Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, the tiny tyrant from Iran, President Ahmadinejad, is speaking at the United Nations today, continuing to spread his hate against Israel and the United States. He's taunting the world with his nuclear program--by intimidation. He wants a nuclear bomb. And recent leaked reports say he's got all the elements to build a nuclear weapon.

The administration has abandoned the American missile defense shield based in Poland that was to protect us from Iranian missiles. Just a few days ago, one popular Polish newspaper had the front page headline that said, ``Betrayed! The United States has sold us to the Russians and stabbed us in the back.'' We have left our allies vulnerable--like Poland--who stand with us fighting terrorism in Afghanistan.

The little fella in the desert has challenged the United States of America. He's called us out, and we backed off. We have succumbed to the Desert Rat's demands.

Truman, Kennedy, Reagan. None of these historical giants ever backed down from a gunslinger's threats. They knew that it was their responsibility to protect this Nation. To stand with our allies. When they were called out by tyrants, they stood their ground and did not flinch.

Has America lost its nerve? We shall see.

And that's just the way it is.

I want to discuss an issue that is important to border counties along the Texas-Mexico border. One of those particular areas is in Del Rio, Texas. It's a border town that borders Mexico. Every day, students from Mexico cross from Mexico into the United States to go to American schools. Some of those individuals have visas to go to private schools. But the vast majority of them, it appears, do not have any type of visas to go to American schools. And they come in and go to our public schools.

On the first day of school this year, the superintendent of the San Felipe Del Rio School District had counted the people that came across into the United States and told those individuals, through other people, that they had to have visas or they could not go to public schools or private schools.

550 students crossed into the United States, and only 150 of them had visas, presumably, to go to private schools. The rest of those went to public schools.

Now this is not an issue of citizenship, because the Supreme Court has stated--and I think incorrectly so--that if a person is in the United States, they can go to the public schools in this country, regardless of whether they're a citizen or not.

This is an issue of living in the district, the school district where these kids go to school. Under Texas law, you must live in the district to be allowed to go to public school. Now this applies to everybody, citizens and noncitizens.

For example, if somebody is from Oklahoma, they can't go to a public school in Texas because they don't live in the district. The same is true of foreign students, whether they are legal or illegal.

And so the reason for this is because in Texas most of the money that goes to support public schools comes from property taxes. That's where people who live in that school district, they pay the money for people to go to the school.

It's an increasing problem along the Texas-Mexico border because more and more schools are being built, and the reason they are being built is there are people who live in other districts and many of them in foreign countries that cross the border every day, go to public school in the United States, do not live in the district, and, of course, they don't help pay for those schools that are being built to serve them.

Well, I was down on the Texas-Mexico border not too long ago. I stood on the bridge between El Paso and Mexico. One morning, hundreds of kids came across the border. I'm standing on the international border, turning around and looking at the kids coming into the United States.

These are a bunch of high school students going to our public schools. Down here are a bunch of elementary going to our schools. And some of them are going to private schools as well.

What happens is the cost for supporting people who don't live in these districts, many of them foreign nationals, many of them illegally in the United States, goes to the people who live in those districts. And it seems to me that it's only fair that people should not be going to public schools in the United States if they don't live in the districts that have to support their education, free to them but not free to the other people who live in those districts, through property taxes.

So I commend those border counties, those small school districts, those areas of the State of Texas that are poor to begin with for having to continually raise property taxes--taxes that have to be paid by legal immigrants, paid by American citizens--to pay for the education of people that don't even live in the United States.

I think the time has come for us to enforce the border, enforce the rule of law in the United States, and to prevent people who, every day--not at their expense--cross the border, go to the schools in the United States, to public school, don't live here, don't pay for that education, but expect and make somebody else pay for that.

That's just not right. And I commend those school districts that are trying to get a grasp on the cost of education for people who live in those small rural areas and those counties along the border of the United States and Mexico, because those people who live in those areas foot the bill for the expense of public education.

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, the little fellow in the desert has been at it again. Iran's usurper President Ahmadinejad that calls the Holocaust a myth has made it clear he wants nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles to destroy Israel and the United States. And now the tiny tyrant is in New York City spreading hate at the U.N.

A leaked document says that Iran has all the elements they need to build a nuclear weapon. They have been working with North Korea on missiles, missiles with more distance and more accuracy.

