Floor Statements

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

S. 1421, the Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act, amends the Lacey Act to designate the ``big head'' species of Asian carp as injurious fish. This bill was introduced by Senator Carl Levin of Michigan and recently passed the Senate by unanimous consent. My colleague, Mrs. Biggert from Illinois, sponsored the House companion bill to this legislation, H.R. 3137, and has been a tireless champion of this legislation.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Asian carp were imported by catfish farmers in the 1970s to remove algae from their commercial ponds. During large floods in the early 1990s, many of the catfish farm ponds overflowed their banks and the Asian carp were released into local waterways in the Mississippi River basin.

The carp have steadily made their way north up the Mississippi, becoming the most abundant species in some areas of the river. Dubbed the ``underwater lawn mower,'' these enormous fish have become a menace to native species and their habitats. Asian carp can grow to over 4 feet long and over 100 pounds in weight. These fish can consume nearly three times their body weight in food each day. As a result, Asian carp leave little food or no food supply for the other fish.

As the fish move upstream toward the Great Lakes, they threaten the food supply of sport fish such as the yellow perch, walleye, and small mouth bass. Carp are well-suited to the climate of the Great Lakes region, which is similar to their native Asian habitats.

To prevent the carp from entering the Great Lakes, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Environmental Protection Agency, the State of Illinois, the International Joint Commission, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are working together to install and maintain a permanent electric barrier between the fish and Lake Michigan.

This designation prohibits the importation and interstate shipment of Asian carp unless a permit is issued by the Secretary of the Interior. The penalty for illegally importing or shipping Asian carp is a fine or imprisonment up to 6 months. This bill is supported by Members from both sides of the aisle in

both the House and the Senate. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the author of this bill, the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert).

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

Madam Speaker, the border war continues to escalate. Over 2,200 people have been killed just this year in drug- related violence in Mexico. The battles are spilling over into American communities. The drug cartels are shooting their way across the Rio Grande River. The Federal Government's answer is to put up danger signs: ``Warning, Keep Out of Parts of America. It's Just too Dangerous.'' And now there are reports that the handful of National Guard troops on the borders are going to be reduced. That is no answer.

The National Guard Border Enforcement Act will change all that. It will authorize 10,000 National Guard troops to be put on the border. The troops will be paid for by the Federal Government under the supervision of the Border Of Governors. Now that's a plan we can live with. Otherwise the border war will continue in the valley of the gun and the land of lawless days.

And that's just the way it is.

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

I rise in strong, vigorous support of this resolution condemning the continued belligerent behavior of North Korea. Pyongyang's brinkmanship threatens the peace and security of not only the Korean Peninsula but the whole region.

The artillery shelling of a South Korean island last week was the first such attack directed at civilians since the Korean War in the 1950s. We join our South Korean allies in mourning the deaths of both civilians and young Marines and offer our sincere condolences to the victims' families.

In addressing another Korean crisis, as a presidential candidate almost six decades ago, Dwight Eisenhower said, ``In this anxious autumn for America one fact looms above all others in our people's minds. One tragedy challenges all men dedicated to the work of peace. This word is Korea.''

For the shelling which we condemn today, and the treacherous attack on civilians, is merely the tip of the North Korean spear of hostility.

Another revelation came a mere week earlier of a North Korean secret uranium enrichment plant, a revelation described by a visiting American physicist as ``stunning.''

The plant also laid bare the duplicity, deceit, and treachery with which North Korea has approached the whole denuclearization issue for the past 20 years.

The unconscionable revelations of classified information in the past few days by WikiLeaks have nonetheless opened our eyes to the full extent of the North Korean cooperation with the little tyrant from the desert, Ahdmadinejad, and the Iranian regime on missile technology. Thanks to Pyongyang's proliferation, Iranian warheads, possibly carrying a nuclear payload, can now reach American allies in the Middle East and even as far away as Europe.

We have also learned that Air Iran transports landed at a Beijing airport to carry missile equipment from North Korea to Iran. There is indeed a North Korean-Iranian axis of evil with malice toward mankind. Its linkage runs right through the heart of Beijing, China.

