Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, the Republic of Georgia is a beacon of democracy in a part of the world which has struggled to break the legacy of Soviet oppression. While Georgia successfully achieved independence in 1991, Moscow is still attempting to bully the small nation back into its orbit.

In 2008, Russian troops invaded the country, seizing nearly a third of Georgia's territory that is still occupied today. Despite Russia's persistent human rights abuses and aggressive tactics, the Georgian people remain defiant. They continue to express a clear desire to determine their own futures and integrate with the Euro-Atlantic community. Putin hates Georgia's path to liberty because successful democracies positioned on Russia's border are a threat to his despotic rule. To deter Russia's continued belligerence, we must boost Georgia's ability to defend itself and make an ironclad commitment to our Georgian friends. For peace and freedom to preserve in the Caucasus, it must become clear to Putin that undermining Georgia's independence will be a costly endeavor.

To help Georgia repel future Russian aggression, Rep. Connolly and I have introduced H.R. 6219, the Georgia Support Act. This important bill calls on the State Department to provide a strategy to Congress to help bolster Georgia's defenses. Specifically, it calls for efforts to strengthen Georgia's cyber security capabilities and resiliency to Russian disinformation campaigns that undermine its fragile democracy. The bill also requests the President to impose sanctions on Russian individuals who commit human rights abuses on Georgia territory.

For more than two decades, Georgia has been a steadfast ally of the United States and the Euro-Atlantic community. We must not abandon our Georgian friends in the face of continued Russian aggression. To do so only invites Putin to further pursue his goal of rebuilding the Soviet Empire. America must stand with Georgia and demand complete respect for our ally's territorial integrity and sovereignty. This bill must pass to send a clear message of defiance to Putin and a message of hope to our Georgian friends.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, Texas was its own republic from 1836 to 1845. Just like any other republic, the young country had a legislature, outlined in the Constitution of the Republic of Texas. The Congress of the Republic of Texas was based on the United States Congress. Both were bicameral and had a similar committee structure and age requirements to be elected.

Throughout its short history, the Nation of Texas had nine congresses. The first Congress gaveled in on October 3, 1836 in Columbia, Texas. In November of 1839, the Texas Congress met for the first and only time in Austin. However, Austin was considered too dangerous of a meeting place because it was on the western frontier and more exposed to Native Americans, so the Republic's Congress would meet in Houston and Washington-on-the-Brazos between 1842 and 1845.

After Texas was admitted to the Union in 1845, Austin was reaffirmed as the capitol of Texas. The first capitol building in Austin was completed in 1855 but burnt down in 1881. The next capitol building, which is still where the state legislature meets, was dedicated in 1888. Texans are quick to point out that the Texas Capitol is 15 feet taller than the United States Capitol.

To belabor the point, the San Jacinto Monument that honors the victory and independence of Texas from Mexico, is taller than the similar Washington Monument.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, the terrorist group Hezbollah and their Iranian patrons are preparing for war against our Israeli allies. We know this because Israel discovered at least two tunnels crossing into their territory from Lebanon. These tunnels are not for smuggling or any other purpose. They are for the sole purpose of enabling terrorists to sneak into Israel for attacks. This is just more evidence that Hezbollah and Iran are committed to Israel's destruction. We, as Israel's strongest allies, must act to prevent this.

For more than two decades Hezbollah and Iran have been building an arsenal of weapons tailored specifically for eradicating the Jewish State. The attack tunnels recently unearthed are just the latest addition to this growing arsenal. But like many of Hezbollah's weapons, these tunnels are not to challenge Israel's military but to kill its civilians. Despite this fact, no Lebanese leaders have condemned these tunnels or called for their destruction. This is unacceptable.

One of the fundamental responsibilities of a state is to live at peace with its neighbors. Lebanon, however, allows terrorists to stockpile weapons and build attack tunnels in order to wage war on its southern neighbor. If the war that Hezbollah and Iran want comes, it will be the Lebanese people who suffer. During the last war, only twelve years ago, over a thousand Lebanese civilians were killed in the crossfire. Today, with Hezbollah building attack tunnels and weapon stockpiles under homes and civilian structures, it is inevitable that this will happen again.

It is time that the international community and Lebanese government act. For too long they have bullied our friends in Israel while terrorists like Hezbollah prepare to commit mass murder. The warning signs are clear. These tunnels show that it is Hezbollah and Iran who are the aggressors.

All who stay silent now must accept that the blood will be on their hands when war erupts.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, for more than 7 years, the butcher of Syria has been slaughtering his own people. This relentless mass murderer has left half a million dead and millions others displaced. He has bombed, gassed, gunned down, and executed the Syrian people. He is, obviously, the Satan of Syria.

After the horrors of World War II, we were supposed to have rid the world of such evil, but, for years, we have shamefully watched it unfold. Mr. Speaker, it has always been crystal-clear who is responsible. The criminal butcher, the barbarian, Bashar al-Assad and his Russian and Iranian outlaws have turned the cradle of civilization into ashes.

Russian and Syrian warplanes have laid waste to Syrian towns, hospitals, and aid convoys from the air. On the ground, thousands of Iranian-backed militiamen have waged a campaign of outright sectarian cleansing.

These militias are the wicked arm of the IRGC and the Ayatollah of Iran. These militias are one of the most dangerous aspects of this chaotic war. They not only kill innocents today, but they kill any hope for a future Syria by sowing deep divisions along sectarian lines.

The time is well past that they are all called to be accountable. That is why I introduced legislation more than a year ago calling on the State Department to designate some of these Iranian-supported militias as terrorists. I am pleased this resolution also calls for these groups to be designated as such. These killers must meet justice for the crimes they have committed against the people of the world.

I congratulate Mr. Mast on bringing this to the House floor. I also thank Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel for their tenacious efforts in making sure the American people understand what is taking place throughout the world.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

And that is just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, Nord Stream II is energy blackmail. If completed, it will make our European allies more dependent on Russian gas to meet their energy needs.

For three decades, Russia has used its abundant energy supplies to coerce European neighbors into doing its bidding. Europe, lacking natural gas reserves of its own, once had little choice in energy providers, allowing the Kremlin to block the flow of gas if Europe was opposing its interests.

In fact, I was in Ukraine in 2009 when the Russians turned off the gas in Ukraine, and it was cold. People died. It is blackmail since they are a monopoly on European natural gas. This includes forcing Europe's silence over Russia's illegal aggression in not only Ukraine, but Georgia and Crimea as well.

Today, Europe has other options, however. American natural gas is increasingly available on the global market thanks to the advances in technology. In 2019, the United States' LNG exports are expected to surge by almost 80 percent. In Texas, Mr. Speaker, we have more natural gas than we ever had and more than we need. We should use all we can, and then we should sell the rest to the Europeans.

Across Europe, more LNG terminals are coming online and allowing more American natural gas to reach the European market. Even Germany has pledged to build a new LNG terminal as a result of President Trump's push to renew the transatlantic trade relationship. With the expanding availability of U.S. natural gas, Europe can and should say ``no'' to Nord Stream II.

