Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, Meghan is a fourth-generation Texas A&M Aggie. Her decision to attend the prestigious school was never a question in her mind. It was an amazing experience, until it wasn't.

One morning, while serving as a tutor in the athletic department, a member of the Fighting Aggies football team twice her size exposed himself to her not 2 feet away, making sexual advances toward Meghan and becoming aggressive. Terrified and shocked, she abruptly left the room, trying to remain calm as he followed her. Unbeknownst to Meghan, her assailant had done the same thing to another tutor just hours before.

Mr. Speaker, Meghan feels she did not get justice against her attacker. Instead, she tells me, she was failed by a university that was not totally committed to protecting victims.

Meghan was scared of the upcoming process, scared to go back to work, terrified she might run into this individual again.

Before the hearing, the university claimed she did not need a lawyer; the assailant wasn't facing any criminal charges. So she didn't hire a lawyer. But she received no notice that her assailant had hired a lawyer.

Months later, Meghan's assailant was found not responsible for exposing himself to both tutors, with the panel stating it appeared he had a skin condition and simply couldn't control himself.

The response she received was nothing short of appalling. The school said: Sorry, Meghan, that you were offended, but there is nothing else we can do.

So she appealed the case. She still believed in the university and that the university would provide some justice for her. At the appeals hearing, she was informed that the charge against her attacker had been downgraded from sexual exploitation to sexual harassment; therefore, she was removed from the remainder of the hearing.

Doesn't that seem odd, Mr. Speaker?

Also, no one from the university title IX office ever contacted her. She never received any information regarding what sanctions her assailant received, if any. Of course, Mr. Speaker, her assailant was allowed back onto the football team.

Meghan felt abandoned by the university, and she thought the accused was protected due to his special status.

As a former judge, I agree with Meghan that universities must put the safety and care of sexual assault victims first, make it a priority. Together with Carolyn Maloney and Jackie Speier, we have introduced several pieces of bipartisan legislation to end sexual assault on campuses.

First, the Bipartisan Campus Accountability and Safety Act, introduced by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, does many things, including establishing a mandatory victim advocate on campus and ensuring assault situations like Meghan's do not occur.

Second, the HALT Campus Sexual Violence Act, which will be introduced this week by Congresswoman Jackie Speier and me, makes sure that the universities do not shirk their legal responsibilities when responding to sexual assault crimes.

Texas A&M is not alone in this fight to provide a voice for victims. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, each year one in five women will be assaulted while in college. That is a staggering statistic.

Mr. Speaker, Meghan said it best: ``A&M has a chance to be fearless on every front and to be fearless in the face of such horrible things that are happening to victims.''

I applaud Meghan for having the courage to come forward and publicly tell her story to the world. Other victims who have been suffering in silence have been inspired to come forward and rally the cause, forming an organization called the 12th Woman, a group of determined women dedicated to stopping sexual assault on our university campuses.

This is not a question of loyalty and pride in Texas A&M. It is a call to action. The 12th Woman is relentless in bringing change to the way universities address sexual assault not just at A&M, but across the United States.

Mr. Speaker, Congress needs to listen to Meghan and her band of sisters and do what is necessary to make sure our universities are safe from sexual assault on campus.

And that is just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, North Korea's nuclear program is perhaps the greatest threat to U.S. national security, but we must never forget the horrendous plight of the North Korean people.

Little Kim and his dynasty are guilty of some of the worst human rights abuses in human history. Freedom of religion and freedom of speech do not exist in North Korea. Christians are routinely arrested, tortured, imprisoned, and executed, their families sent to prison camps for ``guilt by association.''

Reports estimate that almost 130,000 political prisoners are suffering brutal conditions in highly secret work camps around North Korea. Systematic murder, torture, rape, forced abortions, starvation, and overwork are leading to countless deaths every day, and the Kim regime is giving no signs of relenting.

Despite any nuclear agreement, we must make it clear that the United States will never waiver in its support for basic human dignity of the North Korean people.

And that is just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, seventy-seven years ago this week the Allied forces made a decisive discovery in their war against the fascist Nazi regime.

Throughout the early part of the war, Hitler had the Allies on the defensive.

He marched his armies all the way to British Channel, conquering country after country.

Using the Enigma machine--widely considered completely unbreakable-- the Nazis secretly transmitted messages about military operations across the continent and to every front of the war.