Does China, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, have no guilt or have no shame when it blatantly disregards the Security Council's resolutions directed at both Pyongyang and Tehran?

In that anxious autumn of 1952, Dwight Eisenhower pointed to his World War II experience as a roadmap for dealing with the dictators of Pyongyang. ``I know something of this totalitarian mind,'' the General said. ``Through the years of World War II, I carried a heavy burden of decision in the free world's crusade against the tyranny then threatening us all.

``World War II should have taught us all one lesson. The lesson is this: to vacillate, to hesitate, to appease--even by merely betraying unsteady purpose--is to feed the dictator's appetite for conquest and to invite war itself.''

Without firm resolve, more Six Party tea parties in Beijing, as proposed by China, will prove as meaningless as those that have occurred in the past. Beijing must come to understand and clearly demonstrate that it will no longer provide diplomatic, economic, and even military cover for Pyongyang's dangerously recklessly behavior.

From the Mediterranean to the Yellow Sea, through missiles and artillery, North Korea has become an increasing threat to the peace and the stability of the community of all nations. China must firmly rein in its out-of-control puppet state before events spiral completely out of control.

The risks are grave, Mr. Speaker. Our resolve must be firm as we stand with our South Korean allies in their hour of potential peril. I urge my colleagues to give their vigorous support to this resolution, which I am proud to be a cosponsor.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Djou).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), who is the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee, Dr. Roe.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, the United Nations reports that North Korea trades in missiles and nuclear technology with not only Syria and Iran, but even Burma. And this is a grave situation since China won't do anything, and North Korea takes our western money with the empty promises of peace, but still rattles its sabers and soon will rattle its nuclear weapons.

The United States must finally adopt a policy that holds both North Korea and China accountable for their belligerent actions against South Korea and the free world.

I do want to thank the chairman for bringing this strong resolution to the House floor. I urge all my colleagues to adopt this resolution.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

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

This companion bill to S. 3844 ensures that the proposed nuclear cooperation agreement with Australia is approved before the existing agreement expires at the end of this calendar year.

Since the Australia 123 agreement was submitted on May 5, changes to the announced House schedule created the possibility that Congress might possibly adjourn before the agreement met the Atomic Energy Act's requirement of a review period of 90 days of continuous session.

The direct result would have been a disruption of several months of our nuclear trade and cooperation with Australia, which supplies the United States 25 percent of its uranium. But now it appears that the projected extension of the lame duck session will be sufficient to meet the 90-day requirement.

However, there are still several reasons the House should still vote to pass this bill. The most important is the opportunity to express our strong support and admiration for our close ally, Australia. For seven decades the United States and Australia have developed ever closer ties, which have been repeatedly tested in both war and peace.

Beginning in World War II and extending through Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and now Afghanistan, the United States and Australian troops have fought side by side. In fact, Mr. Speaker, Australia has been a loyal ally in every major war since World War II that the United States has fought in.

Without its bedrock support, the defense of our interests in the East and South Asia would be greatly undermined. Reliable allies are rare in this world, and close friends are even rarer.

This bill also is a recognition of Australia's exemplary record in preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons worldwide. It has taken responsibility very seriously and cooperated closely with the United States on nonproliferation issues across the board, most recently by joining with us to impose new and tougher sanctions on Iran.

There is another and equally important reason the House should vote for this bill: Namely, to demonstrate the contrast between this nuclear cooperation agreement with Australia and that proposed for Russia, which is also before Congress and which also faces an expiration of the 90-day deadline.

While Australia has been a reliable ally and a partner and honest with the United States, Russia has worked to undermine our interests around the world, from Iran to Europe and Venezuela to Syria. Moscow's overt and covert assistance to Iran's nuclear program has been crucial to Tehran's progress in developing a nuclear weapons capabilities.