Vladimir Putin, the Napoleon of Siberia, cannot be trusted to be a fair trading partner. His recent aggression in Ukraine demonstrates Russia is a threat and not a friend. We must pass this resolution and send a message to our European allies that Nord Stream II is a bad idea.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman of the Agriculture Committee, Mr. Conaway, for bringing this resolution, and I also want to thank the ranking member and chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee for their support.

And that is just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, it is the final showdown scene, and while there are no swinging doors or clicking of spurs, eerie signs and sounds of silence or dust swirling behind me, I stand here today in the people's House to speak probably for the last time.

If they would let me cue the soundtrack, the king of country, George Strait, would sing: ``Oh, the last good-bye's the hardest one to say. This is where the cowboy rides away.''

I gave my very first speech as a Member of Congress from Texas on February 1, 2005, after I had come back from Iraq to see their first free elections ever. I went to Iraq, along with Chris Shays, a Congressman from Connecticut. Since that first speech, some might say I haven't shut up, and, well, they are probably right, Mr. Speaker.

I spoke, I understand according to the Congressional Record, over 2,000 times in my 14 years serving the good people of the Second Congressional District of the State of Texas--some very well received, I might add. My staff might say, however, some not so much.

They have gotten a few calls over the years asking, ``Did your boss really say that?''--more often than not, ``What in the world was he talking about?''

I have probably spoken more about Texas and the way we do things there than anyplace else. You, Mr. Speaker, being from Louisiana, understand how important it is to love where we are from.

And I say things a little bit different than folks up here in ``Warshington.'' And, yes, that is ``Warshington'' with an R.

I am not going to relive every moment in a sad song good-bye, but there are a few things that I came here to say and do in my 14 years, and I would like to say some of those again.

First of all, thank you, thank you to the people of the State of Texas for trusting me to be their voice, their advocate here in this amazing place, the United States House of Representatives. It has been an honor of a lifetime.

I came here to advocate for issues that are important, important back home to the folks in Texas. And through the mud and the blood and the beer, I fought day and night to make sure that the interests of Texas came first. And there are a lot of them, Mr. Speaker.

I vowed that crime victims would have a voice; that those who serve and have served our great Nation in the military would receive the honors that they earn and deserve; to protect our privacy and make sure our most important right to freedom of speech was fiercely protected, protected by us in the House of Representatives.

If I look back, my order of priorities came about at an early age. I owe my career in public service to my grandmother, my mother's mother, and I can probably credit her with my outspoken opinions. She instilled in me the nonnegotiable duty to serve.

That is what life is all about: to serve, to serve others. So I have. I have always been in public service.

I was in the United States Air Force Reserves. Then I taught school. That was too hard, so I went to law school, and I became a lawyer and a prosecutor in the district attorney's office in Houston, where I was the chief felony prosecutor. I spent 22 years on the district court bench in Houston, Texas, trying criminal cases, and now I am here in the United States Congress.

My grandmother educated me in the ways of the world more than anyone in my life, but unfortunately, to her dismay, I broke her staunchest Southern belief: being a Democrat. I don't know that she ever forgave me for being a Republican. Probably, she hasn't. She is still rolling over in her grave wondering where she went wrong all those years.

I was a Reagan Republican from the first time I saw Reagan speak at the 1968 Republican Convention in Miami Beach, when I was a representative from the College Students for Reagan.

My dyed-in-the-wool Democrat grandmother couldn't stand it, and she let me know, but that is one of the things I admired most about her. Well, to put it nicely, she was bluntly truthful. I never doubted what she said. And if she had told me that it was raining in my house, I would have run home and started putting plastic over the furniture.

She taught me to say: ``And that is just the way it is.'' I think we can all agree I took that lesson pretty well.

Another person in my life who taught me a lesson or two--some hard ones growing up, I might add--was my dad, Virgil Poe. Now 93, he hasn't stopped giving me advice, and he doesn't mind giving anybody advice whether they ask for it or not. He really is the greatest man I know. A charter member of the Greatest Generation, he went off to the great World War II when he was 18. He represents everything that is good and right about our country.

He and my mom, who is also 93, have been married for 73 years. She gives me quite a bunch of advice as well. They still live in Houston, not far from where I grew up. They still go to the same church, and they set examples for our family on how to do things the right way.

They are from a generation that believed in God, country, and family, and good old-fashioned American hard work.

Although they both grew up very poor in the Depression, they never thought they were victims, but they believed that here, only here in America, could they and would they have a good life. It was from them that I learned how important it was to be an American.

We are unusual people in an unusual country, and we should be proud of that fact. Never should we apologize for who we are. We must never forget that what sets us apart from the rest of the world--it is a basic word. We use it a lot, but it has great meaning. And that word is ``freedom.''

The most important right we have as Americans is, really, the freedom of speech. It is first because it is the most important. It is the very core of who we are as people. Without the First Amendment, freedom of religion, freedom of press, freedom of assembly, the right to petition government, and the rest of the amendments really don't make a lot of sense.

Of course, the Second was written to protect the First. Some of my friends in Texas believe that the Second Amendment is more important than the First, but it is not. It is the Second Amendment because it is to protect the First.

Nowhere in the Constitution is the word ``fair'' mentioned. Speech is to be free, not necessarily fair. Fair means

different things to different folks. Fair means to some folks in Texas where you take the chickens and cattle to on the weekends, to the fair.

We have an obligation to uphold the laws as they were intended. And our forefathers didn't scribble out these amendments in a tavern in Philadelphia after drinking some demon rum many years ago. They were carefully crafted to stand the test of time and make sure that all people--all people--had the power, and not government had the power.

We have seen government grow more and more powerful and intrusive in our lives, in our businesses every year. With more and more control over our speech being handed down by the self-appointed, self-righteous speech police, they are running neck and neck with Big Brother that is digging deeper and deeper into our private lives.

The Fourth Amendment, unique to America, is sacred, and it is sacred to this country and the Founders who drafted it. Privacy, the right of privacy in the Fourth Amendment should not be forsaken on the false altar of national security.

Yes, we can have both: the right of privacy and also 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, in my opinion, the unconstitutional actions of the NSA.

In the aftermath of 9/11, the government authorized a once secret program by the NSA to collect information on the bad actors, primarily terrorists and foreign agents who wished to create mayhem. They were terrorists overseas. We fought to go after them and get them. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was written to go after terrorists, but it is being used to go after Americans, Mr. Speaker.

When I was a judge, I signed lots of warrants when peace officers would bring me a warrant. They would swear out an affidavit of truthfulness, so I would give them a piece of paper, a warrant, to allow them to go arrest or search a premises. That is all based upon the Fourth Amendment in the Constitution. And peace officers did exactly that. But that is not the case for many American citizens anymore.

You might ask, well, who is doing this? Is it a criminal organization? Is it a private investigator? Is it Google?

No. It is not a nefarious organization operating behind closed doors, and it is not even the Russians, Mr. Speaker. It is the spying eyes of the United States Federal Government.

