Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, this weekend over 4,000 trail riders will be arriving in Houston, Texas, and parade through downtown to kick off the world's largest rodeo and livestock show. These cowboys have been on the trail for days riding from towns all around Texas. With their horses, chuck wagons and barbecue, these riders are a mixture of lawyers, executives, doctors, refinery workers, teachers and kids. There are also some real cowboys.

The Houston Rodeo and Livestock Show started in 1931 when seven men decided over lunch at the Texas State Hotel that this event was needed. The Rodeo and Livestock Show uses 20,000 volunteers and raises over $11 million for scholarships for FFA students from all over Texas. The rodeo has featured such notable entertainers as Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Elvis, George Strait and every major country singer in the world.

For 15 nights, 50,000 Houstonians ``Go Texan'' and ``Cowboy Up'' for not only the world's largest rodeo, but the world's largest barbecue cook-off. All of these events center around Texas Independence Day, March 2. But it is the trail riders that relive the past of the Old West by spending days on the trail that are the ones that start this excitement.

And that's just the way it is.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 47, supporting the goals and ideals of Peace Officers Memorial Day. Each year, the President issues a proclamation naming May the 15th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day. I decided to introduce this piece of legislation again because I believe that Congress should pay the tribute to the brave men and women who proudly serve us as law enforcement officers.

Americans have been protected by peace officers for now 217 years, and it all goes back to the early settlers in Boston that established a program called ``night watch'' to safeguard their citizens.

Not a day goes by that law enforcement officers do not face danger in their mission to keep us safe from crime, acts of violence and now terrorism. On May 17, 1792, New York City's Deputy Sheriff Isaac Smith, became the first recorded peace officer to be killed in the line of duty. Since that time, 18,340 peace officers have been killed while on the job. Each year, over 50,000 police officers are assaulted, and in 2008, 140 of these brave officers were killed protecting their fellow Americans. Of these 140 officers, 10 percent, 14, are from my home State of Texas.

A quote by President George H.W. Bush is engraved on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial located in Washington, DC that summarizes the mission of the 900,000 current sworn peace officers in this country. It states that it is an officer's ``continuing quest to preserve both democracy and decency and to protect a national treasure that we call the American dream.'' It is clear this quest is worthy of the respect that our citizens show for their peace officers.

In paying homage to these fallen heroes, we are once again reminded that in 1961 Congress created Peace Officers Memorial Day and designated it to be commemorated each year on May 15th. This yearly tribute to peace officers provides each of us with an opportunity to honor those who lost their lives while protecting the citizens of this country.

Thousands of visitors pay respect to our peace officers at the National Law Enforcement Memorial on May 15th. On May 15th of this year, a flag will be flown at half staff, as it always is on that date, to show respect and gratitude for the fallen peace officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our citizens.

We appreciate with gratitude all of the peace officers for their dedication and their sacrifice. During my 20 years as a judge in Texas, I had the absolute privilege of working alongside some of America's finest peace officers. Some of those have been killed in the line of duty. Now, as founder and cochair of the Congressional Victims Rights Caucus, I recognize that unfortunately peace officers are too victims, as many citizens are.

And they are actually, Mr. Speaker, the last strand of wire in the fence between the law and those that violate the law. I'm grateful for the brave and selfless service of this Nation's peace officers.

With that, I ask all Members to join me in support of H. Res. 47.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

I would like to recognize two gentlemen that not too long ago in this Capitol, the People's House, on July 28, 1998, Jacob Chestnut and John Michael Gibson, Capitol police officers, while we were having a memorial ceremony here in the Rotunda, these two officers protected the lives of other Members of the House of Representatives, and because of that, both of them were killed in the line of duty. So they are two of many peace officers that gave up their lives for the rest of us.

I mentioned that there were 14 peace officers from the State of Texas that were killed last year. Mr. Speaker. They are:

Deputy Constable David Joubert from the Harris County Constable's Office.

Police Officer Matthew Thebeau from the Corpus Christi Police Department.

Corporal Harry Thielepap from the Harris County Constable's Office.

Senior Corporal Victor Lozada, Sr. from the Dallas Police Department.

State Trooper James Burns from the Highway Patrol in Huntsville, Texas.

Police Officer Everett Dennis from the Carthage Police Department.

Sergeant Barbara Shumate from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Police Officer Gary Gryder, a personal friend of mine. He served in the Houston Police Department.

Detective Tommy Keen, Harris County Sheriff's Department.

Game Warden George Whatley, Jr. from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Division.

Sheriff Brent Lee of the Trinity County Sheriff's Department.

Police Officer Robert Davis from the San Antonio Police Department.

Police Officer Timothy Abernethy from the Houston Police Department.

Police Officer Mark Simmons from the Amarillo Police Department.

I would like to include at this time the names of all 140 peace officers killed last year in the line of duty.

Corporal Courtney G. Brooks, Maryland Transportation

Authority Police Department, MD, EOW: Tuesday, January 1,

2008, Cause of Death: Vehicular assault.