But on July 9, 1941, after years of tireless effort, the Allies finally cracked the code.

They began intercepting German communications with increasing frequency, marking a turning point in the war.

The Allies could now avoid enemy traps, prepare for invasions, and attack weak-spots in Nazi lines.

So today, Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize those who dedicated themselves to breaking he Enigma code, including the brilliant British mathematician Alan Turing.

I would also thank the Allied Military including the U.S. Navy for capturing these Enigma Machines so the code could be broken.

These men and women saved countless Allied lives and helped free Europe and protect the world.

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, ``This is no NATO for deadbeats,'' to quote Wesley Pruden of The Washington Times.

Some of our NATO allies are beside themselves over President Trump's calling out our NATO friends for not helping pick up the tab of 2 percent in military spending.

As a member of the U.S. NATO Parliamentary Assembly, I have been befuddled for years how some of the countries make excuses for not paying their committed share of NATO defense--defense against the Napoleon of Siberia, Putin.

Our ever-proper European friends may not remember that American teenagers went to war and shed blood two times in the last century to help save Europe. Well, Madam Speaker, Americans have not forgotten the American sacrifice in those lands over there.

It is time for all NATO countries to be as concerned about European defense as America is. If President Trump's comments irked the sensibilities of our allies, well, they should just get the message. It is time for NATO to buck it up and keep their word and help pay for our common defense.

And that is just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 11 o'clock and 23 minutes a.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until Monday, July 16, 2018, at noon for morning-hour debate.

Mr. Speaker, recently a large group of Iranian dissidents held a peaceful rally in Paris calling for a free Iran. The participants expressed their demand for an end to the evil regime ruling Iran and a secular democracy put in its place.

We have seen countless times how the mullahs in Iran are not fans of Iranians rallying for freedom. Repeatedly they have responded with violence to crush protests in the streets of Iran, including public hangings of government protestors.

But this year they had the audacity to order an attack on the Iranian dissidents rallying in Paris. European police arrested multiple suspects armed with explosives, including an Iranian diplomat, who intended to target the rally that many Americans, including members of Congress, were attending.

The mullahs in Iran are the leading state sponsors of terrorism, so it should be no surprise that they would attempt to use terrorism to silence Iranians living in exile. The evil of this regime knows no limits. They will murder their own people wherever they speak out. Those responsible, including members of the regime in Tehran, must be held accountable.

The best hope for Iran and world peace is a regime change through free and fair elections. The land of Iran does not belong to the mullahs. It belongs to the people of Iran. It is long past time for the people of Iran to get their land back. The United States should publicly and politically support a regime change from the evil tyrants of Iran.

The cause of freedom in Iran is just and righteous. It will never be silenced. In the end democracy and justice will prevail. The torch of freedom cannot be quenched.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, the cause of the Korean people is essential--not just from a national security perspective but also from a moral obligation as Christians. It is the duty of the free to demand justice for those who suffer under tyranny.

For decades, the North Korean regime has silenced its people and subjected thousands to the most brutal conditions on Earth. The horrific repression of the Kim family is no secret, but lately the focus has been dominated by the nuclear threat.

This is a crucial challenge which we must address. But it must not come at the cost of the Korean people. What would we say to God if we turned our backs on them? That we would have liked to help but we were too worried about our own well-being? This would be unacceptable.

We must not shut the door on their hopes for freedom so that we can live in peace. History has taught us that no man, woman, or child is safe so long as tyrants are able to rule. North Korea is only the most recent example of this enduring lesson.

The Kim regime has ruled the hermit kingdom for three generations, and throughout that time it has crushed all the liberties and human rights of the North Korean people to preserve its power. With unrivaled power over the North, the regime has turned its cruelty towards the outside world. By building nuclear weapons, the regime can hold all of humanity hostage.

Kim Jong Un is hoping through nuclear blackmail, he can force other nations into accepting his rule and his demands. Addressing the nuclear threat cannot be separate from ensuring human rights for all Koreans. The regime must be held to account for its abuses, despite the dangers.

We must not be naive in talks with this evil regime. Many past presidents wanted to believe we could reason with them. But the Kims achieved their power through violence and oppression. Absolute control is what they are accustom to, so negotiating a mutual peace with the world achieves little for them.