As the chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, I agree; we should go after the terrorists with everything we have got, and 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 NSA collect information on terrorists, which they should do, but it collects data on ordinary American citizens.

What I mean by ``data'' is not just emails and text messages, but communications and conversations. This, I believe, is in violation of the Constitution.

The government does not use a specific Fourth Amendment warrant, a warrant based upon probable cause for a person--law enforcement--to go and search or arrest someone, but it uses it anyway under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a lesser requirement, and still issues warrants to go and search and seize information.

The Fourth Amendment says the warrantless search and seizure is unconstitutional without a probable cause warrant. I don't see any exceptions there, Mr. Speaker. Our constitutional rights are not selected. They were written to keep big brother--government--in check. The government really doesn't get to pick and choose which ones they want to follow and which ones they don't.

It sounds like a page out of George Orwell's novel ``1984'' where it says:

Always eyes watching you and the voice enveloping you. Asleep or awake, indoors or out of doors, in the bath or bed, no escape.

We read ``1984'' years ago, Mr. Speaker, and we all thought that would never happen. But the government's ability to seize information, based upon information that is less reliable than the Fourth Amendment requires, and does so in secret I think is a violation of our rights.

It is hard to believe this is happening, but we need to wake up and remember this. Remember, Mr. Speaker, the Bill of Rights was intended to protect us from government. People have rights. Government has power. Government has no rights. It has power that they take or we give it to them. But it is the individuals in this country who have rights, including the right of privacy to be secure in our persons and our places and our homes from unlawful searches and seizures.

I think government has gotten out of the box because of this Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allows secret courts to issue secret warrants to law enforcement to go and do things that the person who is having their information seized may know nothing about. It was intended to be used against terrorists, but now it is being used against Americans and seizing that information against Americans.

Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren and I co-founded The Fourth Amendment Caucus to protect our privacy. When I was first elected to Congress, they gave me a BlackBerry. That was new technology back then, Mr. Speaker. We could get emails on our phones. I called it a Strawberry. And I can't tell you how many of those things I have lost all over the world.

Now we have smartphones that are smarter than most of us most of the time. While technology continues to change, the Constitution does not change. The rights we have in the Constitution still apply to us today, even with technology.

It is the duty of government to balance the interest of protecting Americans, while respecting constitutional rights. So the caucus has fought to protect Americans against warrantless searches and seizures, closing privacy violating surveillance loopholes, and champion reform efforts to protect and restore Fourth Amendment rights.

The FISA abuse--the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act--allowing secret courts to operate in secret and issue secret warrants against people who never know about it reminds me of the Star Chamber back in merry ole England, that operated in secret and issued secret warrants, all in the name of protecting the Crown, and that is what it seems like we have gotten to.

Mr. Speaker, the First Amendment also talks about the right to practice the religion that we wish. The First Amendment states in part that ``Congress''--of course that is us--``Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.''

You notice, Mr. Speaker, the First Amendment doesn't just give us the right to believe any religion we want to, it gives us the right to practice the religion that we have: the free exercise. And Congress can make no law to prevent that.

The freedom to practice one's own religion is the reason why many of the colonists settled and founded in this great country. Modern revisionist historians don't want to talk about that, but it is true. One of the primary reasons why people left England and Europe was to seek religious freedom. That is why it is in the First Amendment along with freedom of speech.

When Thomas Jefferson, who is the author of the Declaration of Independence, wrote it, he proclaimed that God gives us our rights. He wrote ``that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness;'' and that governments are instituted among men to secure those rights. We get our rights from the almighty. We don't get our rights from government or the king.

Jefferson's reference to God is echoed throughout this Nation: our currency mentions God; our government buildings have religious scenes and words on them; we pledge allegiance every day in this House Chamber to one Nation under God; we even have the great lawgiver Moses on the far wall looking down directly on the Speaker; and above the flag is the phrase, ``In God We Trust.''

Those who argue we cannot mention God or religion in public government places are looking to destroy the very freedom that our country was founded on. The mention of God in our culture is not an establishment of religion; it is a freedom. Note that the right to practice one's religion, Mr. Speaker, is a right that we have, as well as the right to believe whatever we wish when it comes to religion.

We have this concept in the Declaration of Independence that we are worth something as individuals; that we are worth something as individuals not because government gives us rights, or politicians, or the king, but the Declaration of Independence says that we are endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights.

The truth is our Constitution says that we are guaranteed freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. I believe, as many Americans do, that America is a special place, a chosen place, an exceptional place, and America is more than just another country on the globe.

Throughout our history, we have served as a beacon of light in an often dark world, and one reason is because we say and believe ``In God We Trust.'' We cannot follow this fundamental principle that sets us apart to be taken away by those who want government to be the highest power of the land.

In the end, I do not believe I will ever answer to my government for my time on this Earth, but I do believe I will answer to my God, and the freedom of that choice is what America stands for.

Mr. Speaker, as a judge, I saw every imaginable crime. In 22 years on the felony court bench, about 25,000 felony cases worked their way through the courtroom--or the palace of perjury, as I referred to it in those days--everything from stealing to killing and everything in between.

One of my first actions in Congress was to establish the bipartisan Congressional Victims' Rights Caucus, along with Congressman Jim Costa from California, to advocate on behalf of victims in our Nation's Capital. I am very proud of the work we have done for victims of crime. The consequences of devastating crimes stay with victims for the rest of their lives.

I saw victims every day at the courthouse come down there, their lives shattered because of some person committing a crime against them. Many of those victims recover and many do not recover, and they spend the last days of their lives in hopeless despair. So we started that caucus to promote the rights of victims.

One such story that affected me personally, and has made its way through my career as a prosecutor and as a judge, was a case I prosecuted a long time ago. Kevin Wanstrath was his name. He was a 14- month-old adopted baby. It was his murder, along with the murder of his mother and his father and his grandmother. Four outlaws had plotted to kill all four of them so they could collect the estate and the inheritance.

I still have that picture of Kevin Wanstrath that I had on my desk as a prosecutor, on my desk as a judge, and on my desk here in the Rayburn building. I keep it with me to remind me really kind of why we are here: to protect those who cannot protect themselves.

Kevin was assassinated, shot in the back of the head, sacrificed on the alter of greed. Fortunately, after a long duration of finding out who committed the crime, the four killers were brought to justice. All were convicted by juries in Texas. Two of them have received the death penalty and have been executed.

Kevin was born the same year my son Kurt was born. It is about people. We are in the business here, as Members of Congress, to really help people, help other people in our country. Since that case changed my life, that is one reason why I have been so passionate, as others-- Jim Costa, for example--in protecting victims of crime. We are not judged by the way we treat the rich folks or important folks. We are judged by the way we treat innocent people: the weak, the unfortunate, the elderly, and the young.

Since its inception in 2005, the Victims' Rights Caucus has taken the lead to protect programs that provide critical support for victim services throughout the Nation, including the Victims of Crime Act. It is called VOCA. What a great concept this was.