Deputy Sheriff Jason S. Zunker, Chippewa County Sheriff's

Department, WI, EOW: Saturday, January 5, 2008, Cause of

Death: Struck by vehicle.

Detective James Walker, Miami Police Department, FL, EOW:

Tuesday, January 8, 2008, Cause of Death: Gunfire.

Deputy Sheriff Sean Pursifull, Bell County Sheriff's

Department, KY, EOW: Thursday, January 10, 2008, Cause of

Death: Vehicular assault.

Deputy Constable David Joubert, Harris County Constable's

Office--Precinct 7, TX, EOW: Sunday, January 13, 2008, Cause

of Death: Motorcycle accident.

Police Officer Ricky Bryant Jr., DeKalb County Police

Department, GA, EOW: Wednesday, January 16, 2008, Cause of

Death: Gunfire.

Police Officer Eric Barker, DeKalb County Police

Department, GA, EOW: Wednesday, January 16, 2008, Cause of

Death: Gunfire.

Detective Jarrod Shivers, Chesapeake Police Department, VA,

EOW: Thursday, January 17, 2008, Cause of Death: Gunfire.

Senior Border Patrol Agent Luis Alberto Aguilar, United

States Department of Homeland Security--Customs and Border US

(California), EOW: Saturday, January 19, 2008, Cause of

Death: Vehicular assault.

Police Officer Matthew B. Thebeau, Corpus Christi Police

Department, TX, EOW: Sunday, January 20, 2008, Cause of

Death: Automobile accident.

Police Officer Akeem Basil (Teddy) Newton, Virgin Islands

Police Department, VI, EOW: Sunday, January 20, 2008, Cause

of Death: Automobile accident.

Detective Christopher A. Ridley, Mount Vernon Police

Department, NY, EOW: Friday, January 25, 2008, Cause of

Death: Gunfire (Accidental).

Trooper Daniel Roy Barrett, Indiana State Police, IN, EOW:

Sunday, January 27, 2008, Cause of Death: Automobile

accident.

Police Officer Nicola Cotton, New Orleans Police

Department, LA, EOW: Monday, January 28, 2008, Cause of

Death: Gunfire.

Lance Corporal James D. Haynes, South Carolina Highway

Patrol, SC, EOW: Friday, February 1, 2008, Cause of Death:

Automobile accident.

Sergeant Richard C. LeBow, Arkansas State Police, AR, EOW:

Monday, February 4, 2008, Cause of Death: Automobile

accident.

Deputy Sheriff Dustin Duncan, Latimer County Sheriff's

Office, OK, EOW: Monday, February 4, 2008, Cause of Death:

Automobile accident.

Sergeant William King Biggs Jr., Kirkwood Police

Department, MO, EOW: Thursday, February 7, 2008, Cause of

Death: Gunfire.

Police Officer Thomas Frederick (Tom) Ballman, Kirkwood

Police Department, MO, EOW: Thursday, February 7, 2008, Cause

of Death: Gunfire.

Police Officer Randal (Randy) Simmons, Los Angeles Police

Department, CA, EOW: Thursday, February 7, 2008, Cause of

Death: Gunfire.

Criminal Investigator Denise Phoenix, United States

Department of the Interior--Bureau of Indian Affairs, US

(Montana),

EOW: Thursday, February 14, 2008, Cause of Death: Exposure to

toxins.

Corporal Harry Thielepape, Harris County Constable's

Office--Precinct 6, TX, EOW: Wednesday, February 20, 2008,

Cause of Death: Gunfire.

Senior Corporal Victor A. Lozada Sr., Dallas Police

Department, TX, EOW: Friday, February 22, 2008, Cause of

Death: Motorcycle accident.

Police Officer Mark Beck, Baton Rouge City Police

Department, LA, EOW: Monday, February 25, 2008, Cause of

Death: Automobile accident.

Trooper Kara M. Kelly-Borgognone, Nevada Highway Patrol,

NV, EOW: Thursday, February 28, 2008, Cause of Death:

Automobile accident.

Police Officer Derek Owens, Cleveland Police Department,

OH, EOW: Saturday, March 1, 2008, Cause of Death: Gunfire.

Special Agent Robert Patrick Flickinger, Chickasaw

Lighthorse Police Department, TR (Oklahoma), EOW: Friday,

March 7, 2008, Cause of Death: Automobile accident.

Sergeant Edward (Ned) Thompson, New York City Police

Department, NY, EOW: Sunday, March 9, 2008, Cause of Death:

9/11 related illness.

Police Officer James D. Fezatte, Millbrook Police

Department, AL, EOW: Saturday, March 29, 2008, Cause of

Death: Automobile accident.

Border Patrol Agent Jarod Dittman, United States Department

of Homeland Security--Customs and Border, US (California),

EOW: Sunday, March 30, 2008, Cause of Death: Automobile

accident.

Constable Joe Howard, Harlan County Constable's Office, KY,

EOW: Tuesday, April 1, 2008, Cause of Death: Heart attack.

Correction Officer Kenneth Duncan, New York City Department

of Correction, NY, EOW: Tuesday, April 22, 2008, Cause of

Death: Gunfire.