For the regime, peace is only acceptable when we remove sanctions, normalize relations, and accept the unfettered imprisonment of the Korean people. But we cannot accept this. We will not be bullied or bargain away the future of Korea's children.

They are entitled to the same freedom and respect which our children enjoy. As we move forward in pursuing denuclearization on the Korean peninsula, we must also advocate for the rights of the Korean people.

For our freedom from fear is inevitably linked to the freedom of the Korean people. Democracies and free societies do not act like this regime--and certainly do not threaten other people's children to achieve their own goals. That is what terrorists do.

We must also keep in mind the broader implications of a deal with the regime. If we reward the Kim dynasty for their development of nuclear arms, we will be setting a precedent for all dictators around the world.

They will see that threatening the lives of millions with nuclear weapons brings rewards and acceptance by the international community. If a deal must be made, it must require safeguards and direct humanitarian assistance for the Korean people.

Kim Jong Un cannot be permitted to use our gestures of good will as a weapon against his people. One day the Korean people will be united in freedom and security. We have it in our power to work towards that goal.

The first step requires us not rewarding the regime's threats. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, millions of data sheets spit out of the printer inside a thick-walled, secure facility. Across the top are Americans' names, a list of phone numbers dialed, the time and date called, and the frequency in which they called or texted a person.

``Who is doing this?'' you might ask. A criminal organization? A private investigator? Who is intentionally stalking and gathering data on innocent American citizens without their knowledge?

Well, it is not a nefarious organization operating behind closed doors. It is not the Russians. It is the spying eyes of the United States Federal Government.

In the aftermath of 9/11, the government authorized once-secret programs by the NSA to collect information on bad actors, primarily terrorists, who wish to create mayhem. They were terrorists overseas.

As the subcommittee chairman of Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, I agree that we should go after terrorists. Our government should use techniques they have on those people who wish to destroy America and find out what those terrorists are doing.

But despite the overall intention of the law, the program has been corrupted. Not only does the NSA collect information on terrorists, which they should do, but it collects data on ordinary American citizens, including communications, emails, and text messages.

The government does not have a specific Fourth Amendment warrant to collect and search this data on Americans, but it does it anyway. The Fourth Amendment says the warrantless search and seizure is unconstitutional without a probable cause warrant. But the government ignores the Constitution.

This sensitive information is placed into a searchable database by the government, a secret database. Sometimes the government decides to go into that database that was seized without a Fourth Amendment warrant and checks to see how many times a name comes up. They take that information and do a reverse search, checking to see if the citizen's identifying information is in the database.

Remember, Mr. Speaker, this is done by our government on Americans, in secret, without a Fourth Amendment warrant.

For years, the NSA has refused to provide data on the number of Americans swept up in their secret searches. I have advocated for years that the NSA level with Americans, our government, and the Congress as to how much information they are seizing.

Several months ago, the House voted for a flawed FISA bill, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which, unfortunately, reauthorized the warrantless surveillance of American citizens. The only good thing to come out of this spying bill is a hard-fought provision releasing the numbers of Americans wrapped up in government spying. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, they paint a grim picture for the privacy of Fourth Amendment protections.

In 2017 alone, the NSA unconstitutionally gathered data on 7,512 U.S. persons, a search without a probable cause warrant. This is up from 5,288 in 2016.

According to a previous report by The Washington Post, 90 percent of the account holders whose communications were collected were not targets. That means the government was just fishing around in the data they had collected and searching information on Americans without a warrant.

Privacy must not be forsaken on the false altar of national security. As a former judge, I am very concerned about the loss of our Fourth Amendment right of privacy in the United States based on this unconstitutional action by the NSA.

The Fourth Amendment is sacred to this country and to the Founders who drafted it. It is up to Congress to uphold Americans' Fourth Amendment rights. We must reform an article called 702 to require that if the government wants to look at the data that was seized on Americans, they do it with a search warrant, based on the Fourth Amendment. If they don't have a search warrant based on the Fourth Amendment, then they cannot seize and go through that information.

It is a very simple concept, Mr. Speaker, and I would hope that Congress would act to stop our government from spying on American citizens in the name of national security. It is unconstitutional.

And that is just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, 100 years ago, on November 11, 1918, the war to end all wars came to an end.