President Reagan had the idea, Congress passed it, and the VOCA, Victims of Crime Act, does this. When criminals commit crimes, judges have the ability to fine those criminals, along with sending them to the Federal penitentiary, and that money goes into a fund that helps victims of crime. It is called the Victims of Crime Act, and it is a marvelous idea. It is not taxpayer money. Criminals are paying the rent on the courthouse, they are paying for the crimes that they have committed and putting that money into a fund.

But every year, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Costa and I have to fight the bureaucrats in government to let go of that money. Right now, there is about $12 billion in the Victims of Crime Act fund and only about $800,000 of that was used this year to help victims. What happens to the rest of that money?

Well, I don't understand the math, but they use that money as an offset for other government programs, and, therefore, they don't spend it on crime victims, and I think that is wrong. Enough of the offsets. If the money goes to victims, it ought to be given to the victims. The government ought to keep its hands off of it because it doesn't belong to the government, and it doesn't belong to the taxpayers.

I hope in the future we will let go of that and that that money goes into a lockbox and it remains always for victims of crimes. Because those Federal judges, God bless them, they are nailing people who violate the law with large fines and fees, and that fund continues to grow every year.

Besides the VOCA funds, we have worked on the Violence Against Women Act, VAWA as it is called, and the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act.

The caucus was also instrumental in the enactment of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act in 2006. That bill had to do with the abduction of children and then those children were sexually assaulted throughout the United States. It protects them and makes sure that we keep up with those child predators who roam the streets and byways of our Nation. So we have reauthorized that act this year.

We have also passed the Cruise Vessel Safety and Security Act, the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act, the SAFER Act of 2013, and the Victims of Child Abuse Reauthorization Act. All this was bipartisan, Mr. Speaker. All of it was bipartisan.

May I ask of the Speaker how much time I have left.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We are in the midst of a situation in the United States, and throughout the world, where slavery has crept back into our environment and into our communities, and it is the slave trade of women and children for sexual assault. People don't want to talk about it, but it is taking place. Unfortunately, my hometown of Houston used to be one of the hubs in the United States. What I am talking about is the buying and selling of people, primarily women and children, on the marketplace of sex slavery.

A lot of Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle worked on this very issue to try to get a grip on what is taking place in our country. We had 11 bills in the House that had to do with helping stop this scourge.

I was glad to work with Carolyn Maloney from New York. I mean, that is about as bipartisan as you can get, Carolyn Maloney, a New York Democrat, and Ted Poe, a Texas Republican. We are separated by common language, but I worked with her, and that is about as bipartisan as you can get.

We passed those 11 pieces of legislation. Members of Congress had sponsored several pieces of those. It passed the House overwhelmingly. It went to the Senate, and they combined those 11 pieces into two, sent it back. We passed it, and it became law. President Obama signed it.

What it does, this legislation goes after the trafficker, the person who buys and sells women and children, and makes sure that our law punishes those people to the fullest extent.

That is why we build prisons, our Federal prisons and our State prisons,

for people like that. But what it also does, it takes the victims and treats them like victims instead of treating them like criminals.

Children are not prostitutes when they are forced into sex slavery. Children can't be prostitutes. They are victims of crime. So it rescues them and treats them with the dignity they deserve.

But it also goes after the buyers, the people who buy those women and children on the marketplace of sex slavery. We make sure that the law goes after those people and punishes them to almost the extent of the trafficker as well.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the progress we have made as a Nation to support victims of crime and crack down on those outlaws that run our streets.

There is one piece of legislation that I hope we see passed before I leave Congress on January 2. Megan Rondini was a student. She was from Austin, Texas, and she went off to the University of Alabama. She met a person there at a bar, and they went to his place. He lived in a big mansion, and he sexually assaulted her. She jumped out the window to get away, and she went to the hospital.

She wasn't treated right at the hospital. They botched the sexual exam. The sexual assault kit was botched.

She went to the police department--the sheriff's department, to be specific--and when they found out who the alleged perpetrator was, they backed off and told her that they weren't going to prosecute him, file charges on him.

She went to the university, and the university offered her counseling, but the counselor knew the people involved, the defendant's family, so the counselor said: I can't help you. It is a conflict of interest.

But no other counselor was provided. She went into deep depression. She withdrew from the University of Alabama, and she went back to Texas and went to SMU for the next semester.

She wasn't at SMU very long at all before she took her own life because the criminal justice system wasn't justice for her. It failed her.

As a result, we have offered bipartisan legislation, Representative Jayapal and others, Representative Sewell. We have offered legislation, the Megan Rondini Sexual Assault Victims Protection Act, which is to make sure that a sexual assault forensic examiner or a sexual assault forensic nurse is available for people like Megan when they show up at a hospital, that universities make sure that they have the right medical exam. Otherwise, we end up with people like Megan who take their own life.

That piece of legislation is pending, and I know the Ways and Means Committee and Energy and Commerce Committee are working on that. Hopefully, we can get it to the House floor next week before we recess.

Topics like human trafficking, sexual abuse, and domestic violence are topics that we need to discuss to make sure that we can get a grip on it and stop that. Counseling, resources, and shelters are much more readily available to victims of crime than ever before in our history.

Human traffickers and those caught buying human trafficking victims can no longer escape the long arm of the law, and that is one of the things I like about the long arm of the law. It can go after those individuals.

Of course, our system is not perfect because it is run by people, but it is still the best that we have. The men and women who pledge to protect and serve as our first responders overwhelmingly do so with honor throughout our country. Those who pin the badge over their heart and go out there every day to protect and serve the rest of us always deserve our utmost recognition and respect.

As a prosecutor and a judge, I worked with some of Houston's finest police, as I call them. During my time in Congress, I had the privilege of getting to know the Texas sheriffs along the Texas-Mexico border. They are a special breed of law officers.

I have visited every county along the southern border, from El Paso to the mouth of the Boca Chica at the Gulf of Mexico. It is 1,254 miles from New Orleans to Washington, D.C. That is about the distance of the Texas-Mexico border.

I have held field hearings, flown the Rio Grande with the Texas Air National Guard. I think I may have walked all of those 1,254 miles, including much of it that goes to California from El Paso.

I have made several dozen trips down there, and I have traveled the Rio Grande River with our peace officers, in particular, the Texas Department of Public Safety in their fast boats.

Down on the border, I have seen the good; I have seen the bad; and I have seen a lot of the ugly. I have met a lot of people on both sides of the border.

No matter what our position is on the issue of immigration, our total disregard for border enforcement has cost our State and our Nation tremendously, from the lives lost to the communities on both sides of the border. It has been destroyed by the cartel violence.

Mr. Speaker, as you know, the cartels control the southern border. They control the border with Mexico on the southern side. They control what takes place. And they control the violence.

We cannot turn a blind eye to the real issues because it is eroding our national security. Border towns on both sides of the border are unique, and the Texas border towns have their own personalities like no others. For some people, they are the lyrics in country songs and stories of college days.

