Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, the United States Constitution is a document to limit the Federal Government. Thomas Jefferson said, ``Free government is founded in jealousy, and not in confidence, which (requires) limited constitutions to bind down those whom we are obliged to trust with power.''

As the all-seeing eye of the government tries to take care of us, and since it believes we are subjects incapable of taking care of our own health, nowhere in the Constitution is the Federal Government given the enumerated privilege to make a power grab and control the Nation's health. The Constitution sets limits on what dictates of pain the Federal Government is allowed to inflict on the rest of us. George Washington didn't fight the Redcoats so people would be the subjects of a new oppressive, untrustworthy Federal bureaucracy, and the Colonists didn't die in the War of Independence so a health care czar could have the rule over us. It is an unconstitutional abuse of power to nationalize American health care and trust the government with our health.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, freedom and liberty have always been the American ideal. Core American values have not changed over the centuries. Take a look at the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, and America's values are written down for us. The Declaration acknowledges that our rights come from God, not from government. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are manifested in the Constitution, not granted by the Constitution.

The government doesn't give us our rights, and they can't take them away. Government has no rights. People have rights. Government has power. Government gets power when we give up our rights to government. The American people have made it plain they don't want the government taking over health care. That's not compatible with liberty. America does believe in freedom, that includes freedom of religion and the freedom to exercise our religion. They believe in freedom of the press and the right to peaceably assemble and speak their minds to a government that is not allowed to stop them, especially if the government doesn't like what the people are saying. Americans believe in the God-given right to defend themselves, their families, their homes and their property. We have a right to be free from illegal search and seizure. And the American people believe in fair trials, fair courts and fair play. These are all core American values. They are in the Constitution. Most Americans believe these rights don't change with time. And most of the Americans I represent in Texas believe all these values are fairly well set in stone.

Now, some of these Americans drive trucks, or pickups as we call them. Recently, there have been some derogatory, disrespectful statements made by those who arrogantly dismiss truck owners. However, there are a lot of vocal truck owners in America. The Ford F-150 pickup is the most popular vehicle sold in the United States for the last 28 years; 25 percent of all vehicles sold in America are pickups. And if you add SUVs to the mix, 40 percent of all truck sales, including pickups, are sold to women. Over 40 percent consider their truck more important than their home. As one truck owner told me, ``You can sleep in your truck, but you can't drive your house.''

Not surprisingly, Texas is America's biggest pickup market, and you don't see too many Volvo station wagons where I come from. These Americans who drive trucks, in my opinion, are fiercely independent, outspoken and will tell you they don't belong to a party but they vote for the person. These drivers are of every race and age, and 64 percent say their truck is a manifestation of their character, their personality and their politics.

Truck owners are one voice in America that government would do well to listen to. Contrary to current Washington wisdom, the Americans I know and represent, like truck drivers and others, do not look forward to a day when government, in the name of progressive politics, makes all our decisions for us. This is not a country of weak, timid souls who think government is the answer to every problem and has a better solution than the individuals it rules over. This is not a people of sheep who are afraid to control their own lives and believe government knows best. This is a country of high-spirited individuals that want to be left alone.

Many people I represent believe government is a wolf seeking what liberties it can devour from the people. Americans don't believe our health should be turned over to the Federal Government and made a budget item. We don't want some government bureaucrat deciding we can't have the pacemaker surgery, just take pain killers. That will not work for America. After all, we're not some nanny state, European-style.

Truck owners and other Americans believe in transparent government, not smoky back-room deals that have an odor of corruption, payoffs, and paybacks. The Americans I know believe in hard work and a private economy that rewards hard work with jobs open to every citizen. They believe in enjoying the fruits of their own labor, and they know how better to spend their money than Big Government. Americans believe in giving people a helping hand when they need it, but don't believe in creating a dependent class of people.

Truck owners don't believe in an elite ruling class of D.C. insiders making decisions for the rest of us. Mr. Speaker, I think most Americans believe in the American Dream which is simply this: freedom. This Nation was founded on freedom, and we don't want the government micromanaging our lives. The Americans I know, especially those that drive trucks, want government to remember the beginning of the Constitution, which says, ``We, the people.'' After all, it doesn't say, we the subjects. And as one bumper sticker on a pickup stated, ``I love America. It's government I continue to worry about.''