Over 4 million American doughboys went off to fight on the battlefields and in the brutal trenches of Europe. Mr. Speaker, 116,000 of America's sons and daughters were killed in combat, and 200,000 more were wounded.

All the survivors of the great World War I have since died. They are no more. We must never forget their selfless sacrifices to make this world a freer place.

Last year, our country finally broke ground in Washington, D.C., on a memorial to honor their service to our country. I am privileged that Representative Cleaver and I helped make this memorial a reality. Forever their sacrifice for this Nation and this world will be preserved in bronze and stone in the heart of this city.

May our country never forget their sacred pledge, recited in George Cohan's song:

We'll be over,

We're coming over,

And we won't come back,

Till it's over, over there.

And that is just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, America's Peace Corps volunteers are our angels abroad. They represent the very best about America. They give years of their lives to help people they have never met in some of the most remote areas of the world.

Often this means putting their own safety at risk, expecting the United States to have their backs. But right now we are not doing enough to protect them while they are overseas. This will change with the Sam Farr and Nick Castle Peace Corps Reform Act sponsored by myself and Joe Kennedy of Massachusetts.

Many returning volunteers, like Sara Thompson, struggle to receive the medical care they need while they are in a foreign country. Sara's troubles began when the Peace Corps prescribed a medication called mefloquine to protect her from malaria. But during her service in Burkina Faso, she began to have horrific nightmares and struggled with her mental health. When she turned to the Peace Corps for help, the medical officer excused her symptoms by simply saying: You are not adjusting well.

The nausea and nightmares continued. With no support from the Peace Corps, she started to research the problems. It was then she realized the malaria medicine the Peace Corps had given her was making her sick. But today she still deals with these medical issues and feels abandoned by our Peace Corps.

Peace Corps volunteer Nick Castle died in rural China after an inefficient, under-equipped, and unresponsive Peace Corps-led medical team made gross mistakes in treating his illness.

The Sam Farr and Nick Castle Peace Corps Reform Act establishes criteria for in-country medical doctors and ensures that they have the resources they need to take care of our volunteers. Giving our volunteers the best medical care possible is an absolute necessity when they are serving America.

There is more. A brave volunteer told me recently about the daily sexual harassment she experienced while she served overseas. In broad daylight, men would grope and threaten her as she walked home from school. One afternoon at the market, the cashier threatened to break into her house in the middle of the night and sexually assault her. So she reported this to the Peace Corps, and they assured her that these men were just joking. No surprise, the harassment continued.

Finally, she made the decision to return to America. She could no longer bear the constant hostile environment. The Peace Corps recorded her reason for leaving as difficulty in adapting to the culture. In other words, the sexual assaults were her fault.

Are you kidding me?

Sexual assault and harassment should never be excused as joking and should never be brushed off as a cultural norm.

Mr. Speaker, as a former judge and co-chairman of the Victims' Rights Caucus, I would point out that sexual assault is never the fault of the victim.

This bill creates new trainings and safeguards to protect volunteers from sexual assault and harassment. It also makes the Office of Victim Advocacy a permanent establishment.

Then there is Peace Corps volunteer Jennifer Mamola. Early one morning, Jennifer was walking with two friends to a bus stop. Out of nowhere, a drunk driver ran into them. One volunteer was killed. Both of Jennifer's legs were broken. So she returned home to America still bedridden and loaded on pain medication. She faced an uphill battle of endless bureaucracy to receive treatment and surgeries. After months of fighting government bureaucrats, she was finally granted treatment.

Far too often volunteers fall between the cracks and are forced to pay exorbitant medical bills out of pocket until the Department of Labor decides to cover their medical situation. So this bill would provide medical coverage to returning volunteers while they wait for the Department of Labor to give them the medical benefits they deserve.

The changes in this bill will go a long way in keeping our volunteers safe.

The bill provides Peace Corps volunteers critical information regarding the country that they are going to serve in. It also requires the Peace Corps to provide volunteers with access to medical doctors while they are overseas. And it makes the Sexual Assault Advisory Council and Office of Victims' Advocacy permanent. It also extends volunteers' medical benefits upon their return home until their coverage kicks in from the Department of Labor.

Mr. Speaker, we must not continue to send our volunteers out into the world without adequate protections against harm. Give them a qualified medical doctor, and we must have an effective healthcare system to take care of them when they return. Our government should fight for our Peace Corps volunteers, not fight against them.