It has built the Bushehr nuclear facility, which is scheduled to come online in January, and the Russians have said they are ready to construct several more. Russia has repeatedly acted to protect Iran from international pressure aimed at halting its nuclear weapons program.

Its repeated threats to veto any significant U.N. Security Council effort to impose sanctions on Iran have ensured that only weak measures have been adopted, which Tehran has laughed at and ignored. Russia has also signed nuclear cooperation agreements with the rogue regimes in Burma and Venezuela and continues to market its nuclear wares anywhere in the world to anyone that has a little money to spend.

Given this record, an intelligent observer might wonder why we are even considering nuclear cooperation with a country so determined to undermine our interests, that consistently does not tell the truth. Well, the answer is that this nuclear cooperation agreement was offered to Russia first by the previous and then by the current administration as one of a series of gifts in an effort to bribe Moscow into cooperating on Iran.

The strategy obviously has not worked, and the agreement certainly cannot be sold on its merits. Moscow sees this as a way to make money, but it is difficult to identify how the United States might benefit from the agreement.

By voting for this bill, the House will reaffirm its strong support for the United States' alliance with our friends and allies, the Australians.

It will thereby demonstrate that we will support nuclear cooperation agreements only with those countries which have earned our trust, which have not aided our enemies, and which have consistently acted to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. Russia meets none of these conditions, and we must not reward it for its actions that, either recklessly or deliberately, have greatly undermined the security of the American people and that of the world as a whole.

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

We have no other speakers, Mr. Speaker.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to first congratulate the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Tanner) for sponsoring this legislation, and I rise in strong support of House Resolution 527, which commends the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany, for its critical support of the NATO Alliance's efforts to promote global peace, stability and security.

The NATO School in Germany provides support and training for NATO's operations, including the stabilization mission in Afghanistan and the training of Iraqi officers. The school offers courses and programs to individuals from different countries focusing on peace support operations, arms control and nonproliferation, civil-military cooperation, governance and the building of military capacity in aspiring NATO member states.

As we all know, the NATO Alliance was the heart of trans-Atlantic security during the Cold War and is now transforming itself to address new security challenges. There is indeed a multitude of emerging threats and challenges that the Alliance must play a role in addressing, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and piracy and the challenge NATO faces in the stabilization mission in Afghanistan. Indeed, NATO's performance in Afghanistan will serve as a test with regard to the Alliance's effectiveness and relevance in addressing the security challenges of the 21st century.

As the measure notes, the NATO School itself is playing an important role in ensuring that the NATO mission in Afghanistan is a complete success.

Again, I would like to express my support of this resolution, and I urge all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support it as well.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 528, a measure that commends the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies for its efforts to promote peace, stability, and security throughout North America, Europe, and Eurasia.

The Marshall Center, located in Germany, is named after George C. Marshall, a general in the United States Army, who served as U.S. Army Chief of Staff during World War II, and later as our country's Secretary of State under President Harry Truman.

General Marshall is most remembered for his role in formulating the famous Marshall Plan, which sought to help rebuild and strengthen war- torn Western Europe after World War II. The center, established in 1993, plays a significant role in helping the formerly communist countries of Europe and Eurasia to strengthen their democratic institutions while developing security cooperation with the other countries in the trans-Atlantic community.

Thousands of leading officers from dozens of different countries have participated in programs and courses at the Marshall Center focusing on common security threats, the building of defense institutions, and the fostering of partnerships among the nations of North America, Europe, and Eurasia.

Through its program, the Marshall Center also serves as an important tool in strengthening partnerships aimed at addressing new and emerging security challenges, including the proliferation of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. Among other things, this resolution commends the Marshall Center for its work in promoting peace, stability, and security throughout North America, Europe, and Eurasia.

I support this bipartisan measure and urge my colleagues on both sides to support it as well.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Before I yield back the balance of my time, I want to commend Mr. Tanner for this resolution and the previous resolution, and his long-time work with NATO and his 22 years' experience here in the House of Representatives, much of that time serving on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Madam Speaker, the people who want to build a mosque at Ground Zero now want American taxpayers to pay $5 million to help build that mosque. Those who beg for American money to build an insult mosque on Ground Zero disrespect the 3,000 people of all faiths, nations, and religions that were murdered by a radical Islamic faction on 9/11.

