Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, Iraq is just one battlefield in this multigenerational struggle against radical Islamist jihadists, but it is a very important battlefield.

This is the beginning stage of a multigenerational worldwide struggle that will last throughout our lives and likely our children's lives.

It is hard to accept that the safety and security that most Americans felt in the 1980s and the 1990s was just a smokescreen while the Islamist extremists planned and carried out a one-sided war in other parts of the world.

On September 11, we saw the unthinkable: airplanes flown into buildings, thousands of innocent people killed, and the killers claiming that this was done because God desired it. Some people still do not understand how anyone could rationalize such disgusting acts.

For the past few years, and specifically in the past month, I have joined with some of my colleagues to learn about the true nature of the threat that we face from this jihadist ideology. This ideology is preached by the likes of Osama bin Laden, Moqtada al-Sadr, Hassan Nasrallah, and the ayatollahs in Iran.

Our presence in Iraq did not make us vulnerable to these killers. There were many previous worldwide attacks before America was attacked on September 11 and before we entered Iraq.

We face this threat because we refuse to succumb to live in a world where women cannot speak, as I speak now, without risk of death. We face this threat because we seek a world where people of all religions and races and sexes are entitled to the same rights. We cannot retreat.

If we pull out, there is no doubt that Iraq will become a safe haven for al Qaeda, Hezbollah and other terrorist groups to plan and carry out attacks on unbelievers or infidels. How do I know this? Because they tell us. They told us before 9/11, but we did not pay attention. They tell us all the time that they will not stop until all lands from India to Morocco and Spain to Russia are governed by radical Islamic law.

In 1938, Adolf Hitler told us what he was going to do, and we refused to pay attention. We cannot afford to repeat that historical mistake.

This is not a Democrat and Republican issue. Our security is an American issue, and I hope we are going to start to act as Americans, like the American people expect us and want us to do.

We must understand that we are fighting the first battles of a war against radical Islamist ideology that will be waged for the next 50, maybe 100 years.

Mistakes have been made and more mistakes will be made in the future. War is never easy; nor is it predictable. But if the people of the United States understand the true nature of the threat that we all face and Congress realizes that this war against jihadism will be fought in various forms around the world for at least the next 50 years, then we can make informed policy decisions that will help us in the future.

We must plan now for the future. We need to unite as a country behind this struggle against radical Islamic jihadists.

It is downright irresponsible to tell our troops that we support you but do not support the mission that you are fighting. What message does that send to our troops? It may score political points, but it hurts our troops who are over there fighting to defend us and our right to be here and speak freely.

This resolution does not deal with the larger problem of radical Islamic jihadists. So I strongly urge a ``no'' vote. We must support our troops in the field by supporting their mission. I support our troops wholeheartedly and believe their mission is just and necessary for the security interests of our country.

The world our children and grandchildren will inherit will be a better place because we had the courage to stand up today to fight these battles.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 3. Like my colleagues, I believe in the transforming and life-saving power of scientific progress. I've seen first-hand how cutting-edge research can impact the lives of Americans who suffer from all sorts of disease, and I understand the inherent value of federally supported research.

As many of my colleagues have stated today, scientists at Wake Forest University and Harvard University reported 4 days ago that they've drawn incredibly promising stem cells from amniotic fluid.

To quote Anthony Atala, the director of Wake Forest's Institute for Regenerative Medicine, ``They grow fast, as fast as embryonic stem cells. But they remain stable for years without forming tumors''.

This means that if 100,000 women were to donate amniotic cells, scientists could have enough diverse cells to provide compatible tissue for most Americans.

All of this without destroying embryos for research that hasn't proven it can cure a single ailment.

Perhaps we're having the wrong debate today. If we can derive disease treatments from cells without destroying embryos, isn't this the best option for Federal funding?

Embryonic stem cell research is legal in this country. Our debate is about the expansion of Federal funding to cover the destruction, and the eventual creation of embryos for the sole purpose of research.

I ask my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill, particularly in light of new research that could provide an alternative.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to honor and recognize the students, teachers and administrators at Sun Valley High School located in Indian Trail, North Carolina. Over the past two weeks, Sun Valley students have given more than $23,000 out of their pockets to help the less fortunate in their area. This money will go to a program called the Sun Valley Children's Christmas Party, which will help needy elementary children in their area who won't have a Christmas.