And that is just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, this week President Trump will join our allies for the important NATO summit. At the top of this list must be countering Russia's aggression and imperialism against our allies and the U.S.

But to achieve this, everyone must contribute to the cause. Of the 29 nations within NATO, only 8 members--including the United States--are meeting the 2 percent of GDP pledge for defense spending.

For years, there has been a historical problem of excuses made for noncompliance by some of our NATO allies. President Trump is right to bluntly encourage our friends to meet their obligations to deter Czar Putin.

Neighbors in Texas ask me: Why does the United States spend more money defending some European countries than the countries do themselves?

Fair question.

Mr. Speaker, I support NATO, but our NATO allies would do well to stop criticizing the U.S. commitment to NATO and, rather, fully fulfill their commitment to our mutual defense. It is time to belly up to the bar and pay their share.

And that is just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the 29 countries and whether they are meeting their 2 percent guideline or not.

NATO Members Meeting 2% Guideline

1. United States

2. United Kingdom

3. Greece

4. Estonia

5. Poland

6. Lithuania

7. Latvia

8. Romania

NATO Members Not Meeting the 2% Guideline

1. Albania

2. Belgium

3. Bulgaria

4. Canada

5. Croatia

6. Czech Republic

7. Denmark

8. France

9. Germany

10. Hungary

11. Italy

12. Luxembourg

13. Montenegro

14. Netherlands

15. Norway

16. Portugal

17. Slovak Republic

18. Slovenia

19. Spain

20. Turkey

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2259) to amend the Peace Corps Act to expand services and benefits for volunteers, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel for marking up the Sam Farr and Nick Castle Peace Corps Reform Act. This act is named after two former Peace Corps volunteers. Sam Farr served with us here in the United States Congress.

I also thank Representative Kennedy from Massachusetts, who was also a Peace Corps volunteer several years ago, for his cosponsorship of this legislation to protect our Peace Corps volunteers. I call them our angels abroad.

Recently, I have heard too many stories of young, eager volunteers who selflessly give away years of their lives to help other people in foreign countries, countries that many Americans have never even heard of, but sometimes these Peace Corps volunteers are let down by the organization that they gave so much to.

Jennifer Mamola was hit by a drunk driver while serving in Uganda. She was at a bus stop with another volunteer, who was killed by the drunk driver. Jennifer had both of her legs broken.

When she returned home, still bedridden and loaded on pain medication, she faced an uphill battle to get medical treatment and endless bureaucracy from our own government. After months of fighting the system, she was finally approved for medical treatment, only to have her case continuously reopened.

Others tell of their struggle to receive quality medical care and protection while they are abroad in foreign countries.

Sara Thompson suffered for months from terrible nightmares and nausea. When she turned to the Peace Corps doctors, they attributed her symptoms to ``not adjusting well'' in the foreign country.

Not until Sara conducted her own research back in the United States did she realize that the malaria medicine the Peace Corps had prescribed for her was the thing that was making her sick. Her doctors never recognized the symptoms. Sara still suffers from these symptoms and this misdiagnosis and feels that the Peace Corps abandoned her.

Another brave volunteer told me about the sexual harassment she experienced while serving overseas in a foreign country. During broad daylight, men would grope and threaten her as she walked home from school. This harassment went on for months and months. When she reported this to the Peace Corps, the Peace Corps assured her that the men were just joking.

Are you kidding me, Mr. Speaker?

When she could no longer bear the harassment, she returned home, and the Peace Corps recorded her reason for leaving the Peace Corps as ``difficulty adapting to the culture.''

Sexual assault and harassment should never be excused as joking. It should never be brushed off as a cultural norm. And, Mr. Speaker, sexual assault is never the fault of a victim.

As a former judge, I can tell you that it is our duty to do everything within our power to protect these ambassadors, these angels abroad.

The Sam Farr and Nick Castle Peace Corps Enhancement Act of 2018 builds on and extends protections for our volunteers which became law as a result of the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 2011, which I introduced, and it finally became law in 2011.

H.R. 2259 protects volunteers at every stage of their service with the Peace Corps: The onboarding process, their time in-country, and when they return home. During the onboarding process, this bill requires the Peace Corps to provide information on health risks and crimes to volunteers up front so that they can be informed and make a good decision on where to serve. Sometimes Peace Corps volunteers have no idea about the assaults that take place in these foreign countries. Those days will be over.