Ground Zero is sacred American soil. It's where America was ambushed by killers from the sky. A taxpayer-funded mosque at the site comes across as a memorial and tribute to the radical terrorists that murdered in the name of religion. Such a plan is unwise, insensitive, and shameful.

Those who wish to build a mosque should instead build a monument and a memorial to the victims of 9/11--victims that include Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Otherwise, Ground Zero is off-limits.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, over 2,200 people have been killed just this year in drug-related border violence in Mexico, and some have been Americans. The violence is flooding into American communities. Bullets are literally flying across the Rio Grande River into El Paso, Texas. The drug cartels shoot their way across the border into America, and people are scared.

The Federal Government has a two-part border security plan: one, put up warning signs not to travel parts of America because of the violent drug cartels; and, two, sue States that try to protect their people from illegal entry. That is no competent security plan.

One real answer is to pass legislation to put 10,000 National Guard troops on the border, to be paid for by the Federal Government and supervised by the State Governors.

How much more violence must occur on the border before the Feds actually do the job the Constitution requires? Protect the Nation.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, it was dusk when he left Thailand and entered Laotian airspace. Soon he was flying into North Vietnam as darkness came over the horizon. It was his 25th mission into North Vietnam flying an F-4 Phantom jet.

The date was April 16, 1966. The pilot was Sam Johnson, United States Air Force colonel, and he was doing his second tour of duty in Vietnam. He was flying with the fighter squadron called Satan's Angels. He was a career pilot who had already flown 62 combat missions during the Korean War flying an F-86 Sabre jet. Colonel Johnson also flew with the famed Air Force Thunderbirds.

This is a photograph of Colonel Sam Johnson, United States Air Force.

But this day of April 16th, 1966, Colonel Johnson was shot down by ground fire from the North Vietnamese. He was captured, he was put in a prisoner of war camp, and, Mr. Speaker, he was in that POW camp for 7 years.

Because of the way that he would not give in to the torture and to the interrogation, they moved him to the famous ``Hanoi Hilton'' and a place called ``Alcatraz.'' Alcatraz was where 11 POWs were put because they were the most obstinate POWs, leaders of the other POWs. They were hard-nosed and they had to be segregated, and they called themselves the ``Alcatraz gang.'' They were defiant, and the North Vietnamese called this man right here ``Die Hard.'' They tortured him, but they got no information from him.

During those 7 years he was beaten and tortured, but he never broke down. So then they put him in solitary confinement for 4 years in a cell 3-feet-wide by 9 feet, and he was there for 4 years. During that 4 years, all that was in that cell was a lightbulb that they kept on 24 hours a day. During the nighttime, they put him into leg irons, and during that 4 years, he never saw or talked to another American.

While in the POW camp, he and the other POWs communicated with each other with a code by tapping on the wall, and during that time he memorized the names of 374 other POWs. He kept that memory going so that when he got away or was released or escaped, he would be able to tell their loved ones who they were and where they were.

The torture continued every day. One example was this: One morning the North Vietnamese took him out of his cell and lined him up to shoot him. They told him they were going to kill him in a firing squad. They lined him up. Armed with AK-47s, they pulled the trigger, but there was no ammunition in those AK-47s. They laughed and made fun of Colonel Sam, and all he said was, ``Is that the best you can do?''

For food he ate weeds, pig fat and rice. He went down from 200 pounds to 120 pounds. And after 7 years of confinement, he was finally released with other POWs. He suffered torture and broken bones during that time that he still suffers from today.

He continued to serve in the United States Air Force for 29 total years. While he was in that POW camp, his wife back home in Texas, Shirley, had known that he was shot down, but she didn't know for 2 years where Sam was, whether he was alive, dead, or missing in action. They have now been married for 60 years.