The Sun Valley Children's Christmas Party has been helping impoverished children for more than three decades. It began as a small project to help a handful of needy families experience the joy of Christmas. Today, thanks to the generosity of the Sun Valley community, 30 to 35 needy elementary children, and their families, will have a Happy Christmas this year.

I am most impressed by this effort because it is student driven. Not only do Sun Valley students raise the money, but on December 14th, a group of students will actually pick up the children at school and take them to Monroe Mall where they will purchase them new clothes, shoes, and coats. They take the children to visit Santa, have lunch at Chick- Fil-A, and end their visit by taking the kids to get ice cream. Later, Sun Valley students will shop for essential items, food, and new school supplies for the children, as well as toys and gifts for their brothers and sisters. Then on December 16th, the students will deliver all the gifts to the family as well as food for a Christmas feast.

Leading this student driven program are the co-chairs of the Children's Christmas Party, Student Council President Alexandra Knight Efird, and Student Council Vice-President Paige Lillia Donham. Their hard work has not gone unnoticed. Likewise, the Student Council faculty advisors, James P. Wall IV and Christopher Martin, have also worked countless hours to help the students in their effort. I would like to recognize the efforts of students in the classes of Mr. Wall, Mr. Reynolds, and Mr. Faulkner. They raised the most money out of all the classes at Sun Valley, and Mr. Reynolds class alone raised over $2,000 for this effort.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to say that I represent Sun Valley High School. In a day and age where people tend to think only of themselves, here is a shining example of a group of young people who know what Christmas is really all about. I commend them for their efforts to make their community a better place by helping the less fortunate during this holiday season. I hope that this wonderful effort will continue at Sun Valley for many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 514, I was unable to vote due to unforeseen circumstances. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 514, I was unable to vote due to unforeseen circumstances. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to participate in the following votes. If I had been present, I would have voted as follows:

Rollcall vote No. 474, on agreeing to the resolution H. Res. 1038-- Providing for consid-

eration of the bill 2679, to amend the Revised Statutes of the United States to eliminate the chilling effect on the constitutionally protected expression of religion by State and local officials that results from the threat that potential litigants may seek damages and attorney's fees, I would have voted ``aye.''

Rollcall vote No. 475, on agreeing to the resolution H. Res. 1039-- Providing for consideration of the bill S. 403, to amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit taking minors across State lines in circumvention of laws requiring the involvement of parents in abortion decisions, I would have voted ``aye.''

Rollcall vote No. 476, on Motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 5092--The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, firearms, and Explosives (BATFE) Modernization and Reform Act of 2006, I would have voted ``aye.''

Rollcall vote No. 477, on Motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 4772--The Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2006, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to participate in the following votes due to a delayed flight. If I had been present, I would have voted as follows on June 19, 2006:

Rollcall vote 289, on motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 5540--to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 217 Southeast 2nd Street in Dimmitt, Texas, as the ``Sergeant Jacob Dan Dones Post Office'', I would have voted ``aye.''

Rollcall vote 290, on motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 5504--to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 6029 Broadmoor Street in Mission, Kansas, as the ``Larry Winn, Jr. Post Office Building'', I would have voted ``aye.''

Rollcall vote 291, on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 826--Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that a National Youth Sports Week should be established, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. Chairman, last week, the House passed by a very large margin H.R. 5252, the Communications Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement Act of 2006. As a strong supporter of this legislation, I want to congratulate Chairmen Barton and Upton for authoring a bill that will accelerate the development of next-generation video and broadband competition to all Americans.

I also wish to elaborate on one aspect of this bill dealing with the definition of cable systems and its effect on private cable operations. The Committee Report ``emphasizes that none of the changes to the cable definitions made under Section 102 are intended to affect the application of any of the definitions, including Section 602(7)(B) of the Communications Act (47 U.S.C. 522(7)(B)), which exempts from the `cable system' definition facilities that serve subscribers without using public rights-of-way.''

This means that an entity that constructs facilities for the distribution of video programming entirely on private rights-of-way is not a cable operator, even if the video programming signal is delivered over a telecommunications provider's facility that does use public rights-of-way, if the entity using private rights-of-way neither owns nor controls the facility that transmits its programming over the public rights-of-way. That is the case because Section 602(5) (47 U.S.C. 522(5)) defines a cable operator as a person who provides cable service over a cable system they own or control, and a facility that does not use public rights-of-way is not a cable system under section 602(7)(B).