The unstable situation demands that we put a complete missile defense system in place. We are leaving ourselves and our allies vulnerable, but the administration last week scrapped our missile defense system that's based in Poland, and they also cut our radar systems in the Czech Republic. Believe it or not, this country cannot stop a missile fired at us. One would think that would be a priority.

Why are the American people left vulnerable to any tin pot totalitarian with an itchy trigger finger? The government's main job is to defend the American people, even from gun-toting little thugs who are determined to have an international shoot-out with the United States.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, LouAnne is an elementary student in Texas. In the mornings, she eagerly awaits to be picked up by the school bus. After school, she rides the bus home, but sometimes she hesitates and slowly gets off that bus.

Once, she just sat on the bus when it pulled in front of her house. The bus driver walked to her seat and told her, ``LouAnne, this is where you get off.'' LouAnne would not leave her seat, and replied, ``Daddy hurts me and Momma.''

We should realize, Mr. Speaker, that behind the closed doors of many houses in America, violence is a way of life. It's a bad life, a sad way of life. It affects spouses and children. It affects the physical and mental health of American families.

Domestic violence is a public health issue. One group that helps victims of home violence is the National Network to End Domestic Violence. These crusaders are the leading voice for domestic violence victims and advocates. They are helping to expose violence, support survivors, and change the culture of our communities.

I commend them for their wonderful work. Of all the places on Earth where a person should be safe, it's at home.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, every President has the right to get advice from anybody he wants to get advice from. That's a good thing. United States Presidents have a tough job. They should have as many advisers as they wish. My dad, in fact, would like to be one of those advisers to this President and wishes he was an adviser to all the past Presidents.

These czars, as they are now called, are not new to the executive branch. But when a person crosses the line from being an adviser to being a policymaker and decision-maker for the government, that person needs to be held accountable to the people of the United States. Someone who gives advice to the President is one thing, but there's a difference between an adviser and someone who sets a policy and implements that policy. Then that person has direct control over the American people. If this occurs, our Constitution requires that person be subject to the oversight of Congress to be legitimate.

The big questions become: are these czars advisers or are they policymakers? If they become policymakers, then transparency is important, accountability is important, and confirmation by the United States Senate

is mandatory. Our Constitution requires it. Without the confirmation process, we don't know who these people are. And are these czars nothing more than a shadow government? We don't know.

The Constitution mandates visibility and oversight by Congress. That's how our government works within the bounds of our law. We don't know how many czars we have or who they are. How much do they get paid, and where does that money come from? What do they do? Who do they report to? Are they in control of the executive branch and its duties? Well, we don't know.

What are the Cabinet secretaries doing? Who reports to whom? Do the czars report to the Cabinet members? Or do the Cabinet members report to these folks? The American public does not know. We don't know because there's no oversight and no accountability, and it doesn't seem like anybody's talking. Czars haven't gone through the Senate confirmation process. Are they a national security risk? We don't know. No one knows.

Now the FBI tells us they go through a background check. But it's the same background check that the FBI does for a White House intern. These czars do not get a security clearance. That's a much more detailed background check for people with more responsibility than a White House intern. The FBI gives the information from the czar-intern background check over to the White House--that's it. And once the FBI hands the information over, they have nothing else to do with the czars. If these czars are decision-makers and policymakers, that's not acceptable. Just like Cabinet secretaries, they need to be vetted. We have to know who the people are that are in control and who controls the levers of our government. This is just common sense. The American people don't want a shadow government controlling America. Just who are the czars? We have the right to know, and Congress has the responsibility to find out.

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember Patrick Swayze, actor and advocate. Swayze died at the age of 57--yesterday-- September 14, 2009 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was born in Houston, Texas, on August 18, 1952 to parents, dancer and choreographer Patsy Swayze, and the late engineer draftsman, Jesse Swayze.

A great actor, singer and dancer and an outstanding native Texan, Swayze had a long and distinguished career that made him an American icon. Known for his work in many films including ``The Outsiders'', ``Dirty Dancing'', and ``Roadhouse,'' Swayze has been gracing the big screen for over four decades. He received four Golden Globe nominations for his performances in ``Ghost'' and ``To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar''.

Patrick Swayze had been suffering from pancreatic cancer since January 2008. Despite his own illness, Swayze's unwavering dedication to bring awareness and fight cancer remained clear until his final days. He recently wrote a letter to Congress asking for support and funding towards the National Institutes of Health for treating cancer as well as other life threatening illnesses. Swayze brought necessary attention to pancreatic cancer by making fellow Americans aware that ``more than 1.4 million will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes,'' and reminding them ``that they are not alone.''