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, today we honor one of our nation's bravest women, Sgt. Kimberly Munley. Sgt. Munley responded within three minutes after gunfire was reported at Ft. Hood, Texas. If it was not for her quick and heroic response, many more could have been killed. Sgt. Munley was shot during the exchange, but continued shooting at the gunman even after being wounded herself. Her bravery serves as a stark contrast to the cowardly actions of the shooter. Sgt. Munley portrayed the real courage that all of our men and women in the Armed Forces embody that we are all grateful for.

Mr. Speaker, most of the American people oppose the government plan to take over health care. It costs too much; it borrows too much; it taxes too much; it's inefficient; and it gives government bureaucrats the control of our personal medical decisions. We should just fix what's broken.

People should be able to buy health insurance across State lines to get competitive rates. Small businesses should be able to pool together to get better rates through larger risk pools. Businesses that help take care of their employees should get tax breaks rather than tax increases. People should own their own health insurance policies--and that's real portability.

If anybody loses or leaves their jobs, they don't lose their insurance. People should not be cancelled for having preexisting conditions, and we should figure out a way to provide for catastrophic illness, catastrophic injury and affordability.

These are things that most Members agree on. These things don't cost billions of dollars. These things help keep government out of the doctor's office. We should fix what the American people want us to fix and keep the government from destroying America's health.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, since the rebirth of the nation of Israel over 60 years ago, radical jihadists have relentlessly tried to destroy this nation.

Funded by Iran, Hezbollah attacks from the north and thousands of unguided rockets have rained down on Israeli villages. That is right: unguided missiles. That means they deliberately go anywhere and hit anybody where the missile is fired. That includes men, women, children. It doesn't matter to Hezbollah. They want to kill in the name of terror.

Hamas does the same thing in the south. Over 12,000 missiles have been launched into Israel from the Gaza Strip alone. I have been to Israel, and it is a small country. It is the size or smaller than the size of New Jersey. But yet from the north they get missiles, from the south they get missiles. But they still exist, and they have the right to exist. Israeli citizens fight these radicals rather than give up and surrender. After all, victory never comes by taking the path of least resistance.

These are unprovoked attacks into this nation. Israel is assured by us, the United States, that she has the right to defend herself, but sometimes we try to interfere with her own national defense. Israel is our strongest ally in the Middle East, and we need to treat her as such.

The whole situation is made even more complicated by Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons. The Tiny Tyrant in the Desert, Ahmadinejad, has the means to hit Israel with missiles. And not only Israel, but our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world, and to allow Ahmadinejad to have nuclear weapons is not a nuclear option. The Tiny Tyrant Ahmadinejad uses murder and brutality to try to silence protests in his own country of Iran. Imagine what he will do to the world if he has nuclear weapons.

The best great hope for the world is that the people of Iran change their regime, and we should encourage and support the students, the academics, and others not to give in to their oppressive dictator.

Israel has been fighting radical jihadists for decades, and they have been on the front lines. Terrorist attack after terrorist attack, they have endured. We all remember the massacre of Israeli Olympic athletes in Munich in 1972. And then there was the slaughter of Israeli teenagers in a pizza parlor in Jerusalem in 2002.

Radical Islam kills people they hate. They kill them in the name of religion, people of different religions, like Jews, Christians, and even moderate Muslims.

The modern State of Israel was founded in the wake of the Holocaust, after 6 million Jewish people were murdered by the Nazis. The reestablishment of Israel reflects the best conscience of a civilized world. And Israel has the absolute right to exist, just as other nations do; and it has the absolute moral right to defend itself against those who want to eliminate her.

Israel is our partner and ally in this fight against terrorists, terrorists who deliberately target civilians. Innocent women and children are considered military combatants to terrorists. Jihadists use women as hostages and hide behind their skirts for their cowardly cover.

Some history is in store here, Mr. Speaker. Back in 1967, Israel was forced into a war by Arab nations. President Nasser of Egypt threatened to ``drive Israel into the sea,'' and the conflict is now called the Six Day War. The armies of Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon amassed on the Israeli borders, and President Nasser of Egypt ordered the United Nations emergency troops to withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula. So the whole world watched and waited for the destruction of Israel. The United Nations stood by and did nothing.