After he left the United States Air Force, he served in the statehouse in Texas, had his own business, and then in 1991 he came and served with distinction here in the United States Congress.

Today, Colonel Sam celebrates his 80th birthday. Down the street, he and a lot of friends, Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle and family, are honoring him on his birthday.

You know, Sam returned home to the United States after his torture and confinement in the POW camps. You notice right here, this patch, Mr. Speaker? You see what this patch says, which is from the 31st Fighter Wing? It says ``Return With Honor.''

Sam Johnson returned to America with honor. He is a special breed. He is the American breed. Where does America find such men as Sam Johnson? He is one of those. And he is that special warrior during even the time he was a captive warrior that never forsook his duty and never forsook his honor.

So, Colonel Sam, we thank you for your service to the United States of America during war and during peacetime. Thank you for serving this great country. You are truly a hero among us.

Here are the commendations that Colonel Sam Johnson received while serving in the United States Air Force:

Commendations

2 Silver Stars

2 Legions of Merit

Distinguished Flying Cross

Bronze Star w/Combat ``V'' (Valor)

2 Purple Hearts

4 Air Medals

POW Medal

3 USAF Outstanding Unit Citations

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, a trip to the airport these days leaves Americans with embarrassing choices. Law-abiding citizens can bare it all through a peekaboo body scanner--or they can get groped in a pat-down search by a Federal employee. Now that's a real choice.

There is no evidence these new body scanners make us more secure. But there is evidence that former Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff made money hawking these full body scanners.

The underwear bomber tried to blow up a plane over Detroit last Christmas. Shortly thereafter, Chertoff went on a media tour promoting the full body scanners. This former Homeland Security chief told everyone we had to have the full body scanners at airports to be safe. Too bad he didn't disclose he was getting paid to sell these intrusive devices. Isn't that lovely?

Meanwhile, the populace is giving up more rights in the name of alleged security. These body scanners are a violation of the Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable searches and seizures. There must be a better way to have security at airports than taking pornographic photographs of our citizens, including children, and then giving apparent kickbacks to political hacks.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, I recently got a letter from a grieving family in Florida. Their young 21-year-old son was killed 3 years ago in a senseless homicide by an illegal. The family is still seeking justice, however. This is their son's story.

On August 15, 2007, Brandon Randolph Michael was on the way to his lunch break. This is Brandon's photograph right here. He was driving to the credit union to cash his payroll check. His vehicle was struck by a car driven by a twice-deported illegal named Mario Tellez. Brandon's car flipped over several times and landed on its hood. Brandon was thrown into a ditch.

The illegal driver, Mario Tellez, got out of his vehicle and calmly sat on the curb. He did nothing to help Brandon. He did not call for aid. He did nothing but watch Brandon struggle when he took his last breaths.

Tellez refused to admit he was driving the vehicle, and Brandon's family had to go through a torturous, lengthy trial.

Brandon's family found out that Tellez had been in this country illegally for 7 years. He was working and sending his money back to Mexico, even after having already been deported two times.

It took a jury only 20 minutes to find him guilty of driving without a license and causing the death of another person, that being Brandon. The defendant was sentenced to only 2 years in the penitentiary, 2 years for taking the life of another individual.

Tellez has now served the 2 years for murdering Brandon Michael, and, upon release, he was deported yet again. But here is the rest of the story.

Tellez's friend, a Richard Curtis, admitted during the trial that he harbored the illegal fugitive for years and hid him out, and Curtis was never prosecuted.

It was Richard Curtis' automobile that Mario Tellez was driving when he killed Brandon Michael. Curtis worked for the Federal Government. And, get this. He worked for the IRS. Don't the laws apply to Federal bureaucrats as well as other people in this country?

So the family asked the Florida State Attorney's Office, ICE, State, and local law enforcement officers to enforce the law. The family is asking them to charge Richard Curtis with harboring, aiding, and abetting an illegal fugitive in this country.

But no one has prosecuted this apparent lawbreaker. And why not? No one seems to be talking. Brandon's family deserves some answers.

