, the Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bipartisan legislation that will ensure grieving military families are protected from protesters spewing a message of hatred. For our men and women in uniform who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, and for their families, we must act today to ensure that they receive the respect and the moments of solemnity that they have earned and deserve.

``No Americans have stood stronger and braver for our Nation than those who have served in our Armed Forces. Our soldiers have courageously answered when called, gone when ordered, and defended our Nation with great honor. Their noble service reminds us of our mission as a nation, to build a future worthy of their courage and sacrifice.

``Americans may debate and disagree about foreign and domestic policy. This is the essence of our democracy. But when it comes to our military men and women, America must stand united and honor them as the heroes that they are.''

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

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

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, so I will now close and then yield back the time.

Mr. Speaker, this afternoon, all around the country they have seen Members of Congress come together to stand up for our men and women in uniform and for their families. I think

the message is clear that we want those that have made the ultimate sacrifice, and those that are laying them to rest, to have the opportunity to do so with peace and dignity. So I am proud to be here, and I am proud to work with my colleagues and thank them for their support in bringing this to the floor this afternoon.

I yield to the gentleman from Indiana.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I really equally appreciate the opportunity to work with you because we know, as veterans, the sacrifices that men and women make on behalf of this country and their families, and so it has been a privilege to be able to work with you and my colleague, Mike Rogers, who also has been a leader on this very important issue for our country and for our country's military.

Absolutely. And I also would make two observations. First, the great restraint that they are showing shows the great respect that we have as a Nation of laws because while we may disagree with the message, we don't disagree that they have a right to deliver it. It is just not appropriate. And somewhere along the line they didn't learn the lesson that they should not intrude on somebody's private time to grieve and to be at peace, especially for their loved ones who have just sacrificed everything for their country.

Yesterday morning I had the opportunity to be with some of our military troops at Fort Bliss in my district. And I had several of them come to me and very privately, because, you know, our men and women in uniform are that way. They are courageous, they are professional. They are top-notch, but they are also very private. And in a private way they thanked me and said, please convey to all your colleagues in Congress our deep appreciation that we know that if something happens to us, our families will be taken care of, and specifically referred to this legislation and the peace of mind that they have, and they wanted us to convey that message.

I agree with you, Mr. Chairman.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2720, the Salt Cedar and Russian Olive Control Demonstration Act.

Riparian lands in the western U.S. have been severely affected by many activities and actions, including the salt cedar plant. In my district and throughout much of the Rio Grande River Basin we are plagued with this invasive species.

This deciduous shrub or small tree from Eurasia has displaced native vegetation on approximately 1.6 million acres of land in the West and will continue to spread. Although salt cedar is the ``poster child'' of non-native plants impacting western rivers, other non-natives, such as Russian olive, cohabit with salt cedar and are important to control in order to restore riparian health.

Salt cedar thickets harm the surrounding environment by narrowing and channelizing streams and rivers; displacing native vegetation such as cottonwoods, willows, and adjacent dryland plant communities; providing poor habitat for livestock, wild animals, and birds;

increasing wildfire hazards; and limiting human use of the waterways.

While each of these points is important to one or more constituencies, the single most critical problem is that salt cedar steals water. The West may be losing 2 million to 4.5 million acre-feet of water per year due to the presence of salt cedar, which is beyond what native plants would likely use. The water needs of 20 million people or one million acres of irrigated farmland could be met with that amount of water.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2720 would address this problem by requiring the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation and the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey, in association with the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Defense, to create and deploy an assessment and demonstration program for salt cedar and Russian olive.

This program would first assess the extent of the infestation of both species in the western U.S., develop and demonstrate strategic solutions for long-term management and funding strategies of salt cedar and Russian olive and the reestablishment of native vegetation, and assess the economic means to dispose of biomass created as a result of removal of salt cedar and Russian olive trees.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2720 is essential to dealing with the salt cedar and Russian olive problem in the West, and I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this much-needed legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to first thank Chairman Henry Hyde and Ranking Member Tom Lantos, my good friend, for bringing this resolution to the floor today. Likewise, I would like to thank my colleague from Florida for handling the time on this very important issue.