But to the shock of the world, Israel turned back all of the aggressors in just 6 days and headed to the enemy capitals.

Israel won a defensive war on the West Bank, Gaza, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights. A cease-fire was then negotiated.

International law says that countries must return land gained from a defensive war only under a negotiated peace. So Israel and Egypt have since signed a peace treaty. Israel gave back the Sinai. Time and again Israel has traded land for peace, but it still has no peace.

All of the nations of the Middle East must condemn terror as a policy for change. The Palestinians and Israelis must settle their disputes now, some 60 years later, through mutual respect, cooperation, honesty, and understanding. But intimidation, terror, murder is not an acceptable foreign or domestic policy and should be publicly and jointly rejected by all sides.

Make no mistake about it, Israel will not surrender or retreat in the wake of this violence. Israel shall never give in and never give up the right to exist, whether jihadists like it or not. And the United States should make it clear to terrorists that we will stand shoulder to shoulder with our friends and allies.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, on April 19, 1775, 235 years ago, shots rang out in Massachusetts that forever changed the history of the world. British redcoats were ordered to seize the weapons of the American militia, even though it's never a good idea to try to disarm the American people.

The famous midnight ride of Paul Revere warned the Minutemen that the invincible British were coming. And as the sun rose over the town of Lexington, Massachusetts, the first shots rang out against the British tyranny, shots heard around the world.

At the north bridge of Concord, patriots fought the British Army. The mighty British were defeated and turned back towards Boston. These were the first battles of the American Revolution to throw off the yoke of tyranny for a new idea of freedom.

The people of Massachusetts have fired a second shot heard around the world. Yesterday, they fired back against big, intrusive government, not with bullets, but with ballots. The Senate election was a statement for freedom over oppression. Our government, like the British, would do well never to underestimate the American people.

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding.

When this situation occurred in Haiti, when the earthquake came through and devastated the land, the buildings, and the lives of the people, there were over 30,000 Americans in Haiti at the time. Many of these Americans were there as volunteers to help this struggling nation. They were from churches throughout the United States. They were young people, civic organizations already there helping this struggling nation.

One group particularly, from my hometown of Houston, a group of Rotarians, had just gotten there to work in two places. They were going to work in the hospitals, to make the hospitals better and more convenient and more efficient, and they were also there to dig water wells for the Haitian people. And all of these people that were there from America, most of them, were volunteers.

It has been said that government can never replace a volunteer, and that is true. Americans are the most giving people on Earth, and they were helping Haiti. And I suspect Americans will go and help Haiti again, to volunteer, all of these civic religious organizations. And that is a good thing, because that is what we do in America. We help other people. We help our own people, and we help foreign nations and their people as well, because America in the time of crisis responds.

So I commend the Americans that are working, along with the NGOs and the officials of our government and other governments, in this struggling time to help the people of Haiti get their lives back together so that they can once again be a productive nation in the community of countries.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. First, I want to thank the ranking member, the gentlelady from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) for introducing this resolution, and I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1013, which condemns the violent suppression of legitimate political dissent and gross human rights abuses in the Republic of Guinea.

Analysts have been warning that Guinea, an impoverished yet resource- rich country in West Africa, has been teetering on the brink of chaos for years. Throughout the 1990s, Guinea was flanked by brutal civil wars in neighboring countries. This aggravated existing ethnic tensions within Guinea and left the entire subregion awash with small arms and mercenaries for hire.

Demonstrations throughout the years 2006 and 2007 were brutally put down by military security forces, leaving hundreds dead and thousands injured. The ailing longtime president was so corrupt and unpopular that the citizens of Guinea reportedly readily embraced the military junta to replace him when he finally died in December of 2008. Unfortunately, the junta would not usher in peace. Despite initial positive signals, repeated delays in the elections and the timetable provoked increasing public discontent.