Long before a Houston billionaire added the Cadillac Bar to his restaurant empire, it was an institution in Nuevo Laredo that generations of Texans and Mexican families enjoyed together. But now, Nuevo Laredo, across the river from Laredo, is a ghost town, like many other border towns that we share, because the drug cartels control the environment.

It seems to me that we haven't done enough, and border security and immigration must go hand in hand. We must do both, but they are not the same. It is not, nor will it ever be, an either-or option. We have tried to do all we can in my office to cut the red tape and send more money and boots to the border, and tell the hard, unpopular truth about what is going on in our southern border.

Obviously, our Nation needs to secure the border. We are debating that very issue these last 2 weeks we are in session, about whether or not to secure the border. Well, I would think that we should. We cannot afford anything less. A country without borders will cease to be a country at all.

Mr. Speaker, I don't understand why we secure the borders of other countries but we don't secure our own. I have been to Afghanistan, and we are protecting their border against the bad guys coming in from Pakistan. We have American troops protecting the border of the Koreas and all over the world. We are protecting the borders of a lot of countries, but we don't protect our own, and I don't understand why.

As a veteran and a son of a World War II veteran, as I mentioned, I think the United States has the greatest military that has ever existed. I have been in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other places to see our military. They are the best in the world, no question about it. Second place isn't even close. We must recognize our military's contributions, both during service and after our troops come back home.

I am proud to represent southeast Texas. I think that is the most patriotic place on the planet. People where I come from, we love the military. We even have parades when the military is on Active Duty and the National Guard or the Reserves come back home. They march down the street. Can you believe that? It is still happening in parts of the country down in southeast Texas.

I host a lot of veteran events. My staff, of course, does all the work. One of my favorite events is our annual honor-our-heroes event. We pick a day that nothing else is going to go on, and it is usually in the summer. We invite veterans and Active Duty military to come to the event. It is a pep rally for our military.

We let each one of them come up to the microphone and tell us about their career in the military and try to do it in 60 seconds or less.

It is a great honor for them to tell other people about what they did, whether it is World War II or Korea or last week when they got off Active Duty in Afghanistan.

The final event that we had just a few months ago was marked by a surprise visitor. Vice President Pence just

showed up, walked into the room. Everybody was whooping and hollering when he showed up, showing support for our military.

I say all of that to say that we have to continue to support the military, those on Active Duty and those who have served in the past.

Some of the legislation I am proud that we have accomplished: Emanuel Cleaver and I worked on bipartisan legislation to establish a commission to build a memorial in Washington, D.C., for all the World War I veterans. There is no memorial for all of the World War I veterans. Here we are, 100 years after the war was over, and there is no memorial.

We have one for World War II, as we should. We have one for Vietnam. We have one for Korea. But we don't have one for the Great War of World War I.

We have been working on that for several years. We finally got that passed, and groundbreaking has taken place, and they will build it. It will not take another 100 years before we see it, Mr. Speaker. It will be done soon.

My only regret was that my friend, and the last American doughboy, Frank Buckles, Jr., didn't get to see that happen. Corporal Buckles came up to Washington and went around the House and the Senate, talking about getting that memorial built. He died before the legislation passed. He died at the age of 110.

He lied to get into the Army in World War I. He said he was 15. He was probably 14 when he got in and served in World War I. In World War II, he was captured by the Japanese, because he was in the Philippines and he spent 3 years in a prisoner-of-war camp. He was a great American.

So we owe it to people like that. All of them have died and gone away. Get that memorial built.

I thanked Mr. Cleaver, Congressman Cleaver--preacher, as I call him-- for his support in getting that legislation passed. We have to remember him, Mr. Speaker, because the greatest casualty of war is to be forgotten.

I could fill hours talking about the tremendous men and women who serve our country, but I know that you are watching the clock, Mr. Speaker, and I won't do that.

I have also spoken about the Greatest Generation as much as any other topic. I have lamented for those who fought in Vietnam--that is the war of my generation--because of the way they were treated when they came back home.

Finally, America is getting to understand that we should honor those men and women who served and welcome them back home as well. There are no words that can come close to express how we should change our opinion of those individuals.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining.

Mr. Speaker, I have had the privilege to serve on the Foreign Affairs Committee. My district stretches--or used to stretch--all the way to the Texas-Louisiana border, where the Speaker is from. Some say that is why I was on the Foreign Affairs Committee, because the Texas border has that other international border with Louisiana. Be that as it may, I am glad that I have been able to serve on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

But during that service, I have been able to see our men and women in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Europe, the Philippines, and other places throughout the world, and I am impressed with their duty of service. As we know, they are all volunteers. Every one of them is a volunteer.

When men and women join our military now, they know that they are probably going to be in combat somewhere in the world, but yet they continue to volunteer.

I can always spot the Texans, though. When I was in Fallujah right after the Marines went in and eliminated Fallujah, I saw a Texas flag flying on the back of a Humvee as it was speeding down one of those streets. Somebody had written on the side of a bombed-out building: ``Don't mess with Texas.''

I don't know who did that, but we do have that proud attitude of Texans who serve in the military.

The enemy we fight today is not the enemy of the Greatest Generation. Our country is under threat from volatile, nuclear-armed rogue nations like we have never seen. We have leaders of foreign nations who are not only untrustworthy, they are outright treacherous, and they want to cause harm in the world.

We have little Kim of North Korea, and we have the little man in the sand in Iran. These rulers pose an increasing threat to not only our security, but to everybody throughout the world. They are determined to cause trouble. They are determined to cause terror in the world.

As the chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs' Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade Subcommittee, it has been my goal to bring attention to some of the most pressing international threats to our country and global stability. Many of my bills, including legislation that targeted Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iran's proxies--the North Korean regime and incitement taught to kids in Saudi Arabia through Saudi Arabian textbooks--have all been shared security interests of the United States and our besieged Israeli allies.

I have authored lots of pieces of legislation, and I am glad to see that many of them have been passed and signed into law.

I do believe in America, Mr. Speaker, and I don't apologize for it. It is the beacon of light for other peoples everywhere.

I do believe that all Members of Congress on both sides want what is best for the country. We just disagree sometimes on how to get there. I am convinced of that. One of my greatest honors in being in the House of Representatives is to serve with people from all over the country who are passionate about making sure we make the right decisions on all types of legislation. We do have the freedom to disagree.

People ask me what I am going to do when I retire. I don't know what I am going to do. I haven't decided. I just know that I am leaving Washington. I have often joked that D.C. stands for the Devil's city. But I will miss being here, Mr. Speaker. I will miss representing Texas.

Since I was elected in 2004, our four kids, Kim, Kara, Kurt, and Kellee, were all single or just recently married. Now, in those 14 years, I have 12 grandkids: Barrett Houston, Shaelyn, Elizabeth, Jackson, Brooklyn, Payton, Hallie, Olivia, Levi, Presley, Rosalyn, and Ivy. Of course, they all have names, Mr. Speaker, but I call them by their birth number, 1 through 12. I just say, ``Twelve or Three, get over here. Six, leave Seven alone.''