I would also like to thank Ms. Solis for introducing H. Con. Res. 90, a resolution conveying sympathy to the families affected by the murder of young women in Chihuahua, Mexico, and encouraging the United States to be involved in bringing an end to these crimes.

As the representative of El Paso, Texas, the neighboring city to Ciudad Juarez, the issue of unsolved murders is of great concern to me and my constituents.

Since 1993, many women have been violently murdered in Chihuahua, Mexico, and many have yet to be positively identified. This leaves family members with more questions than answers about the fate of their loved ones. In the past, I have urged Mexican President Vicente Fox to launch a comprehensive investigation to help bring an end to these murders and to bring those responsible to justice. In addition, I hosted, as the Ms. Solis mentioned, a congressional delegation in El Paso and Ciudad Juarez so my colleagues, including Congresswoman Solis, could learn more about the subject and about the assistance needed in this region of Mexico.

In July of 2005, I offered an amendment to the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for fiscal year 2006-2007 to encourage the administration to raise the issue of murdered women in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, with their counterparts in Mexico and to assist with the identification of murdered women.

Thorough forensic analysis and DNA testing are necessary to identify the bodies that have been found to date. An example of how this technology can be crucial to an investigation took place in May 2005. With the cooperation of the El Paso Police Department and the FBI, the body of 7-year-old Airis Estrella Enriquez from Ciudad Juarez was identified and had her killers brought to justice due to DNA analysis.

In addition, with the financial assistance of USAID, the Bode Technology Group, a DNA laboratory located in Springfield, Virginia, and local forensic teams have been collecting thousands of samples from exhumed remains in order to process the samples and help identify possible future matches. This technology will not only provide answers and bring peace of mind to the families, enabling them to grieve, heal and seek justice for their murdered loved ones, but it will also contribute to the strengthening of judicial institutions in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

I urge my colleagues to join me in sending our sincere condolences to the families of murdered women, condemning the homicide against women, and encouraging the U.S. and Mexican authorities to work together to solve these murders and help ensure the safety of the women of Ciudad Juarez. Please support H. Con. Res. 90.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member for yielding me time on this important issue.

I agree with my colleague from Texas that very few pieces of legislation are perfect. It is not that we are looking for perfection, we are looking for an effort that gives us the cooperation, an effort that gives us the ability to hold people accountable for doing their jobs.

Earlier today we heard that one of the amendments, the amendment that has been proposed by my colleague, the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Boswell), had been ruled out of order, and that amendment required a quarterly report to Congress on the nuclear program of Iran. The report would be submitted every 90 days and would include an assessment of nuclear weapons programs; an evaluation on the sources upon which the intelligence is based; a summary of any new intelligence that had been gathered since the previous report; and a discussion of any dissents, caveats, gaps in knowledge, or other information that would reduce the confidence in the overall assessment.

People may wonder why would we want to include an amendment like that. Well, the reason goes back to why we are in Iraq today. The reason goes back to our lack of oversight and the issues of WMD, weapons of mass destruction.

The reason is because we have not done our job as a Congress in holding the administration accountable in WMD, in the issue of Abu Ghraib, and the issue of the leaking of the Valerie Plame outing, and many other different issues.

Our Founding Fathers had the idea that the best democracy, the best form

of government, would be one that would be a balanced approach. We haven't done our job in balancing that by oversight.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of World Health Day: Working Together for Health.

The main focus for this year's celebration is to address the crisis in the health workforce. Health workers are the very heart of the health system, providing care to those in need. While we are facing a nationwide shortage of health workers, we are not alone. There isn't a country in the world that is immune to the problem. Emphasis needs to be placed on solving the crisis.

With more than 100 years of experience, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has been working hard to improve health and living standards in the Western Hemisphere. Recognized by the United Nations, PAHO's office in El Paso serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization. PAHO works hard to improve health to vulnerable groups that include mothers and children, workers, the poor, the elderly, and refugees and displaced persons.

Established in 1943, the U.S.-Mexico Border Health Association (USMBHA) has helped promote a better understanding of health needs

and problems. I applaud the efforts of the USMBHA for their leadership in the area of public health in the border region and their work fostering communication between both countries as we work together on common health Issues.