Brandon's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Michael, wanted me to know how precious their son Brandon was to them.

Here is what they said about him. They said he was a fun person to be around. He loved life, he celebrated with people, and he was seldom ever sad. He made others happy. He was looking forward to getting married and starting a family. And he was a Dallas Cowboys fan. He played the keyboard. And he played several different sports growing up, from T-ball as a small child to football in high school. He grew up with a loving middle-class family that raised him to respect people and respect the law.

Brandon loved giving to those that had less than him. He helped feed the hungry. He often called his friends and asked them for blankets, coats and shoes so he could give them away to the needy in his area. While in middle school, Brandon and his sister were pages for the local city council meetings. He worked hard for the car that he was driving on that dreadful day he was killed by a person illegally in this country.

Brandon loved animals and had just about every type during his childhood. He wanted to be a veterinarian.

This is a real American family, suffering real consequences because of lax immigration and border enforcement laws in this country. Brandon's life was cut short by a twice-deported illegal who should not have been in the country in the first place.

Brandon's family is a very close-knit group. They told me they have worked hard to raise children that loved the Lord and loved others and loved this country.

The family said others things. The father, Richard Michael, well, first of all, he defended this country for 20 years in the military, and the family feels as though our country has turned a deaf ear on their plight and their situation. Our government officials that they have trusted seem to have turned their backs on this case and Brandon's death.

The time to enforce the laws in this country is now, and they asked me how many American children such as their precious son have to be killed at the hands of illegals before our government gets serious about enforcing the laws of the land? They said, ``We cannot afford to ignore this enormous problem any longer. We don't want another family to endure what we have been through and are still going through.''

Mr. Speaker, Brandon Randolph Michael is worth the fight to get it right in this country, to enforce the laws that we have, to prosecute the guilty, to deport criminal aliens, and to secure the borders, because it is a national security issue to protect the lives of people like this.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, my district is in hurricane alley. Since I've been elected to Congress, we've had five hurricanes: Katrina, Rita, Humberto, Gustav, and Ike. Hurricane season is over in southeast Texas, but hurricane season came late this year to D.C. And as I predicted in September, the fall forecast in Washington was for gale-force winds.

And sure enough, the hurricane hit D.C. on November 2. We warned them. We told them all about the hurricane warning signs. We even gave them an evacuation plan: Stop spending trillions of taxpayer dollars. Say ``no'' to nationalized health care. Stop the government takeover of everything that moves. Stop the taxes, and quit borrowing money from the Chinese. And most importantly, listen to the American people. But they didn't listen, and a hurricane named after the American people blew through town. And it was a category 5, with 63 electoral casualties. The elites and big government control gang have sown the wind, and now they are reaping the whirlwind.

And that's just the way it is.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution provides for consideration of legislation to prohibit the creation and sale of so-called ``animal crush videos.'' These videos depict small animals being slowly crushed to death by women using their bare feet or while wearing high heels.

The FBI, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Justice consider animal cruelty to be one of the early warning signs of potential violence by youths.

All 50 States and the District of Columbia have laws banning acts of animal cruelty such as these portrayed in those videos. However, animal crush videos often do not reveal the identity of those involved, making it difficult for States to prosecute the perpetrators for the underlying animal cruelty. Federal legislation is necessary to address the interstate sale and distribution of these videos, which is often beyond the reach of many States. Federal penalties will serve as an additional deterrent to those who engage in this behavior.

H.R. 5566, the Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act of 2010, responds to the Supreme Court's recent decision in U.S. v. Stevens, which invalidated the Federal animal cruelty statute codified at 18 U.S.C., Section 48.

Originally enacted in 1999, with broad bipartisan support, the statute attempted to address animal cruelty, including crush videos. The law was successful in virtually eliminating the

market for those videos. In light of the Supreme Court's decision, however, the animal crush video industry has reemerged.