Mr. Speaker, for the first time in Kingwood Park High School history, the Lady Panthers Volleyball team is the Texas UIL State Class 5A Volleyball Champions. Last Saturday afternoon, they defeated the number one ranked Lovejoy Lady Leopards in Garland in three straight sets. This was their first State appearance and first State title. Congratulations to the Kingwood Park High School volleyball team and to Kingwood.

According to the team's head coach, Kelly Miser, the girls had one goal in mind this season--to win a State championship. Coach Miser is in her third season at Kingwood Park. She started her volleyball career at Humble High School. She was a 4 year Varsity letterman, team captain, and received All-Star,

and All-Area recognition. Some say her roots run purple. She finished her degree and volleyball career at Texas A&M playing on the Aggie Volleyball team. The Aggies would say her blood runs maroon.

Her team's record is impressive. In an interview earlier this month, Coach Miser said, ``these groups of girls play for each other; they are friends on and off the court.'' Coach Miser's passion along with Assistant Coaches Cameron Shoffner and Kasey Price will continue to guide the girls far beyond a State title. The leadership of a coach works to instill values of hard work and discipline on and off the court. The community is proud of these coaches for all their accomplishments.

Congratulations to the seven seniors on this State championship team: Katey Searcy, Sydney Kolar, Tori Marquez, Andie Unwin, Julia Hadley, Emma Joy Omenson, and Yates Barker. Thanks for working hard and being model students in and out of the classroom for all students to follow.

Congratulations to Kingwood Park's State Championship team who will return next year to defend the title: Emma Garcia, Libby Overmyer, Avery Hill, Hallie Ryan, Citlaly Paz, Ericka Williams, Alia Williams, and Anya Arrington.

Shout out to the trainers, managers, teachers, family and fans for the outpouring of support. It was in true Panther Pride.

Way to go Panthers.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, our British allies are making a bad deal. The current Brexit deal that Theresa May's government has made with the European Union could position the United Kingdom as a de facto colony, where it is subject to EU rules but without any vote. Essentially this would be worse than Britain staying in the EU. Moreover, it could damage the strong economic ties we hold with our closest allies, meaning Americans could end feeling the sting of a bad Brexit deal.

When the British people made the choice to depart from the European Union in 2016, I applauded their decision. Great Britain--which has always stood apart from the continent in its traditions, politics, values, and character--has reasserted its sovereignty with the historic Brexit referendum. Membership in the EU had come at too large of a cost to Britain, and the British people have decided to determine they want to chart their own course into the future--not have it determine for them by Brussels. Therefore, as a steadfast ally and friend of the United Kingdom, America should support their decision.

The current proposal, however, could come at a cost to our economic relationship with Britain. Under Prime Minister May's deal, there will be a two-year transition period before the UK can fully separate from the EU which beholdens Britain to EU regulations without a vote. During that time Britain will be able to negotiate new trade deals but cannot implement them until 2021. This means even if the U.S. and UK sign a new free trade pact--which we absolutely should--that it will collect dust while Britain is left at the EU's mercy. There is a chance that if the UK and EU do not agree to a new trade deal that the transition period then extends thus further delaying implementation of a new trade pact with the U.S. Meanwhile, Britain's economy suffers.

America needs a strong Britain. The British people have stood by us on our most trying days and are often the first to pledge their support when we act to confront the world's most complex challenges. There is no nation on Earth that is as indispensable to our security and prosperity as the United Kingdom. Any arrangement that potentially weakens Britain's sovereignty or economic well-being is counter to America's interests. For the sake of our alliance, this current Brexit bad deal should not go through.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, when most Americans think about the federal government, they tend to think about the political gridlock and bureaucratic red tape that has increasingly made good governance difficult. But once in a blue moon, a unique and effective idea can emerge out of the Washington swamp, and the creation of the Crime Victims' Fund is a perfect example of one of those rare occurrences. Prior to being elected to Congress, I served as a prosecutor and Judge in Houston, Texas for 30 years. During that time, I learned firsthand how important it is to protect and help restore the most vulnerable in our society. Upon arriving in Washington after my election and learning about the Crime Victims' Fund, I knew how special the idea was, and I was determined to protect and expand it.

In 1984, President Reagan signed the Victims of Crime Act or VOCA into law, thus creating the Crime Victims' Fund. Back then, this Fund was a novel idea. Convicted federal felons pay fees and fines into the Fund, which then helps pay for services to restore victims of crime. The Fund helps pay restitution to victims; it allows domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, and other organizations to keep their doors open; and it pays for a wide array of services that crime victims need, from rape kits to beds in a shelter. I want to be clear: this is not taxpayer money. This Fund allows criminals to pay for the harm that they've caused. In other words, it's like criminals paying rent on the courthouse.

At the end of FY2016, the Crime Victims Fund had a balance of more than $12 billion. Unfortunately, this money--billions of dollars--has been used as an offset for other unrelated programs. I understand the attraction of using a program of this size to help offset other items under the budget, but it is still completely inappropriate. These are non-tax dollars. To ensure that the Fund is protected and used correctly, every year Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA) and I have introduced the Crime Victims' Fund Preservation Act. This bill creates a ``lockbox'' to ensure that money in the Fund cannot be used for any purpose other than crime victims' programs authorized under the VOCA statute.

Since its creation, the Fund has been a lifeline for victims, offering them the resources and assistance they need to recover and rebuild their lives. This money should never be subject to the politics or gridlock that often derails or hampers other federal programs. The Fund is a rare Washington D.C. gem, a program that serves victims of crime while not being a burden on the American tax-payer. We must work to preserve this Fund and ensure it is protected for the future.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, a wonderful Christian Servant of Abilene Christian University has died. Bill Teague was President and an alum of my Alma mater ACU. He served as president when I was a Member of the board of trustees of the University. His clever dry Texas wit was a trademark of his leadership. His official obituary states:

``He was born Billy Teague in Olney, Texas, on July 12,

1927, the youngest of six sons. His father died when he was

14 years old, leaving his mother to raise him by herself in

Nocona, Texas. While enrolled at high school, Teague was a

proud member of Nocona's 1944 state champion basketball team.

Following graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving

four years while based in San Diego. It was in San Diego that

he met Margaret ``Peggy'' Louise Newlen. They married June 4,

1948.''

``After his honorable discharge from the military in 1949,

the couple moved back to Texas so Bill could continue his

education at Abilene Christian. While a student, he was

appointed the first manager of KACC, the campus radio

station. He graduated in 1952 with a Bachelor of Arts degree

in Bible and speech.''

``He immediately went to work for then-president Dr. Don H.

Morris as assistant to the president and secretary of the

Alumni Association. He worked at ACU for five years before

leaving to serve as vice president at both Harding University

(1957-59) and Pepperdine University (1959-70).''

``Outside of his career in education, Teague pursued a

variety of interests. He earned a master's degree from

Columbia University in 1959 and a doctorate from UCLA in

1965. In 1968 and 1970, he ran for U.S. Congressional seats

in California. Teague frequently engaged in public speaking.