This week, back in my home district of El Paso, Texas, the Pan American Health Organization and the U.S.-Mexico Border Health Association will be sponsoring a health forum celebrating the work of promotoras and promotores from the El Paso del Norte region, which includes Texas, New Mexico, and Chihuahua. The event will celebrate the dignity and value of those who work hard everyday for health, and I am here today to help them in this important celebration.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting World Health Day 2006: Working Together for Health, and I thank PAHO and the USMBHA for all their tireless efforts in support of better healthcare for the people of my community, the U.S.-Mexico border region, and the Americas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4882, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visitor Center Deadline Enforcement Act.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was created to honor the more than 58,000 men and women who served and sacrificed their lives in the Vietnam conflict. Since its creation, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial has been the most visited memorial in our Nation's capitol, with about 4,000,000 visitors each year.

As a Vietnam veteran, I have experienced the horrors of war and witnessed the sacrifice of the men and women who served honorably in Vietnam. The proposed Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visitor Center will allow future generations to better understand the Vietnam Conflict through exhibits and facilitated tours, and honoring those that have fallen in the line of duty.

It is time for Congress to enforce a deadline so that there is no further delay in the construction of the Visitor Center. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this very worthwhile bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 357, a resolution honoring former United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. As the first female justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, this remarkable woman presided over some of the most important cases of our time, and her accomplishments became a stepping stone for all womankind.

Justice O'Connor has strong roots to the city of El Paso, Texas, which I represent. She attended Radford School, and graduated at the age of 16 from Austin High School. Her achievements in graduating with honors from Stanford University and earning a law degree from the Stanford School of Law in only two years, have encouraged numerous aspiring students to reach their greatest potential.

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor once again provided a breakthrough when she became the majority leader for the Arizona State Legislature, the first woman in the Nation to do so.

Rising from the rejection of law firm employment based on her gender, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is now known as one of the most important women in U.S. legal history.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this very worthwhile resolution, honoring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Texas and also the gentleman from Florida for allowing us the time to speak here on this very important event, not just for El Paso and not just for Texas but for our whole country, for a whole generation of players and those that have benefited from their accomplishments.

I rise today in strong support, Mr. Speaker, of H. Res. 668, a resolution that celebrates the 40th anniversary of Texas Western's 1966 NCAA basketball championship, recognizing the groundbreaking impact of that title game victory on diversity in sports and, of course, on the impact, as my colleagues have stated, of civil rights in America.

I am proud to have introduced this bill and honored to have the opportunity to speak in this Chamber today about the importance of what a basketball team and a coach achieved 40 years ago.

This afternoon I want to thank Leader Boehner and Chairman McKeon and Ranking Member Miller for their support in bringing this very important legislation to the floor.

On March 19, 1966, the Miners of Texas Western, which is now UTEP, led by Coach Don Haskins, defeated the University of Kentucky at Cole Field House in College Park, Maryland. This significant championship game gave the NCAA basketball championship at a crucial time to Texas Western College.

At a time when the bitter politics of racism dictated to many coaches around the country who got to play, Coach Haskins started five black players in the NCAA basketball championship game, the first time in America that this country had seen an all-black starting lineup in a major championship contest.

In 1966, as a strengthening civil rights movement met poisonous political dispute and violence, the Miners were clearly able to demonstrate to a Nation and the sports world the virtue of desegregation and equality.

As the athletic establishment abided by that unwritten rule that said, play two on the road, three if you are really behind, referring of course to black players, Coach Haskins looked past the color of the players' skin and concentrated on winning games and eventually the national championship.

Years later Coach Haskins would say, ``I just played my best guys like any coach would do.'' That simple principled courage changed the course of American athletics and provided an important advance in the struggle of civil rights in our Nation.

The Texas Western's championship was an event defined by many as the Brown v. Board of Education of athletics. Like many whose lives were constrained by their appearance and background, I found extraordinary significance in that 1966 game.

I was a Texas Western student during the fall semester of 1965 and had an opportunity to see these great players play. Shortly thereafter, I was drafted into the Army and eventually went on to fight in Vietnam. In March of 1966, I was still in El Paso, only stationed at Fort Bliss doing basic training. For those of us who were in the military at the time, the hypocrisy of America's racial policies were very clear. We saw a country that would not hesitate to send black and Hispanic soldiers to fight and die in foreign wars, but would not fight for us back at home.