On September 28, 2009, tens of thousands of unarmed civilians gathered at the national soccer stadium to protest against the junta. Security forces responded by surrounding the stadium, blocking the exits, and opening fire with live ammunition on the crowds. In the chaos that ensued, over 150 people were killed; more than 1,000 people were injured; at least 60 women were brutally raped, sexually assaulted, or

killed by security officials in plain sight of commanding officers; and prominent opposition leaders were beaten and arrested while demonstrators and opposing party members were detained without any formal charge.

Almost immediately, the United States, the European Union, and the Economic Community of West African States imposed targeted sanctions against the junta and called for the return of a civilian government. The junta then reportedly starting importing millions of dollars of weapons and recruiting ethnic militias. This prompted analysts to warn that Guinea had become a tinderbox that could blow at any time, potentially taking neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone with it.

On December 3, 2009, junta leader Dadis was shot in the head by an aide and was flown to Morocco, where he remained for nearly 6 weeks. In his absence, the acting junta leader announced that a transitional government would be formed and that the opposition had been invited to select a prime minister. Despite a political agreement between the junta and the opposition being signed this past weekend, the situation in Guinea remains extremely fragile. Details about the formation of a transitional government and eventual return to civilian rule remain unclear. The mere suggestion that Dadis would return to Guinea last week prompted the acting junta leader to threaten his resignation. The junta leadership and the military remain deeply divided. Ethnic militias remain well-armed.

The deterioration of security in Guinea threatens to undermine our massive investment in peace in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and the Ivory Coast. More importantly, a collapse of Guinea would create yet another pocket of opportunity for extremists and narcotraffickers who already exploit West Africa's weak institutions and vast ungoverned areas. To begin to address these issues, the ranking member, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen from Florida, has introduced H. Res. 1013. And this is what it does: It expresses grave concern over the deterioration of security and the rule of law in Guinea. It calls on China to cancel its $7 billion in minerals and infrastructure deal with Guinea. It urges member states of the United Nations to join the United States, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States, and the European Union, in imposing sanctions against the ruling junta in Guinea until constitutional order is restored. It supports regional efforts to resolve the conflict. It calls on members of the ruling junta to uphold their pledges to organize free and fair and transparent elections to restore civilian rule in Guinea. And it expresses solidarity with the people of Guinea during this time of extreme uncertainty in their lives.

I want to thank the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Berman, for supporting this measure and enabling it to come to the floor today. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bipartisan, uncontroversial, and timely resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, in the deep, dark dungeons of this Capitol, the government trolls are writing bills behind closed doors. Their aim has always been to take away our liberty one step at a time. It's what bureaucrats do. They look for ways to grow and take over more of our lives to justify their existence. So these elite government trolls think they know better how to run our lives than we do, and they keep their bills in secret so we, the people, won't know what's in them until it's too late, until the legislation is forced upon an unwilling, misinformed people.

It has been decades since freedom and liberty faced a full frontal assault from a single piece of legislation, a bill that is so damaging in scope that by its passage, American freedom and American health will be sacrificed on the altar of more government control. Of course I'm talking about the universal government takeover of health care. This is the most important piece of legislation in modern history, and we were promised--we were promised that we in this House, we would have transparency. We would see what is taking place.

The administration promised us that transparency. In fact, the administration invited interested parties in health care to the White House to discuss health care. Of course, for some reason I wasn't on that invitation list because I'm always willing to discuss my position and the position of the people I represent. We were promised that cameras would film the transparency, cameras like C-SPAN, cameras like the ones here in the House of Representatives, down the hallway in the U.S. Senate so the American people can see what takes place. I believe in cameras so that the American public can see what happens in our Republic.

When I was a judge back in Texas, I was one of the first judges to allow cameras into the courtroom so the American people could see what took place in a criminal trial. I've offered legislation to have cameras in the United States Supreme Court, in their hearings, so the most important, most powerful Court in the United States and in the world, the people can see what takes place over there. Of course, that legislation hasn't gone anywhere.

And C-SPAN, what do they do? Well, they're not a news organization in the sense that they have commentators. They just film what takes place, and the American public decides. C-SPAN wants to film what is taking place somewhere in the dungeons of this Capitol where the trolls are writing yet another health care bill.

You know, Mr. Speaker, health care is more than about just government control of health care. It's about government control of our lives. It's more about government raising taxes, more government spending, more borrowing from the Chinese and from the Japanese and more oppression. A government takeover of health care is unhealthy, and it's not going to make the American health better. It's going to make the individual health of the American people actually worse, given that the government control over health and health care is not compatible with liberty.