While they are deployed in the country, this bill requires the Peace Corps to make sure volunteers have access to qualified medical doctors. These doctors must consult with outside experts and the Center for Disease Control on best practices, particularly on mental health and malaria medications.

We also added important provisions on protection from sexual assault and harassment recommended by the Office of Special Counsel in a report that was released by them this year.

H.R. 2259 extends the Sexual Assault Advisory Council for an additional 5 years. It makes the Office of Victims Advocacy permanent. Both of these valuable resources for volunteers who have been assaulted or harassed would have expired this year.

And finally, when volunteers return home from their service with illnesses and injuries that they received overseas, they should not have to spend months dealing with bureaucratic red tape so that they can get medical care. This bill will ensure that they immediately receive the medical care and mental healthcare that they need and deserve.

Peace Corps volunteers, Mr. Speaker, are the face of our country in places where America's shining beacon of hope and liberty has not always shined so bright. They promote goodwill and a better understanding of the United States. This helps to ensure an enduring partnership with our Nation.

But most of all, they do good things. They do good because they are good. They change lives every day in the local communities that they serve; and we, at home, must ensure we are doing all we can to minimize unnecessary dangers for these volunteers. The Sam Farr and Nick Castle Peace Corps Enhancement Act of 2018 is a crucial step.

So I thank the Speaker for bringing this bill to the floor, and I urge my colleagues to support this critical bill, and the Senate to take it up as soon as possible.

I also would like to thank my staffers, Oren Adaki, Patrick Megahan, and Luke Murry in the Majority Leader's office.

Peace Corps volunteers, Mr. Speaker, are the best that we have in this country, and that is just the way it is.

I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and

Government Reform,

Washington, DC, June 12, 2018.

Hon. Edward R. Royce,

Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of

Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: I write concerning H.R. 2259, the Sam

Farr and Nick Castle Peace Corps Reform Act of 2018. This

bill contains provisions within the jurisdiction of the

Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. As a result of

your having consulted with me concerning the provisions of

the bill that fall within our Rule X jurisdiction, I agree to

forgo consideration of the bill, so the bill may proceed

expeditiously to the House floor.

The Committee takes this action with our mutual

understanding that by foregoing consideration of H.R. 2259 we

do not waive any

jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or

similar legislation, and we will be appropriately consulted

and involved as the bill or similar legislation moves forward

so we may address any remaining issues within our Rule X

jurisdiction. Further, I request your support for the

appointment of conferees from the Committee on Oversight and

Government Reform during any House-Senate conference on this

or related legislation.

Finally, I would appreciate a response confirming this

understanding and ask that a copy of our exchange of letters

on this matter be included in the bill report filed by the

Committee on Foreign Affairs, as well as in the Congressional

Record during floor consideration thereof.

Sincerely,

Trey Gowdy.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, when I travel overseas in foreign countries, I, like many of the members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, try to meet with our Peace Corps volunteers. Most of those volunteers are in Third World countries, and I have had the honor to meet with them. They have come down from the mountains in Peru to meet with me and other Members.

One thing is universally true about all of them: They love being a Peace Corps volunteer. They love working in that country and doing things in that country most of us would never do, but they do it because they are good, and they do good.

And when the Peace Corps volunteers came to me first a few years ago about some of the things that were happening in the Peace Corps, they all made it clear to me that, even though these bad things happened to them while they served in the Peace Corps, whether it was being assaulted overseas, lack of medical attention by the Peace Corps, whatever, they all still supported the Peace Corps. They were not bitter about the Peace Corps. They weren't mad at the Peace Corps. Many of them said they would volunteer again if they could.

They are remarkable individuals. They are the best that we have in this country who represent us all over the world doing good things for people.

Of course it helps the United States politically, but, more importantly, it helps these people in these countries to have things that they would never be able to have without these Peace Corps volunteers working with them and helping to make a sanitary environment, helping them to market such things as guinea pigs, as I learned in Peru.

They are remarkable individuals, and I want to make that very clear that the Peace Corps volunteers support making the Peace Corps better, but they support the Peace Corps most of all.

Let me just mention this about Nick Castle. He died while he was in China. He died because he did not get adequate medical attention, medical attention that the United States was responsible for making sure that he got that he did not get, and because of that, he died in- country. So this bill is

named after Nick Castle, and it is named after Sam Farr.