Coach Haskins' and the Miners' victory helped reveal to a nation the absurdity of racism and the futility of segregation.

I returned from Vietnam and chose a career in public service and a career in which my successes followed from my abilities and my own hard work. Of course, I found that life does not abide by that perfect rule of a game like basketball, but I remain inspired today by Texas Western's win, and I know that I would not have had the opportunities I did have had it not been for the courage of people like Don Haskins and his Miners.

Today, a university, a city and a country are improved by the achievement of that 1966 team. Soon after that championship, Texas Western became the University of Texas at El Paso or, as we call it now, UTEP, and its basketball program continued to thrive under Coach Haskins until his retirement, as my colleagues have said, in 1999. Coach Haskins eventually led UTEP to 32 winning seasons, seven Western Athletic Conference championships, four Western Athletic Conference tournament titles, and 21 post-season appearances.

Last year, the Miners won 27 games, 16 at our own Don Haskins Center in El Paso, named after the great coach, and they also earned a spot in the NCAA tournament. This year, they are again near the top of their conference, a testament to the enduring tradition of college basketball success created by Don Haskins.

The university itself has been transformed from a small mining school into a hub of academic excellence and world-class research. El Paso, long proud of its Miners and its NCAA championship, has enjoyed the attention of a nation this year, as millions of Americans have fallen in love with the Miners through the recently released film ``Glory Road,'' which is currently being shown around the country.

It is especially important for us to honor the 1966 Miners today on the eve of their accomplishment, here shown in that championship game against Kentucky. We must revise our historical injustice, the injustice of a group of men being judged by who they were, not how they played.

At the time, the Texas Western Miners were denied an opportunity to appear on the Ed Sullivan Show, but just last week I want to commend President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush as they honored this team at the White House, shown here in this photograph with the President, the original members of that 1966 championship team.

So this afternoon I want to congratulate Coach Don Haskins, Bobby Joe Hill, Orsten Artis, Togo Railey, Willie Worsley, David Palacio, Dick Myers, Harry Flournoy, Louis Baudoin, Nevil Shed, Jerry Armstrong, Willie Cager, and David ``Big Daddy'' Lattin on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of their NCAA championship and for all of their successes in their lives. Today, we also remember, of course, Bobby Joe Hill who died and was unable to be in this photograph here in 2002.

So, Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 668.

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

Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the USO Congressional Caucus, I join my colleague and good friend, Congressman Miller, on the House Armed Services Committee, who is our founding co-chair of the USO Caucus, in support of House Concurrent Resolution 322. This resolution recognizes the 65th anniversary of the United Service Organizations and extends Congress's appreciation to the USO for 65 years of dedicated service in support of our Armed Forces and their families.

I have personally seen the impact of the USO on the lives of our Nation's military during visits, as my colleague mentioned, to Iraq, Afghanistan, and military facilities around the world. I have also seen the work of the USO closer to home. The congressional care package stuffing party, which was held in the Rayburn foyer last September, helped provide care packages stuffed by Members of Congress and our staffs for soldiers deploying from the Continental United States Replacement Center in my district at Fort Bliss, Texas.

Also at Fort Bliss in December, the USO established a Wounded Warrior Room at William Beaumont Army Medical Center, providing soldiers recovering from combat injuries a place to relax during their treatment. And later this spring, the USO will open a new center on the main post of Fort Bliss to serve both those currently stationed at Fort Bliss and also the nearly 20,000 soldiers who will be coming to El Paso as part of the decision of BRAC and the overseas rebasing troop movements.

While we see every day the good things that the USO does for our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines, many Americans may not remember how the USO came into existence. The year was 1941, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt challenged six private organizations to take responsibility for the leave recreation of the armed services. The six organizations were the Salvation Army; the Young Men's Christian Association, the YMCA; the Young Women's Christian Association, the YWCA; the National Catholic Community Services; National Travelers Aid Association; and the National Jewish Welfare Board. These six organizations pooled their resources together and became known as the United Service Organizations, or more commonly referred to today as the USO. The USO incorporated on February 4, 1941, and remains a private nonprofit organization that is supported entirely by over 1 million American citizens and hundreds of corporations.