Mr. Speaker, if we love the competence of FEMA and the efficiency of the post office and the compassion of the IRS, we're going to love nationalized health care. Allowing our rulers to construct these bills in secret is exactly how they will bring about these liberty-killing laws.

Patrick Henry, one of my heroes, said, ``The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be secure when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them. Let me repeat that: ``The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be secure when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them.'' And that's exactly what's taking place in this third health care bill that is supposedly being written by Members of the Senate and Members of the House somewhere in this Capitol.

When rulers plot against the people in secret, it makes it hard for the people to fight back because they really don't know what's going on. But, Mr. Speaker, the people are fighting back. They are fighting back with ballots and not bullets. That was proven yesterday in Massachusetts. The way things are running in Washington,

D.C., these days, the proof is purposely hidden from the people. And the question is why. Why can't the people see through C-SPAN what is taking place behind closed doors? Because it's giving power to government and not to the people. And that's why we're not being allowed to see what's taking place.

It's about changing the phrase ``We the People'' to ``We the Subjects.'' And that's why We, the People, aren't allowed to see what's taking place behind these closed doors in secret. So much for transparency. Spending, taxing, regulating and borrowing, that's what's taking place. There is nothing more these days that the taxocrats won't try to tax or regulate.

Ronald Reagan once said, ``Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream . . . It must be fought for, protected and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was like once in the United States where men were free.''

Legislation, Mr. Speaker, especially the most important in recent years, health care, should be done openly, openly so we can see what's taking place. So I say, open up the steel gates, quit hiding the facts from the citizens. Mr. President, open the gates of transparency and openness. And, Mr. President, tear down these walls of secrecy.

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, teachers spend endless hours with our children preparing them for their future. These teachers are a role model for our children and continue to shape them each and every day.

Lamar University honored four area educators on November 5, 2009 to be inducted into the Educator Hall of Fame--Joe Chenella, Ms. Sally House, Dr. Ron Sims, and Ms. Patty Sanderson.

Mr. Chenella started his career at Bridge City High School as a math teacher. After working his way through the system, Mr. Chenella now serves as the Bridge City ISD Assistant Superintendent. He is proud to see his students involved in the community and the leadership roles they have chosen.

Ms. House has taught students in Beaumont, Nederland, Lubbock, and Midland. She has been recognized for her outstanding work and continues her love for teaching by advising our future teachers at Lamar University.

Dr. Sims has a passion for teaching and working with students. He has taught, served as assistant principal, and principal at local schools. He is now serving as Superintendent of Lumberton ISD.

Ms. Sanderson has taught at Langham Elementary in Nederland for the past 14 years. She shows her love of teaching by encouraging her students and being a positive influence.

On behalf of the Second District of Texas, I would like to congratulate these educators on their dedication and love for teaching. They truly inspire others and have made a difference in many students' lives.

Mr. Speaker, according to the 10th Amendment, any power not specifically granted to the Federal Government is reserved to the people and to the States.

Those that demand government take over health care have yet to provide a constitutional example for such government oppression. Further, it doesn't

say anywhere in the Constitution the Federal Government can force anybody to buy anything, including health insurance. It is not there.

Some have said, what about car insurance? The States, not the Feds, regulate car insurance so drivers can pay for third-party injuries. And driving is a privilege, not a right.

A better example would be if the Feds forced the people to buy a car from GM. ``Government Motors'' would pick the car they want the citizens to buy, then tax them to pay for it. That is unconstitutional. So is forcing people to buy health insurance.

Thomas Jefferson said, ``The Federal Government is our servant, not our master.'' It is about time we put government in its place.

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, an al Qaeda jihadist committed an act of war over the skies of Detroit on Christmas Day. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, working with al Qaeda in Yemen, sewed explosives into his underwear. He tried to blow up the plane over Detroit, but the detonator failed and the terrorist was captured by passengers. Counting on faulty detonators is not a sound national security policy. We should be stopping terrorists from boarding planes in the first place.