He could be passionate and inspiring, but it was his humor

that really endeared him to audiences. He was an active

basketball and tennis player, but he most enjoyed spending

time with his family.''

``During the 1970s, Teague served as vice president of two

Fortune 500 companies, Purex Corporation in California and

Kerr-McGee, an Oklahoma-based oil company.''

``From 1981 to 1991, Teague served as ACU's ninth

president, and later as chancellor (1991-2007) and chancellor

emeritus (2007-18). With an emphasis on fundraising, he

oversaw the transformation of the campus leading to the

construction of the Mabee Business Building and Onstead-

Packer Biblical Studies Building, as well as the relocation

of Judge Ely Boulevard. ACU's Teague Boulevard opened in May

1992, serving as a new front entrance to the university.

Across campus, the Margaret L. and William J. Teague Center

was dedicated in his and Peggy's honor.''

``In addition to the major buildings completed during

Teague's decade as president, the university endowment

increased from $18 million to $56 million. The Honors Program

and ACU Press were begun; and KACU became KACU-FM, a National

Public Radio affiliate. The William J. and Margaret L. Teague

Excellence Award, an endowed scholarship program for students

at ACU, began in 1989. In 1991, Bill and wife, Peggy, were

named Christian Educators of the Year by 20th Century

Christian magazine for careers of service to three Church of

Christ-affiliated universities.''

``After becoming chancellor in 1991, Teague remained active

on the campus until he suffered a stroke in 2002. Despite

being confined to a wheelchair, he remained a regular

attendee of ACU athletics and other events, as well as

worship services at University Church of Christ, where he and

Peggy were members. He especially looked forward to attending

the university's annual Opening Assembly on the first day of

school and its patriotic Parade of Flags ceremony he began in

1986.''

``Teague was preceded in death by his parents, Dudley

Thomas Teague and Sudie Crane Teague; and his wife, Peggy.

Survivors include his son, Tom Teague; two daughters, Susan

Reid and Dr. Helen Teague; and grandchildren Bill Teague and

Amelia Louise Wildman.''

Abilene Christian University was blessed by the Good Lord to have such a man lead this University on the windy plains of West Texas.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, Texas A&M University opened its doors to 40 students in 1876 as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. Created under The Morrill Act, which stipulated that all students participate in military training, all Texas A&M students (at that time, admission was limited to white males) were members of the Corps of Cadets.

Aggies have been serving with honor in the armed forces since the Spanish American War of 1898. During the Spanish American War, 89 Aggies served in the Army, and 63 Aggies served as officers. When the United States became involved in World War I, 702 A&M graduates served in the military, and 668 graduates were officers. Texas A&M also trained over 4,000 troops during World War I.

It was World War II, however, when Texas A&M exhibited its expertise in training soldiers as well as scholars. On December 7, 1941, students were watching a movie at the Campus Theatre. Upon hearing about the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, the theater manager shut off the film projector to announce the attack. ``Beat the Hell out of Japan'' became a rallying cry across campus, encouraging students to enlist. In order to speed up the process of sending more Aggies to the front lines of the war, Texas A&M instituted a twelve-month, three semester training program to prepare its soldiers. According to an article in the Houston Post in November 1942, courses were scheduled 24 hours a day to prevent crowding in workshops and laboratories. Notably, the entire graduating classes of 1941 and 1942 enlisted in the armed services immediately following graduation.

One of these individuals was Arthur Lowell Lapham. Mr. Lapham was a fourth generation Texan and a proud Fightin' Texas Aggie who enlisted on June 30, 1942. He would go on to fight for the United States in the Pacific Theater, serving as a fighter pilot in the Army Air Force in Japan and the Philippines. Mr. Lapham was one of 20,000 Aggies who served in World War II. 14,000 of these men were officers and twenty- nine were commissioned as generals. Close to 1,000 Aggies died in combat for this great nation; seven Aggies were awarded the Medal of Honor.

Membership in the Corps of Cadets is now voluntary at Texas A&M; however, the university continues its tradition of training men and women to serve their country through military service. To this day, Texas A&M is the largest provider of military officers outside of the service academies.

General George S. Patton once said, ``Give me an army of West Point graduates, and I'll win a battle. Give me a handful of Texas Aggies, and I'll win a war.''

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, this week marks the ten year anniversary of the most horrific terrorist attacks in India's history. In 2008, the city of Mumbai became a warzone when ten terrorists attacked hotels, railway stations, cafes, and a Jewish community center, killing 166 people. We still mourn the loss of so many innocent lives, including six Americans. But justice for this awful attack has yet to be served. The one obstacle: Pakistan.

Pakistan is already well known for helping give birth to the Taliban and providing safe haven for international terrorists like Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda' s central leadership. But Pakistan has held a cozy relationship with terrorists that predates September 11, 2001 and undoubtedly continues to this day. The Mumbai attack and Pakistan's response provide amble evidence.

The Mumbai attackers, all Pakistani citizens, belong to Lashkar-e- Taiba, or LeT. This group--which is designated as a terrorist group by the United States, European Union, India, and the United Nations--does not act without approval and support from Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI). The LeT and ISI have been joined at the hip since the 1980s, first working together to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan, then in fighting India in Kashmir. After 9/11, when LeT was found to be closely working with al-Qaeda and the Taliban, including training and sheltering senior al-Qaeda leaders like Abu Zubaydah, Pakistan claimed to have outlawed the terror group. But it never arrested LeT's leader, Hafiz Saeed, and the group was allowed to continue operating under its supposed charity wing, Jamaat ud Dawa.

Pakistan's true policy towards LeT became clear after the Mumbai attack, when multiple ISI officers were specifically implicated in organizing and supporting the 2008 assault. Pakistani investigators have even admitted that LeT was responsible for the attack and that it had been planned and prepared for at LeT training camps within Pakistan. But the Pakistani government refused to cooperate in India's investigation and only temporarily took action against LeT, briefly closing their offices and dismissing charges against the group's leader. Today, LeT and Hafiz Saeed are actively involved in Pakistani politics under the Jamaat ud Dawa front and inciting new generations of violent extremists.

Ten years after the Mumbai massacre we know with absolute certainty that Pakistan's status as a ``counterterrorism partner'' is an absolute joke. Thousands of terrorists use Pakistan as a base to fundraise, recruit, and train for their ongoing war against India, America, Afghanistan, and the wider world. Terrorism is Pakistan's foreign policy. It is time we stop subsidizing it with American's tax dollars.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, prior to being elected to Congress in 2004, I spent 30 years as a criminal prosecutor and Judge in Houston, Texas. During that time, I encountered the worst of the worst in our society, from abusers to rapists to murderers. Even more painfully, I watched as countless victims of violent crime were utterly failed by the system. Victims were often thrown in jail, sent back to their abusers or just left to fend for themselves. It felt like the ultimate miscarriage of justice. Also during this time, I came across a type of criminal that I had never imagined flourished in this country--the human trafficker.