I want to also say again how much I appreciate Joe Kennedy from Massachusetts being the cosponsor of this, him being a Peace Corps volunteer, his family being supportive of the Peace Corps. One of the best things the United States ever did was when John F. Kennedy invented the Peace Corps.

We should continue to send our angels abroad, representing the United States, representing what is good, and we should support them when they are overseas, when they return home, and after they have even left the Peace Corps. Our government should work to help the Peace Corps, not work against the Peace Corps.

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

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, Pakistan continues to be an unreliable partner in the fight against terrorism.

For two decades, we have hoped that Pakistan would clear the terrorist safe havens along the Afghan border and end its support for terrorist groups with American blood on their hands.

We have paid them $30 billion to do this over the past 16 years, but Pakistan still has proven it is not serious about combating terrorism outside its borders.

Despite our efforts, such groups as the Taliban, the Haqqani Network, and al-Qaida continue to survive because their leaders live in Pakistan.

Pakistan accepts no responsibility for terrorists in Pakistan. Instead, it condemns us for pursuing terrorists living on its soil.

Pakistan does fight terrorist groups that threaten Pakistan, but does not fight those groups that attack its neighbors. In many cases, it actually supports those groups.

The group behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks known as LeT received support and instruction by Pakistani intelligence.

Pakistan extremist views are common in the nation. Pakistan actually holds multiple centers of indoctrination that radicalize Pakistani youth by the thousands.

One of these centers has so many terrorist graduates that it has earned the name the University of Jihad. So Pakistan is not just supporting terrorists; it creates terrorists.

The fact that we call Pakistan a major non-NATO ally boggles the mind. This is nonsense.

Pakistani sponsorship of terrorism goes back for decades. It has proven a safe haven and supported the Haqqani Network since the 1980s, allowing the group to become one of the largest killers of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.

It has supported terrorist groups of all stripes, including in Kashmir in its proxy war with India since 1990. Beginning in the 1990s, Pakistan reportedly provided training, intelligence, and material support to the Afghan Taliban. Pakistani nuclear scientists even met with senior al-Qaida leaders in 1998 to discuss nuclear technology.

After 9/11, Osama bin Laden and his men fled, guess where. To Pakistan, where he was eventually killed 10 years later by the Americans.

Pakistan has moved quickly to revive the Taliban after its defeat and has facilitated arms purchases for al-Qaida. Mr. Chair, Pakistan's behavior has never changed.

Just a few weeks ago, the new commander of the coalition forces in Afghanistan told Congress, my committee, that Pakistan is the biggest obstacle to stabilizing Afghanistan, and the U.N. Ambassador from Afghanistan told the U.N. that the problem in Afghanistan is Pakistan.

We have fooled ourselves into thinking Pakistan is a partner. We poured billions of dollars into Pakistan hoping and praying they will change, but they

have not. We are continuing to pay them for bad behavior.

That is why I have introduced amendment No. 20 to the underlying bill, to cut $200 million of coalition support that we give Pakistan. If it were up to me, I would cut all $700 million, but $200 million is a good first step.

We should not pay Pakistan to betray us, Mr. Chair. They will do it for free.

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

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

Mr. Chairman, I come down here every year on this type of amendment.

When I came to Congress 14 years ago, I went to Afghanistan and I went to Iraq. I visited with our troops. Since that time, I have on my wall 40 Americans of all races and most branches who have been killed in Afghanistan or Iraq.

When I was there in Afghanistan, I was down on the border with our troops and the British troops. They are on the border to protect Afghanistan from the terrorists coming in from Pakistan. I don't understand why we continue to pay Pakistan money.

This legislation doesn't cut the whole fund. It cuts $200 million of the $700 million fund to get the attention of the Pakistanis so that they can't keep playing it.

I am sure the Pakistanis are glad that I am leaving Congress. I won't be back here next year to offer this amendment.

But really, I have great respect for the chairwoman and the ranking member on this issue, but I think that we should not pay Pakistan to continue to hate us because they will do it for free. I think we should do it to protect our troops that are on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

And that is just the way it is.

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

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, the rain came down, the bayous and creeks rose, and the wind blew. It was as if it would never stop raining. It was Hurricane Harvey last September. After it was over, 55 inches of water had hammered the Houston area.