Back in its early days, USO facilities were opened in such unlikely places as churches, log cabins, museums, castles, barns, beach clubs and yacht clubs, railroad sleeping cars, and even some storefronts. These USO facilities were many things to so many people, a place to see movies or a place to dance and meet people, a quiet place to talk or write letters back home, a place to find religious counsel, and always a place to go for free coffee and doughnuts. By 1944, the USO had more than 3,000 clubs across the country. However, by 1947 the USO had all but disbanded.

During the Korean war, the USO eventually reopened 24 clubs worldwide; and during the conflict in Vietnam, the first USO opened in a combat zone. It is here where I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that I have personal knowledge of just what the USO means to a young soldier far away from home, bringing a little bit of home to a combat zone.

As the draw-down in Vietnam ended, the USO began to provide new programs to help servicemembers and their families transition back into civilian life. With the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the USO opened its first center in Afghanistan, the Pat Tillman USO Center, at Bagram Air Base in 2005. Today there are more than 124 airport and family centers worldwide, located in 10 countries and 21 States.

The USO is also recognized for its entertainment effort on behalf of our servicemembers and their families. In fact, one cannot recognize the USO and not remember that the most beloved and recognized entertainer, the great Bob Hope, was part of the heart and soul of the USO. Bob Hope began his first USO tour in 1942 and continued to entertain and support our troops for more than five decades. Bob Hope brought laughter and joy to thousands of men and women deployed around the world, and he and other entertainers volunteered to entertain the troops both in the United States and abroad, often under some of the most trying situations and conditions.

Today that same commitment and dedicated spirit lives on in the hundreds of entertainers that have volunteered and continue to support our deployed troops in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, as well as other bases around the world.

Today the USO continues its outstanding achievement under the leadership of president and chief executive officer Ned Powell; chief of staff Sarah Farnsworth; and senior staff, Michael Farley, John Hanson, Keith Weaver, Bruce Townsend, and Hilary Welch; and the contributions from the USO World Board of Governors. These great people continue to help build and sustain the USO. But the most critical component of the USO and what makes it so special and what makes it so unique are the over 33,000 volunteers and paid staff members who contribute over 400,000 hours of service annually. These are people that are the heart and soul of the USO and provide direct comfort and assistance to our troops and their families, and I want to thank them all and honor them for their service to our troops and their families.

Congress also recognizes the important role that the USO plays in support of our servicemembers and their families; and to further provide support to the USO, it established the USO Congressional Caucus. As co-chair of the caucus, I am pleased that over 150 of my colleagues have joined that effort to enhance the outreach to our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, coast guardsmen, and their families.

So today, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this great resolution.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 655, honoring the life and accomplishments of Mrs. Coretta Scott King. It is with great respect and a heavy heart that I pay tribute to the life of a woman admired by so many Americans.

On January 31, 2006, God summoned home one of His most dedicated activists in the fight for equal rights and social justice. It seems like only yesterday that Mrs. King joined her husband, the late Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., to fight for equality for all Americans.

While the country mourned the loss of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mrs. King picked up the torch and continued the fight for social justice, at the same time caring for their four children: Yolanda Denise, Martin Luther III, Dexter Scott, and Bernie Albertine. In doing so, she worked tirelessly on multi-national disarmament treaties, anti- poverty efforts in the U.S., and opposition to apartheid in South Africa. Later, in 1985, she initiated the creation of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute to ensure that future generations of leaders carry on Rev. King's dream of peace and social justice. It is fitting that we honor her today not far from where she led several hundred-thousand people to commemorate her husband's historic march on our Nation's Capital.

Because of the Reverend and Mrs. King's hard work and many sacrifices throughout the

years, millions of Americans have greater opportunities today. Without their efforts, people like me might not have the opportunity to serve in the House of Representatives today.

While the loss of Mrs. Coretta Scott King brings great sadness, it brings a sense of peace knowing that she will be reunited with her husband the late Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., and that their legacy will flourish for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 657, a resolution honoring the contributions of Catholic schools across America, including those in my congressional district of El Paso, Texas.