Patrick's rise to fame began at Waltrip High School in Houston. After graduation, he enrolled in San Jacinto College, located in the second district of Texas, to focus on gymnastics. His training allowed him to take his first step toward stardom as Snow White's Prince Charming with the Disney's Parade Ice Show. Shortly after, he traveled to New York City in order to pursue his first love, dancing. However, an old football injury ended his ballet career, directing Swayze towards acting. Swayze starred in over 33 movies, 7 theatre productions, and had numerous television roles and appearances throughout his accomplished career.

Swayze leaves behind his wife of over thirty years, Lisa Niemi. Together they weathered a journey of both success and disappointment. Swayze and Niemi's love and commitment for one another was unwavering until the very end.

On behalf of the second congressional district of Texas, I rise to remember a true native Texan, Patrick Swayze for his outstanding achievements in the entertainment business and in the fight against cancer. His life is truly an example to all. He will be remembered as a role model and a shining example of hard work, determination, and the spirit of Texas.

Mr. Speaker, the American resistance movement has begun. It was seen in D.C. this weekend when over a million people came to show their displeasure with government. Their grievances: too much government spending, borrowing and taxing, too much bloated government, too much waste and irresponsibility in government.

This is not the 1960s violent antiwar protests led by radical draft- dodging college elites. These are families, working people, business owners, veterans, seniors and the backbone of the American spirit. These people have a stake in America and a concern about the future of a Nation they treasure and love.

Government beware, these people have engaged in that political fight and are not about to give their country away to those who want to run roughshod over their lives and force more government intrusion upon them. These people don't like the atmosphere that disagreement with government is frowned upon.

This American resistance is not going away. People will not be dismissed and intimidated by those whose only answer to their valid concerns is to say they are ``un-American.'' These Americans want government to listen, and we ignore them at our own peril.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, America needs to do a better job of protecting our borders. It is the job of the Federal Government to do so. And the Federal Government must do a better job of keeping criminals out in the first place.

The Federal Government needs to make sure we deport foreign nationals after they have served their time and after they've been convicted in American prisons.

But there is a problem and let me explain. Right now foreign nationals who commit serious crimes in our country and are convicted and go to our prisons, while they are in prison, they are lawfully deported by our immigration judges. That's a good thing. And after they have served their time, of course, it's time for them to go back to where they came from.

But right now there are several countries that won't take back lawfully convicted foreign nationals. Those countries are Vietnam, Jamaica, China, India, Ethiopia, Laos, and Iran. These countries won't take back their convicted criminals. These individuals are really people without a country. So what happens to them? Because they have served their time in our Federal and State prisons for felonies, they are actually released back into our communities. They are people without a country.

Right now there are over 160,000 of these criminal aliens roaming our Nation and our streets. These people have been lawfully deported after they've served their prison time, but their home nation refuses to take them back.

So I am introducing legislation that will plug up this loophole. My bill will make it a lot more likely they will go back where they came from. This bill says that any country who won't take back lawfully convicted foreign nationals who have been deported will lose foreign aid. But China, for example, doesn't receive foreign aid; so what will happen to China is they will not receive legal visas for their citizens to come into the United States.

No more student visas for China if they won't take back their convicted criminals that have been deported. None whatsoever.

The current law says the State Department may deny visas under these circumstances, but the State Department seems to refuse to send individuals back to their lawfully deported countries because, I guess, China, for example, is a trading partner and they don't want to hurt the feelings of China.

My bill won't allow the State Department to ignore that portion of the law. Therefore, it will be mandatory. If they refuse to take back convicted foreign nationals, that nation will lose the right to come here legally. We need to make sure that these individuals don't come here in the first place, especially the criminal element. All sorts of dangerous things are coming across our wide-open borders. The possibilities are endless for what could be just walking across our southern border.

We know about the human and sex trafficking, the drugs, the guns, the dirty money and the like. But what about chemical and biological or nuclear materials? Do we know? Well, we

really don't know. We live in a dangerous world, and the criminal cartels that run loose on the southern border to me are just as dangerous to this Nation as the Taliban, and they are just as ruthless. Right now, they are in our own backyard.