Mr. Speaker, I am very concerned about the current state of affairs in this country and around the world. We are in the midst of a global fight against terrorism, and cannot allow partisan politics to undermine our efforts to root out this disease.

I rise today in strong support of the brave, young men and women in our military for their sacrifice, dedication and hard work on behalf of all Americans and people fighting for freedom worldwide. Our courageous soldiers have removed a tyrannical dictator from power and are helping eliminate the ability of thousands of terrorists to harm innocent civilians.

The war in Iraq has been difficult, but progress is being made. Last week, al-Zarqawi, the terrorist leader in Iraq, was killed. Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds are working through their differences. Women are now allowed to get an education.

Iraqi units are taking the lead on missions to root out insurgents. And we have already brought 30,000 troops home and turned bases over to the Iraqis; but we cannot leave Iraq and allow it to be turned into a breeding ground for international terrorism. We must not leave this problem to our children or grandchildren. And we must always remember-- we are fighting the terrorists over there so we do not have to fight them here at home! The global terrorist network is constantly recruiting, training and planning its next attack.

That is why we must continue to fight terrorists overseas to try and prevent them from reaching our doorstep. However, we must not be foolish enough to believe that they are not already here. That is why I do not understand why people would have us leave Iraq--Why they would take a defensive stand against terrorism. We had that mindset on September 10, 2001, and it cost us thousands of lives on 9/11.

We must not take the path that is easy. We must take the path that is right. We must take the fight to the terrorists and continue to do so anywhere we are threatened. We must also secure our borders. There is no doubt that our porous borders are vulnerable to people who want to do us harm. Since the deployment of the National Guard to the border, we have already seen improvements in border security. In the first ten days of June, there has been a 21 percent decline in illegal border crossings compared to the same time period last year.

Let us not forget--Terrorism is not an ideology; it is a tactic to make people fearful. Throughout history, terrorism has failed and it will do so again. People in repressive societies yearn for freedom because it is a natural right of humankind. The challenge facing our generation is to help those that seek to be free. This goal is being realized in Iraq and the effects are being felt around the world. We will win the War on Terror.

As we debate this war, let's remember that we are fighting an enemy who wants us dead. This leaves no room for partisan politics. It requires a united America.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to honor and recognize Chris Swecker, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Assistant Director for the Criminal Investigative Division and Acting Executive Assistant Director for Law Enforcement Services. On July 13, 2006, Agent Swecker will be retiring from the FBI. His years of service to America have been invaluable, and he will be missed.

Assistant Director Chris Swecker has served in the FBI since June 13, 1982. In his early years in the Bureau, he served as a special agent in Charlotte, North Carolina and in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Later, he served as a supervisor in the Civil Litigation Unit, Legal Council Division, at FBI Headquarters, as acting Special Agent in charge in Miami and Houston, and as an Inspector with the Inspection Division. He later returned back to Charlotte, North Carolina, to serve as Special Agent in Charge from 1999 to 2004. In 2004, he was promoted to Assistant Director for the Criminal Investigative Division. He has also been serving as Acting Executive Assistant Director for Law Enforcement Services since February of 2006.

Chris has served our country in all these different roles with honor and distinction. His work has made America a safer place. During his time in the FBI, he dismantled a Hezbollah terror cell in Charlotte, served as the commander of FBI operations in Iraq, and captured the top 10 fugitive Eric Rudolph. In addition, he has helped streamline and upgrade the criminal investigation divisions in the FBI so that they are more efficient and effective. He has fought public corruption, violent gangs, has protected America's children, and has even formed special child abduction response teams.

Chris has accomplished all this, while being a loving husband and a father to three daughters. I know I speak for everyone back home when I say thank you Chris, for all your hard work. We are safer because of you. Congratulations on your retirement, and best of luck.

Mr. Speaker, Monday marked the cut-off date for all seniors to sign up for the new Medicare prescription drug plan. And I am happy to announce that more than 38 million seniors, representing more than 90 percent of all seniors on Medicare, now have coverage for prescription drugs.