On September 21, 2005, with representatives of the school watching from the House gallery, I proudly rose to recognize the 80th anniversary of Cathedral High School in my district. Cathedral and other Catholic schools in El Paso and throughout our country offer a quality education and produce men and women committed to a broader idea of learning--one that extends beyond just textbooks.

Catholic schools offer--in more than one sense--a value-added approach to education. They instill in their students a moral compass, a sense of purpose, and a commitment to service. Indeed, many of the men and women who inspired me to spend my life in public service were themselves encouraged to enter that field by the virtues conveyed through Catholic education. I count among that group Ambassador Raymond Telles, the first Hispanic mayor of EI Paso, an American ambassador, an advisor to presidents, and a man whose success in life was built in large part upon the ideals he learned at Cathedral High School.

Today, Catholic schools teach 2.5 million young Americans, almost 15 percent of whom are not Catholics. This resolution reaffirms the House of Representatives' support for the countless Catholic school teachers and administrators who dedicate their lives to a particular vision of education, and for the values of love, charity, and hope that are tenets of a Catholic education.

Again, Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly support H. Res. 657 and urge my colleagues to join me in voting in favor of this important resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion to recommit.

Yes, I am, Mr. Speaker, in its current form.

Mr. Speaker, the bipartisan 9/11 Commission recently released a report grading our government's response to its recommendations of a year ago, and that report is sadly filled with failing marks.

Now, more than 4 years after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, this House is finally getting around to considering legislation that is supposed to address illegal immigration and border security. The only problem is that the bill offered by my Republican colleagues is completely inadequate to do the vitally important job and would surely earn yet another failing grade by the 9/11 Commission.

Mr. Speaker, as the Members may know, before being elected to Congress, I served for 26\1/2\ years in the United States Border Patrol, including 13 of those years as sector chief in McAllen and El Paso.

I have years of experience patrolling the tough terrain of the U.S.- Mexico border region, supervising thousands of dedicated Border Patrol agents and doing everything within our power to strengthen our borders and reduce illegal immigration. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, it is clear to me that there are some Members of this House who either have no idea of what Congress really needs to do to help keep Americans safe, or they are more interested in scoring political points with voters back home than protecting our country.

This is a bad bill. This bill is being motivated more, in my opinion, by partisan politics than by sound policy. I personally believe that the underlying legislation betrays our heritage as a Nation of immigrants whose rich history has been enhanced by those who have come to this country to share our American dream.

While we can disagree about the motives behind the bill, what is absolutely indisputable is that it fails to provide the Department of Homeland Security with the tools to protect the American people. That is why I am offering this motion to recommit with the support of my colleagues, Mr. Conyers and Mr. Thompson, who are the ranking members of the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees.

Under this motion, we require DHS to develop a comprehensive border security strategy to establish control of all of our borders and ports. Unlike the base bill, we also provide significant personnel and equipment necessary to apprehend, to process and deport illegal immigrants: 12,000 additional Border Patrol agents are provided for in this motion; 8,000 more immigration and Customs enforcement inspectors; 4,000 additional inspectors at our ports-of-entry; 1,000 additional U.S. Marshals; 1,000 more detention officers; and 300 additional immigration judges.

You see, Mr. Speaker, the effective control of our borders involves a little bit more than proposals for fences or mandatory sentencing. In fact, it is more about listening to and understanding the challenges that are faced by hardworking Federal officers and officials in every phase of the process. That includes Border Patrol agents, detention officers, Customs inspectors, U.S. Marshals, immigration judges and Federal prosecutors.

In this motion, we also provide 100,000 new detention beds to ensure that DHS has the space to detain illegal immigrants so that we can put an end to that absurd policy of catch and release once and for all. Furthermore, we instruct DHS to locate and deal with the 110,000 undocumented immigrants who have already been released so that we can apprehend them and deport them back to their home countries.

In short, Mr. Speaker, this motion to recommit would fulfill and even surpass the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.

Mr. Speaker, it has been over 4 years since the September 11 attacks. We need real action, not rhetoric. The American people are counting on us, and we cannot continue to fail them. Vote in favor of the motion to recommit and against this terribly misguided underlying underlying bill.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.