In Texas, we are doing what we can on our own. Last week, the Governor of the State sent the Texas Rangers down to the southern border. They are being deployed in high traffic, high crime areas. The Governor has asked the National Guard to support the Texas Rangers. The Highway Patrol, the Department of Public Safety, aviation resources, and the Texas sheriffs are all part of this team to prevent the criminal element from coming into the United States. But our local law enforcement is overwhelmed, so the Federal Government needs to get its priorities straight.

Recently, at one of my town halls in August, talking about health care, an individual showed up and people in that town hall recognized who he was. His name was Ignacio Ramos. He and his wife, Monica, came just to appear at that town hall. When individuals in that town hall saw who he was, they stood, Mr. Speaker, for over 5 minutes and applauded the work of Ignacio Ramos and his partner and the work that they had done on the southern border of Texas. He and his partner, Jose Compean, were U.S. Border Patrol officers jailed for shooting a Mexican drug dealer. Their sentences were commuted, and properly so, by the prior administration. But it shows, Mr. Speaker, that our Federal Government doesn't have its priorities in order. They have them backwards.

One of the few things that our Constitution actually requires the Federal Government to do is to protect the national security of this Nation. Border security is a national security issue, and foreign criminals that have committed crimes in this Nation and been lawfully deported should be sent back home. We should do the obvious things first when it comes to national security. If a foreign national commits a felony in the United States and is deported but the home nation refuses to take back its outlaw, that country should lose foreign aid and the legal right to have its citizens come into the United States under our visa program.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, freedom's bell has sounded across this Nation. It is loud; it is clear. The people's resistance to big, bloated government has begun in the hearts and minds of the American people.

It was shown in their actions over the weekend. Over a million Americans took time off from work, gathered up their families, made their signs, brought their flags and came to D.C. with the cry for government to listen. Their message to Congress and the administration: We have had enough.

They have watched in stunned horror as this Congress has made government bigger and less accountable. Congress has lavishly spent trillions of their tax dollars, money that does not belong to the government, but to the people.

Now the threat of a government takeover of their health care has made it personal to them. It doesn't matter how many times it's said otherwise, the American people understand what government-run health care looks like, and they don't like it.

Thomas Jefferson once said: ``The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground.'' But the tide is turning, Mr. Speaker. The American resistance is awake and on its feet and on the move. People are not happy, and we ignore them at our own risk.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, a few days ago, there was a townhall meeting not too far from here in Reston, Virginia. Over 3,000 people were inside and about that many outside who could not get into the school. Now this townhall event was held at South Lakes High School, and one of the security officers there, a Wesley Cheeks, Jr., did not like one of the signs that the protesters were carrying and holding up. The sign apparently was not to the officer's political liking.

So the security officer demanded that out of the thousands of signs at the event, the one he didn't like was going to come down, and he ordered the person to take it down because it was obviously critical of the administration. Note, Mr. Speaker, there was nothing illegal about the sign.

This officer told the man with the sign to put his sign away or he would be arrested. Yes, arrested for freedom of speech and the right to protest. The protester said, This used to be America. Officer Weeks said in response, Well, it isn't any more, okay.

Well, Mr. Speaker, it's not ``okay.'' Not by a long shot. This is still America, the land of the free--the land where we can disagree with government, whether government likes it or not--the land paid for in blood by bold men of noble character and heart and noble action, who understood that free speech undergirds liberty and freedom. They understood that the right to speak the truth to authoritarian power is granted by the Almighty to those bold enough to stand and claim that right. No king, no government, no dictator, and no high school security officer has the right to abuse their authority and suppress freedom of speech.

One of the founding principles of this Nation is freedom of speech. It is so fundamentally important that our Founding Fathers put it first in our Constitution's Bill of Rights, made it the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights, because it is the most important. Without the First Amendment, the rest are meaningless.

The First Amendment simply says, Congress--that's us, folks--shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or of the right of the people to peaceably assemble and to petition the government for redress of grievances.

It is the tendency of all governments to encroach upon the rights of people in this Nation, and other nations. And while many Americans are going about their daily business of work, taking their kids to school, to football practice, to Boy Scouts, grocery shopping, and going to dinner, mowing the grass, and living their lives, don't underestimate that these people are paying attention to what government is doing to them.

Freedom of speech is crucial for folks to get the attention of fellow Americans when the size of government no longer fits the Constitution. Freedom of speech is sacrosanct, and not just for those who agree with government, but it is a holy right, especially for those who disagree with government oppression.

It is the right of a free people to speak truth when the government is wrong. It is the right of the people to gather and stand in the face of their elected officials and speak what they see--tyranny of a government gone amok.