But in the rainy haze, Officer Norbert Ramon appeared. But Officer Ramon, a 55-year-old officer of the Houston Police Department, was sick. He had stage IV colon cancer. He was undergoing treatment, and doctors said that he had only a few years to live.

However, the 24-year veteran of the Houston Police Department jumped into the flooded aftermath of the hurricane despite his cancer. Officer Ramon sloshed through bacteria-filled waters, putting his own life at risk.

Over the course of 4 days, he rescued 1,500 Houstonians stranded in the flood. He said: ``My main concern was to help the citizens. Nothing else was on my mind. I didn't worry about me or anything.''

As the waters receded and the Texas Sun came out through the blue sky, Mr. Speaker, Officer Ramon headed back to the hospital, returning to his treatments. Despite a hard-fought battle, Officer Ramon lost his fight against a cancerous invader.

Taps sounded today, Mr. Speaker, as hundreds of peace officers and citizens of Houston honored the life of one of Houston's finest.

Officer Norbert Ramon stood Houston strong. Mr. Speaker, they don't make `em like him anymore.

And that is just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, Texas has a proud history, and the names of Texas heroes--Sam Houston, Juan Seguin, and, my hero, William Barrett Travis--are still remembered and venerated by Texans. Two names that are often unjustifiably left out of this group are James and Jane Long.

A veteran of the War of 1812, Dr. James Long was a doctor living in Natchez, Mississippi, in 1819. In that year, the United States and Spain agreed on the Adams-Onis treaty, in which Spain relinquished control over Florida and the United States rescinded claims to the land west of the Sabine River in Texas.

Long and his friends didn't like that they no longer had access to a land they considered their birthright. They decided to take action.

Dr. Long proposed the establishment of Texas as an independent and sovereign nation. Together with eighty of his friends, as well as his wife, Jane, and their newborn infant, Long rode to Nacogdoches. By the time his group reached the Texas settlement, they were over 300 strong. Internal resistance and uncertainty had plagued Spanish Texas, and so Long's party easily took control of Nacogdoches.

They then gathered for a solemn convention. On June 23, 1819, under the heat of the Texas sun, the group proclaimed Texas a free and independent nation and elected Dr. Long as its first president. They became the first to champion the Lone Star. Indeed, the Lone Star featured prominently on their flag, which adopted the 13 red and white stripes of the American flag and placed a single star in the top left- hand corner.

The fate of Long's new Texas Republic was cruel and short-lived. Spanish forces, upon hearing of Long's presence in Nacogdoches, marched east from Bexar (modern-day San Antonio) and drove Long's forces out, killing his brother in the process. Long traveled with his young family to New Orleans, and, determined not to give up on his dream, attempted to stir up support for a second expedition. He found a willing partner in Don Felix Trespalacios, and in 1829, the two departed by sea, bound for the Texas coast.

After landing at a place they named Point Bolivar, in honor of the South American revolutionary, Long took forces inland while Trespalacios sailed onward to spread revolution elsewhere. When his forces took La Bahia, however, Spanish troops struck back and forced their surrender. Long became a captive and traveled to Mexico City to await his fate. Amid mysterious circumstances, Long was shot and killed while in Mexico City, leaving his young wife and two children alone to fend for themselves at Point Bolivar.

Texas women are fiercely courageous, and Mrs. Long was no different. Though she was just twenty-one years old, she was determined not to become a victim of her own circumstances. She fended off would-be Indian assailants while wintering in Galveston Bay, and in the spring, she traveled on horseback with her two young children and an enslaved woman to Bexar and then to Monterrey, hundreds of miles across the open, rugged Texas landscape. She was determined to bring her husband's murderer to justice, but even her indomitable spirit could not overcome a turbulent political climate. Unsuccessful but not unbowed, she rode back to Mississippi with her children. She later made her way back to Texas, settling at Richmond near the coast, and died on Texas soil in 1880.

Mr. Speaker, James and Jane Long are vital to the history of Texas. These two individuals helped sow the seeds of independence in the minds of Texans. Members of Long's expedition, in particular Ben Miram and Jim Bowie, later played integral roles in winning Texas independence from Mexico. While their contribution has often been overlooked by history, their names should live beside those of Houston, Seguin, and Travis as true Texas heroes.

And that is just the way it is