We created this program because seniors were having to choose between their prescriptions and paying their bills, and now they do not have to make those sacrifices to get the medicines that they need.

I also want to take a moment to thank the countless organizations who helped them and made sure that they signed up for the right plan. They walked them through the process, and I applaud them for that. It was very helpful. And, again, now more than 38 million seniors have coverage for prescription drugs. They have it because we made a promise, and we kept it.

Mr. Speaker, to date, more than 30 million Americans have signed up for the new Medicare prescription drug program, and that is because it saves them money. An AARP survey found that almost 80 percent of those enrolled in the Medicare prescription drug plan say that the new benefit is meeting or exceeding their expectations. Seniors don't have to choose between prescription drugs and paying their bills or putting food on the table anymore.

And there is still time for seniors who are not currently enrolled to sign up for the program. They have until May 15th to sign up without any penalty.

They simply have to call 1-800-MEDICARE and ask about drug savings, and there will be someone there who will help to walk them through the process.

Again, the deadline to sign up with no penalties is May 15, so call and save today.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to participate in the following votes. If I had been present, I would have voted as follows:

February 28, 2006: Rollcall vote 14, on the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 1096, to establish the Thomas Edison National Historical Park, I would have voted ``aye.'' Rollcall vote 15, on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 668--celebrating the 40th anniversary of Texas Western's 1966 NCAA Basketball Championship, I would have voted ``aye.'' Rollcall vote 16, on the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 1259--to authorize the President to award a gold medal on behalf of the Congress, I would have voted ``aye.''

March 1, 2006: Rollcall vote 17, on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 357--honoring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, I would have voted ``aye.''

March 2, 2006: Rollcall vote 18, on ordering the previous question, H. Res. 702--providing for consideration of H.R. 4167, to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the great work of one of my constituents, Dr. Tom Blackwell. Dr. Blackwell is a credit to the medical community in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he serves as an emergency room physician and EMS specialist at Carolinas Medical Center.

In early September, Dr. Blackwell and his team took their hospital on wheels--Carolinas MED-1--to Waveland, Mississippi to care for sick and injured Hurricane Katrina victims.

This mobile medical unit is a one-of-a-kind creation, originally devised by Dr. Blackwell to respond to terror attacks and other national disasters. Its two tractor trailers transform into a 14-bed hospital with operating facilities, radiology, and pharmacy support.

More than 350 doctors, nurses, and other North Carolina medical professionals spent about 2 months in Mississippi--caring for nearly 5,000 patients in a debris-strewn K-mart parking lot. They bravely dealt with life-threatening injuries and other medical needs--from attending to heart attack patients to delivering babies.

Our mobile hospital workers were praised for their effectiveness in the Final Report of the Committee to Investigate the Response to Hurricane Katrina, released on February 15, 2006. Charlotteans and Carolinians alike can be very proud of their neighbors who participated in MED-1's mission to the Gulf Coast, and I thank them for their outstanding service to fellow Americans in need.

Mr. Speaker, due to surgery, I was unable to participate in the following votes. If I had been present, I would have voted as follows:

December 17, 2005:

Rollcall vote 663, on Agreeing to H. Res. 623--Providing for consideration of motions to suspend the rules, I would have voted aye.

Rollcall vote 664, on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 2520--the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act, I would have voted aye.

December 19, 2005:

Rollcall vote 665, on Agreeing to the Conference Report H.R. 1815-- the National Defense Authorization Act of FY 2006, I would have voted aye.

Rollcall vote 666, on Agreeing to H. Res. 639--Waiving points of order against the conference report on H.R. 2863, FY 2006 Department of Defense Appropriations, I would have voted aye.

Rollcall vote 667, on Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree, as Amended to H. Con. Res. 284--Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the 2005 presidential and parliamentary elections in Egypt, I would have voted aye.

Rollcall vote 668, on the Motion to Recommit with instructions H.R. 2863--Making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, and for other purposes, I would have voted nay.

Rollcall vote 669, on Agreeing to the Conference Report H.R. 2863-- Making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, and for other purposes, I would have voted aye.

Rollcall vote 670, on Agreeing to the Conference Report S. 1932--the Budget Reconciliation Act of 2006, I would have voted aye.

Rollcall vote 671, on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree-- Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the education curriculum of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, I would have voted aye.