The underwear bomber got on the plane with a valid United States visa. Even though he was on a terrorist watch list, he boarded a plane for the U.S. anyway. After the 9/11 attacks, the State Department was ordered to open visa security units at all of our embassies. Eight years later, only 14 of the 220 American embassies have visa security units. Why is that?

The underwear bomber got his U.S. visa in London. He got to keep his visa even though his father told our embassy in Nigeria that his son was a dangerous radical. American embassies in London and Nigeria don't have a visa security unit. And when the bomber's own father told us he was dangerous, the information was ignored by our State Department.

The underwear bomber paid cash for a ticket, had no luggage, and he was on that watch list. The United States State Department was warned by the bomber's father that he was a threat. He had even previously been denied entry into the United Kingdom because he applied for a visa to go to a college that doesn't exist in the United Kingdom. But U.S. authorities let him fly the friendly skies anyway. He should not have been allowed on that airplane. The American people have the right to know why our Nation allowed this person to enter the United States with a visa, knowing all of these facts.

After the failed attack, Abdulmutallab bragged about 20 more terrorists preparing to attack the United States. He said they were also training in Yemen. According to Slade Gorton, a member of the 9/11 Commission, He was singing like a canary, then we charged him in Federal court, he got a lawyer, and he quit talking. Instead of turning the terrorist over to the military authorities for interrogation, or even letting him just keep on talking, the administration treated this individual like a 2-bit car thief. They told him he had the right to remain silent, and then they got this jihadist a lawyer on the public dime and he quit talking.

Under the new ``try the terrorists in Federal court'' policy, America has lost the ability to get vital information about al Qaeda. America is probably less safe as a result. The bomber could and should have been tried in a military court. There are legal allowances for enemies like the underwear bomber. And as an enemy combatant, he should have been held and interrogated by military officials under existing law.

In Federal court now they're even talking about offering this terrorist a plea deal to get some information that he was willing to offer earlier with no deal. Now we are making a deal with the Devil. So the terrorists can avoid justice and get leniency by making a backroom agreement with authorities.

Another problem these jihadists have, they are not your average, everyday criminals. They are radical jihadists on a mission to kill themselves and every American they can take with them. A few years in prison is not going to deter their mission. To the contrary, these who kill in the name of religion try to kill their prison guards. It's happened in the United States.

Louis Pepe was once a prison guard at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York. Ten months before the 9/11 terrorist attack, two al Qaeda inmates were held there. These are the ones who bombed the American Embassy in East Africa in 1998, killing over 200 people. A weak-kneed Federal judge gave these two al Qaeda terrorists permission to buy hot sauce in the penitentiary. So what they did is made it into mace to incapacitate the guard. They stabbed him in the eye with a knife they made by filing down a hair comb. They kicked and beat Pepe and smeared a cross on his chest in his own blood. He was left permanently blinded, partially paralyzed, and he lost most of his ability to speak. These terrorists were trying to get the keys to the cell block to take more hostages. Now, isn't that lovely?

Jihadists are at war with this Nation and, when captured, they should be treated like military criminals. But first and foremost, when radicals are on a threat list, don't let them on the airplane. Why is that so difficult to comprehend? Meanwhile, Madam Speaker, the band keeps playing while the ship of common sense is sinking in the ocean.

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, in July of 2008, a courageous mission was undertaken to rescue 15 hostages who were being held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC. Three of these hostages were American civilians. The operation was code named, Operation Willing Spirit, a perfect description of the valor demonstrated by all of the rescuers involved. Captain Bob Bernazal, a Kingwood, Texas native, was especially vital to the success of the operation in his role as the Information Operations Integration Strategy Division chief of the 612th Air Operations Center.

Captain Bernazal's ability and dedication was clearly shown through his comprehensive planning of Operation Willing Spirit. The nine-year Air Force veteran has proved a fine example of the aptitude of our Armed Forces by ensuring mission success.

He is praised by his superiors as an outstanding Information Operations expert, and is recognized for the development and implementation of a plan for utilizing IO duty officers. We are fortunate to have great men like Capt. Bob Bernazal at our side to outwit our enemies and protect our nation.