H.R. 5566, sponsored by Mr. Gallegly and Mr. Peters, responds to the Stevens decision by specifically criminalizing only animal crush videos. The bill limits this new criminal offense to only obscene material. The Supreme Court has recognized Congress' authority to regulate obscene material as a category of unprotected speech under the First Amendment. The legislation also specifically omits customary and normal veterinary videos, and any depiction of slaughtering, hunting, trapping of animals for food. With this added safeguard for hunters, I support this legislation.

The House of Representatives passed this bipartisan legislation by a vote of 416-3 on July 31 of this year. In September, the Senate approved a revised bill to expand the prohibition to include the creation and noncommercial distribution of animal crush videos, including those videos created overseas but distributed in the United States.

Today we have the opportunity to send the bill to the President's desk and put an end to the revived animal crush industry. Unfortunately, this resolution does not do that; instead, it removes any culpability for those who attempt to make these videos and reduces penalty for coconspirators. By sending the bill back to the Senate today, we guarantee the animal crush legislation probably will not be completed by this Congress and that the animal crush market will continue to grow with little fear of prosecution. It is my hope this outstanding issue can be resolved quickly, however, so that our efforts to curb the proliferation of animal crush videos in this Congress will be successful.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I support this bill which makes corrections to the implementation legislation for The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoptions. Under current law, U.S. citizens can generally adopt foreign children and have those children considered immediate relatives for immigration purposes if the children are adopted while under the age of 16. However, adoptions are also allowed up to the age of 18 in instances in which the U.S. citizens are seeking to adopt an alien child after having already adopted a sibling of the child.

Unfortunately, the implementing legislation to The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoptions did not include the latter provision. Therefore, the Immigration and Nationality Act's provision allowing adoptions of siblings under the age of 18 does not apply to children adopted from countries that are signatories to The Hague Convention. This bill simply extends the provision to these sibling adoptions. The bill also contains one other provision to The Hague Convention. Under current law, prospective immigrants have to be vaccinated against certain diseases before they can come to the United States. There is an exemption for adopted children if the children are 10 years of age or younger and the adoptive parents certify the children will receive the necessary vaccinations within 30 days of coming to the United States. This exemption was enacted in 1997 to ensure that parents don't have to subject children to often unsafe immunizations in foreign countries. However, the exemption does not apply to children adopted from countries that are signatories to The Hague Convention. The bill simply expands the exemption to cover children adopted from The Hague countries as well.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

I yield back the balance of my time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I support H.R. 6397, and I want to commend Mr. Duncan from Tennessee for introducing this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, under the Immigration and Nationality Act, if a U.S. citizen dies while serving honorably in an active duty status in the United States Armed Forces as a result of injury or disease incurred in or aggravated by combat, the citizen's alien spouse can still seek permanent residence as an immediate relative of a U.S. citizen. However, the INA also provides that the term ``spouse'' does ``not include a spouse by reason of any marriage ceremony where the contracting parties thereto are not physically present in the presence of each other unless the marriage shall have been consummated.''

This provision recently came to the attention of Congress through the case of Hotaru Ferschke. Mrs. Ferschke is the widow of late Marine Corps Sergeant Michael Ferschke. Hotaru was born in Okinawa, Japan, and met Sergeant Ferschke there in 2007 when he was stationed at Camp Schwab.

The couple dated for more than a year before he deployed to Iraq on April 15, 2008. The couple learned that Hotaru was pregnant in March of 2008. They had planned to marry before she became pregnant. Mr. Ferschke and Hotaru were married by proxy via telephone on July 10, 2008, while Sergeant Ferschke was in Iraq. They were never able to see each other again after their marriage because Sergeant Ferschke was killed in the line of duty, in combat, on August 10, 2008.

According to the INA, the Ferschkes' marriage is not recognized for immigration purposes because it was never ``consummated.'' However, the State Department and the Marine Corps both agree that the relationship was bona fide.

Today's legislation is designed to help Hotaru and other widows in this terrible situation. It provides an exception to the consummation requirement when the failure to consummate the marriage is attributable to physical separation due to the deployment overseas of one of the spouses in an active duty status in the United States Armed Forces.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the author of this bill, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan).

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