It is the right of a self-governing people to come together in cities around the Nation to speak out and to hold the government accountable when those who seek to rule over us have stepped out of their constitutional bounds.

There can be no more fundamental display of our God-given right to freedom of speech than what we're seeing from the American Resistance Movement today. From townhalls to city streets, the right of free speech is one of the very guardians of the freedom and liberty that make this Nation the greatest in history. And it is the government that would do well to listen, be silent, and then act in the interest of the American people.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, Congress is spending money we don't have on things we cannot afford. We spent billions on the so-called stimulus that hasn't worked. The government took over the car industry and gave money to the fat cats on Wall Street. Congress gave money, America's money, to the banking industry, and this House passed a national energy tax.

The government is out of control. Nearly 10 percent of the people are unemployed. With these hard economic times, now we are told we have to spend $1 trillion on a health care bill that is still confusing to most Americans. Where are we supposed to get the money?

We cannot continue to spend money we don't have and borrow it from our ``friends'' like China. This spending will cause inflation, and eventually somebody is going to get a massive tax increase to pay for a government gone wild.

Some taxacrats wish to tax small businesses into oblivion, the backbone of our country. Even if this were the greatest health care bill in the world, we can't afford to tax more Americans to pay for it. The American people deserve a break from all the spending, borrowing and taxation.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, it was a clear, cool morning in America 8 years ago on September 11. The sun had risen, and people of the Nation went to work. I was driving my Jeep to the courthouse in Texas, where I served as a judge at the time.

KILT Radio, in Houston, interrupted a Willie Nelson song and reported that a plane had crashed into a tower at the World Trade Center. Then a second plane had hit the other tower in New York City. I, like many others on the road that day, pulled over to the side and listened intensely to the radio, and heard about a third plane crashing somewhere in Pennsylvania and yet a fourth plane deliberately hitting the Pentagon.

They were from every State in the United States, from 115 foreign countries and were of all races and nationalities. They were men and women and America's young people. At the end of the day, 2,819 people did not return home to the people they loved; 343 were firefighters and paramedics; 23 were New York City police officers; 37 were Port Authority officers; 125 were working for the military at the Pentagon; and 266 others were passengers on airlines.

These were the victims of the attack on America on September 11, 2001. The enemy we faced and still face killed in the name of religion the innocence of this Nation.

America is great because of people like the passengers on Flight 93, who called their loved ones and said goodbye and then said, ``Let's roll.'' They knew it was up to them to stop the terrorists on that plane. They were unarmed and already had seen others murdered before their eyes, but they did what it took to stop the terrorists from doing whatever the terrorists had planned to do to our Nation. It didn't matter whether they were flying into the Capitol or into the White House or exactly what they were going to do. The passengers of flight 93 were not going to let them do it no matter what it was. They saved innocent lives on the ground when they forced that plane down in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

What makes America great is her people--ordinary Americans who strap on hundreds of pounds of gear and who run into a building that's on fire to help people who are scared and injured and who don't know where to go to be safe. They are paramedics and police officers and firemen and Port Authority officers who climbed hundreds of flights of steps, climbing up while everyone else was trying to get out of a building that was on fire.

They went into those darkened stairwells even after one building had collapsed, even after they knew that hundreds of their friends and family members and coworkers had just likely been killed when that first building came down. They kept on trying to save people whose lives they had been trained to save and to be responsible for. They took an oath and stood for that oath, and we would hope that we would all do the same. That's what makes America the rare breed. Through the smoke, the fire, the dust, and the debris, these extraordinary people showed the world exactly what an American hero looks like.

What sets Americans apart is the bravery of the people who face challenges. We are continuing to be underestimated because no other country in the world can understand what an American feels when confronted with the type of evil that confronted us on September 11, 2001.

At the end of the day on September 11, 2001, I, like most Americans, was mesmerized in front of the TV, watching video of the attack on our Nation. I noticed that, when the planes hit the World Trade Center, thousands of people--good people--sought safety from the terror in the skies, but there was another group, a handful of people--that rare breed--who, when the planes hit those buildings, ran as hard as they could to confront that terror.

Who were they?

Well, they were the emergency medical technicians; they were firefighters; they were police officers; and they were just regular Americans. Their first inclination was not to run and hide. Their first inclination was to fight back, and that's exactly what they did. They showed the pride that we feel in our country when we see the flag waving and say, These colors don't run. We mean it.