It is with great pride and admiration that the Second District of Texas is able to commend Captain Bernazal as the Air Force-level Outstanding Information Operations Active Duty Company Grade Officer of the Year. This Kingwood, Texas native is truly deserving of this award as well as the respect of our nation. We thank him for his service. He is a great Texan and a true hero.

Madam Speaker, I had the opportunity to be with our resilient troops last week in Afghanistan near the violent southern border with Pakistan. Part of their mission is to secure the border by preventing drugs, arms, money and Taliban criminals from crossing back and forth through the vast border regions. It's in America's interest to have our military in Afghanistan and protect the sovereignty of that country.

It is ironic, however, we see the need to protect the borders of other nations; but because of political reasons, we don't have the moral will to protect our own borders. This is not the first administration that has given a wink and a nod to our porous borders, but it should be the last.

Our southern border region is a haven for organized criminal cartels, gun smugglers, human smugglers and rogue outlaws that cross as freely as they did in the days of the old west. We should be as concerned about protecting our own border as we are about protecting the borders of Third World countries like Afghanistan. We should put our military on the border if necessary.

After all, the first duty of government is protection of our own homeland.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, as we end the month, the year, the decade, this session of Congress, some observations:

Fifteen million Americans are unemployed. We have 10 percent unemployment and higher throughout the United States.

Spending is totally out of control. The country is broke, so we borrow money from China and Japan, and it seems they own our Nation. And the taxacrats have not seen a tax bill they didn't believe in.

Domestic policy is simple: Spend money, spend money we don't have, then borrow it, and then raise taxes on the American people.

The government's financial system is also simple: If it moves, tax it; if it keeps moving, regulate it; and if it stops moving, then subsidize it. Today we raised the debt ceiling so more money can be spent as soon as we get back in January. Now we're over $12 trillion in debt.

The House has turned our Nation's health care over to the government. You know, the government who tried to run a health care vaccine program that was a total failure, where school kids didn't get the vaccine while Wall Street fat cats did. And yet the Federal Government wants to now run America's health.

The House voted on a cap-and-trade tax bill that will add a tax on energy consumption for all Americans and punish energy consumption and encourage domestic oil producers to go somewhere else.

Congress has given more money away to foreign countries that hate us while ignoring problems at home.

Many Members of Congress have already left on planes, headed to Denmark to talk about how we must control the climate because man is the evildoer and scourge of the Earth. Of course, the Al Gore warmers have been caught this year hiding data that shows reasonable minds disagree with their theory of global warming. Plus, the warmers want to force Americans to spend millions of dollars to implement changes on their yet unproven theories.

The government, in essence, has taken over Wall Street, the financial industry, the automobile industry. You know, General Motors needs to change its name to Government Motors. The Federal Government has taken over the mortgage industry, the banks, and the salaries of some executives.

More American freedom and liberty has been stolen from us, and more assaults on the Constitution have occurred than at any time in our history. And today, the radical open border crowd has announced new legislation, arrogantly demanding amnesty for millions of illegals in this country with, also, visa preferences for those nations with the most foreigners in the United States. So much for border security.

We have a new military strategy that's implemented. It's called the surge and retreat plan. That strategy is in Afghanistan where we're going to surge and send a bunch of troops in, but yet in 18 months, according to the administration, they're coming home. No strategy like that has ever been used in military history before.

And of course Gitmo, down there in Cuba where we house terrorists, it's getting a new ZIP Code. We're moving it to the United States and putting it in Illinois. And of course the country has seen that we've prosecuted our Navy SEALs and given rides to terrorists.

What an odd year it's been. It is the arrogance of power that says government is the answer to everything. Our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor have been turned over to government opportunists. Reagan said that government is the problem, not the answer, and I agree with him.

But, Mr. Speaker, not all is gloom, doom, and despair. There is great hope. The American people are not fooled. People in our country now fear the government, and people are mad, and people are involved. And even though the D.C. crowd pays no attention to them, I've got news for the elites: The people are not going away in the darkness of the night. They will not give up without a fight, because the American cause is righteous, and the people's actions are just.

Government should not underestimate the American soul and the American spirit. They are a force to be reckoned with. Mr. Speaker, the people want their country back, and they will get it back. After all, the Constitution says, ``We the People,'' not, ``We, the subjects.''

And that's just the way it is.