Most Americans believed that human trafficking was an over-seas problem, not something that was occurring in their very own backyards. This lack of awareness allowed sex traffickers and the buyers of trafficking victims to practically walk free. It became very clear to me that something drastic had to be done to help victims of crime and raise awareness about these new rapidly expanding criminal enterprises in our country.

As a matter of first priority after being elected to Congress, I founded the Victims' Rights Caucus (VRC) with Representative Jim Costa (D-CA). Our mission was to create a bi-partisan coalition of Members to represent the interests of victims of crime, generate awareness about how pervasive violent and sexual crime was in our country and increase resources available to law enforcement to combat the problem.

Since its inception in 2005, the Caucus has taken the lead to protect programs that provide critical support for victim services throughout the nation, including the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), Violence Against Women's Act (VAWA) and the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA). The Caucus was instrumental in the enactment of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, the Cruise Vessel Safety and Security Act, the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 2011, the SAFER Act of 2013, the Victims of Child Abuse Reauthorization Act, the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act and the Justice for All Act (JFAA).

The VRC works closely with victims' rights organizations, shelters, advocacy groups and criminal justice reform groups. Every year, the Caucus hosts various briefings on victims' rights issues including domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, human trafficking as well as various other topics. We also recognize National Crime Victims' Rights Week with our annual awards ceremony and policy forum.

I am tremendously proud of the progress we have made as a nation to better support victims of crime and crack down on criminals. Topics like human trafficking, sexual abuse and domestic violence are no longer considered taboo. Counseling, resources and shelters are much more readily available to victims of crime. Both human traffickers and those caught buying human trafficking victims are now being prosecuted equally to the fullest extent of the law. I believe the VRC has greatly contributed to these successes so far, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

Since deciding to retire at the end of my current term, I have put a lot of thought into who should replace me as co-chair of the VRC. Recently, I reached out to my good friend and fellow Texan Pete Olson to offer him the position. He enthusiastically accepted. Representative Olson is a hard-working, caring and dedicated public servant, and I know he will work tirelessly to further the successes of the VRC.

I wish him and Representative Costa the best in their continued fight on behalf of crime victims. I have no doubt that Caucus will achieve many great things in the months and years to come.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, today memorializes the more than 850,000 Jews who were expelled from Arab countries and Iran. Jewish communities throughout the Middle East, which had thrived for millennia, have long been a persecuted minority. When the

State of Israel was founded, many Jews were victims of brutal violence by their Arab and Iranian neighbors and had to flee their homes. We mark this occasion to remember the horrific trauma those Jews experienced so that it is never repeated.

Today, very few of the ancient Jewish communities that dotted the Middle East survive. For centuries they lived largely at peace with their Muslim and Christian neighbors. Baghdad, Iraq was once the home to one of the region's largest Jewish communities. When the British entered Baghdad during the First World War, a third of the city was Jewish. Today, there is supposedly only five Jewish individuals remaining. This is shameful.

It is astonishing that in a region so rampant with anti-Semitism has so little interaction with the people they hate so much. Many Arabs and Iranians living today have never met a member of the Jewish community; therefore their hatred is based not on their own experiences, but what extremists and hatemongers have taught them. They forget that Jews were a vital part of their history, when Middle East was an incredibly diverse place. Today, it is a region of conflict and radicals, where historic Christian communities are also now endangered.

The story of the expulsion of entire Jewish communities from Arab lands is an important part of modern history that tragically affected the Jewish nation as a whole as well as the demographic composition of the Middle East and North Africa. This is a story must be told.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, ok, so I may not exactly be the biggest Texas A&M fan around. And, I possibly ruffle a few maroon feathers from time-to-time poking fun at the Aggies. But, one thing I can say without a doubt is that there is no other school that has as loyal a following and dedication to tradition as Texas A&M.

Texas A&M is famous for its traditions, ranging from the Aggie War Hymn, the 12th Man, Midnight Yell, Gig 'em, Reville and of course, the ring. But above all else, there is one tradition that I have the greatest respect for--Aggie Muster.

Every year on April 21st, Aggies from all over the world come together to honor the memories of fellow A&M men and women whose death prevents their answering the Roll Call at the annual Muster. (It is no small coincidence that April 21st is also the anniversary of the battle of San Jacinto--where Texas gained independence from Mexico in 1836.) The Roll is a symbolic Roll Call of all students and former students whom death has taken from the Aggie ranks, but whose memory lives on in Aggie hearts. As each name is called, a comrade will answer ``here'' in their stead.

This time-honored tradition began in June of 1883 as a reunion of sorts of former students reliving their college days from the ball field to the battlefield. By 1889 it had evolved into a celebration of Texas Independence, and in 1922 it became the official ceremony it is today to account for every Aggie around the world by honoring the ``Roll Call of the Absent'' every year on San Jacinto Day, April 21st-- the day marking Texas' Independence in 1836.

According to tradition, ``if there is an A&M man in one hundred miles of you, you are expected to get together, eat a little, and live over the days you spent at the A&M College of Texas.'' The most famous example of this edict was the Muster of 1942 under the command of General George Moore during World War II. Amid fierce enemy fire, hunched in the trenches on Corregidor Island in the Philippines, General Moore and 25 fellow Aggies answered the Roll Call for the Aggies who no longer could.

A war correspondent observed the make-shift ceremony and the world was introduced to the Aggie spirit.

During times of war, Muster is especially poignant. Texas A&M has produced more officers in the United States military than even West Point. It has the distinction, other than West Point, of having more Medal of Honor winners than any other university in the United States. When General George Patton was in Europe going to combat in the Third Army, he made a comment about the Texas Aggies and the soldiers that he had under his command. He said, ``Give me an army of West Point graduates and I will win a battle. You give me a handful of Texas Aggies, and I will win the war.''

The Aggies' long tradition of duty and service to our great nation dates back to their beginning, to the days when A&M was an all-male military academy. Texas A&M trained nearly 4000 troops during World War I and over 20,000 Aggies served in World War II, 14,000 as officers. The entire graduating classes of 1941 and 1942 enlisted in the military. The Aggie War Hymn was written on envelope by Aggie Marine J.V. ``Pinky'' Wilson while standing guard on the Rhine River during World War I and it remains the most recognizable school fight song across the country--probably the world.

Today, Muster is observed in more than 400 places worldwide and this year's ``Roll Call of the Absent'' honored 1015 people around the world, including those remarkable young men and women who gave their lives for our country today. The family of former U.S. first lady Barbara Bush elected to defer her recognition at Aggie Muster to 2019, when her family will have the opportunity to participate. When her name is called, Aggies all over the world will whisper ``here''.

Muster is a time to honor those that have died, and a time for all Aggies to come together to reconnect and celebrate a way of life known only to those that proudly hail from Aggieland. This somber tradition illustrates the deep bond among all Aggies and is a key part of the rich heritage of tradition that sets Texas A&M apart from all the rest.

Gig 'em Aggies.

And that's just the way it is