So, Mr. Speaker, while it's important to remember those who died that day 8 years ago, it's just as important to remember those who got to live and who

had another chance at life because America's first responders were there and answered the call to defend America.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, my grandmother used to say ``If you have your health, you have everything.'' Health is a personal and private matter with people. Individuals want to control who their doctor is. Now we are embarked upon a new philosophy regarding health care.

The government thinks it knows better how to take care of Americans than individuals do. Kind of like the sarcastic statement, ``We're from the government, we're here to help you.''

More government intrusion into personal lives alarms and scares people, especially seniors. They are afraid that additional government control of health care will take their personal choices away and give decisions and power to unelected, unaccountable 23-year-old bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. Frankly, many of my neighbors in Texas don't have the confidence that big government can provide better quality of health for this Nation.

People are also worried about the billions of dollars to pay for this utopian illusion: money that will have to be borrowed, then paid back in more taxes. The people I represent think this new plan will make matters worse. Sort of like what my grandmother also said, ``If you think the problems government creates are bad, just wait until you see government solutions.''

And that's just the way it is.

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

I want to thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Stupak) for sponsorship of this legislation.

On August 4, 2009, communities, businesses, local law enforcement officials and other individuals from all 50 States got together for what we call National Night Out. National Night Out, an annual event created to bring attention to the importance of community involvement in preventing crime and community awareness efforts throughout the country. It has successfully reached millions of people and thousands of communities in every State in our Nation.

Not only has the event grown in participation and size, but in production as well. The traditional ``lights on,'' in which neighborhood families coordinate in turning on their porch lights,

has grown to include block parties, neighborhood walks, police meetings, cookouts and even parades.

Mr. Speaker, this is the only time of the year that many neighbors see each other. My grandfather used to say that people quit being as neighborly when builders quit building front porches on their homes. Anyway, National Night Out gives people the chance to visit with each other and be neighborly.

House Resolution 623 calls on the administration not only to highlight and urge participation in this nationwide campaign, but also to coordinate Federal efforts in other community crime-prevention initiatives.

The resolution reminds us that crime is local. Crime affects all Americans, regardless of where they live or who they are. In my 30 years as a prosecutor and a former judge, I saw for myself the terrible toll that crime puts on neighborhoods and on families and individuals.

We all suffer. Crime, especially violent crime, is a national health concern. Volunteer organizations such as neighborhood crime watch groups have proven to be invaluable, not just in awareness and prevention, but also in their coordination with local law enforcement.

National Night Out was created in 1984 to help bring members of our communities together to fight the scourge of crime in local neighborhoods. Since then, it has been the mission of Association of Town Watch and National Night Out to send a message to criminals that neighborhoods and communities are united in their fight against criminal conduct. Through the participation in local crime fighting programs and organizations, every American can make a difference in the safety of their community. Strong communities are safer communities.

In today's world, crime and violence can be found everywhere we look. Urban communities, rural communities, parks and even our schools. And while Federal coordination with local law enforcement plays a tremendous role in curbing criminal activity, the coordination of local law enforcement officials, volunteer groups and community leaders and neighbors is, without a doubt, the most effective way of attacking crime and protecting America's families.

So I urge all my colleagues to support this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I reserve the balance of my time.

We have no other speakers, Mr. Speaker.

I will close by saying that this is a bipartisan piece of legislation. This body here contains many former law enforcement officers, peace officers, sheriffs, prosecutors, former judges, and victims of crime as well. Crime knows no boundaries in this country, and it affects all of us. This legislation is a stand for the volunteers who support National Night Out and the good work that they do.

I strongly urge the adoption of this resolution.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, one of the things I heard most from my neighbors at recent town hall health care meetings is they don't want the government in charge of their health. They believe government-run health care means rationing and substandard treatment. And the people in southeast Texas don't want the additional $800 billion tax increases to pay for what is yet more government intrusion into their lives.

This massive 1,017-page bill requires heavyhanded tax increases to pay for all the new government programs that don't treat one patient, nor will they provide for a healthier America. In this time of economic hardship, no one in America should be force-fed tax increases to pay for this glittering illusion that Big Government is the answer.

America has the best health care in the world. There are problems, such as affordability and access, but complete government takeover is not the answer. Fix these problems rather than destroy American health care.

Does anyone really think the government can do a better job of running the entire medical health of this Nation? This government-run health care plan will have the competence of FEMA, the efficiency of the Post Office, and the compassion of the IRS.

And that's just the way it is.