Trooper James Scott Burns, Texas Department of Public

Safety--Texas Highway Patrol, TX, EOW: Tuesday, April 29,

2008, Cause of Death: Gunfire.

Deputy Sheriff Robert Griffin, Decatur County Sheriff's

Office, GA, EOW: Thursday, May 1, 2008, Cause of Death:

Automobile accident.

Senior Investigator Laura J. Cleaves, Santa Barbara County

District Attorney's Office, CA, EOW: Thursday, May 1, 2008,

Cause of Death: Vehicular assault.

Deputy Sheriff William Howell Jr., Orangeburg County

Sheriff's Office, SC, EOW: Saturday, May 3, 2008, Cause of

Death: Gunfire.

Sergeant Stephen Liczbinski, Philadelphia Police

Department, PA, EOW: Saturday, May 3, 2008, Cause of Death:

Gunfire.

Special Agent Aaron Garcia, Union Pacific Railroad Police

Department, RR (California), EOW: Wednesday, May 7, 2008,

Cause of Death: Automobile accident.

Deputy Sheriff James Throne, Kern County Sheriff's

Department, CA, EOW: Friday, May 23, 2008, Cause of Death:

Automobile accident.

Deputy Sheriff Michael Sean Thomas, Bibb County Sheriff's

Office, GA, EOW: Sunday, May 25, 2008, Cause of Death:

Motorcycle accident.

Sergeant Leslie (Les) Wilmott, Kiefer Police Department,

OK, EOW: Thursday, May 29, 2008, Cause of Death: Automobile

accident.

Lieutenant Michael Avilucea, New Mexico State Police, NM,

EOW: Friday, May 30, 2008, Cause of Death: Automobile

accident.

Police Officer Erik David Hite, Tucson Police Department,

AZ, EOW: Monday, June 2, 2008, Cause of Death: Gunfire.

Police Officer Everett William Dennis, Carthage Police

Department, TX, EOW: Tuesday, June 3, 2008, Cause of Death:

Automobile accident.

Transport Officer Virgil Lee Behrens, Marion County

Sheriff's Department, IA, EOW: Tuesday, June 3, 2008, Cause

of Death: Automobile accident.

Deputy Sheriff Anthony Shane Tate, Grundy County Sheriff's

Department, TN, EOW: Thursday, June 5, 2008, Cause of Death:

Gunfire.

Police Officer Todd Bahr, Fredericksburg Police Department,

VA, EOW: Friday, June 6, 2008, Cause of Death: Gunfire.

Sergeant Barbara Jean Shumate, Texas Department of Criminal

Justice, TX, EOW: Friday, June 13, 2008, Cause of Death:

Automobile accident.

Deputy Sheriff Steve Boehm, Onslow County Sheriff's

Department, NC, EOW: Saturday, June 14, 2008, Cause of Death:

Struck by vehicle.

Deputy Sheriff Jose Antonio (Tony) Diaz, Yolo County

Sheriff's Department, CA, EOW: Sunday, June 15, 2008, Cause

of Death: Gunfire.

Trooper David Shawn Blanton Jr., North Carolina Highway

Patrol, NC, EOW: Tuesday, June 17, 2008, Cause of Death:

Gunfire.

Correctional Officer Jose Rivera, United States Department

of Justice--Federal Bureau of Prisons, US (California), EOW:

Friday, June 20, 2008, Cause of Death: Stabbed.

Police Officer Nicholas Heine, Pueblo Police Department,

CO, EOW: Saturday, June 21, 2008, Cause of Death: Heart

attack.

Correctional Officer Donna Fitzgerald, Florida Department

of Corrections, FL, EOW: Wednesday, June 25, 2008, Cause of

Death: Stabbed.

Sergeant Richard Findley, Prince George's County Police

Department, MD, EOW: Friday, June 27, 2008, Cause of Death:

Vehicular assault.

Police Officer Gary Gryder, Houston Police Department, TX,

EOW: Sunday, June 29, 2008, Cause of Death: Vehicular

assault.

Police Officer Richard Francis, Chicago Police Department,

IL, EOW: Wednesday, July 2, 2008, Cause of Death: Gunfire.

Police Officer Kenneth (Greg) Surles, Pell City Police

Department, AL, EOW: Friday, July 4, 2008, Cause of Death:

Automobile accident.

Agent Osvaldo Perez-Leon, Puerto Rico Police Department,

PR, EOW: Tuesday, July 8, 2008, Cause of Death: Automobile

accident.

Police Officer Joshua T. Miktarian, Twinsburg Police

Department, OH, EOW: Sunday, July 13, 2008, Cause of Death:

Gunfire.

Police Officer Andrew Widman, Fort Myers Police Department,

FL, EOW: Friday, July 18, 2008, Cause of Death: Gunfire.

Deputy Sheriff Anthony Forgione, Okaloosa County Sheriff's

Office, FL, EOW: Tuesday, July 22, 2008, Cause of Death:

Gunfire.

Police Officer Aldo Rossi, Port Dickinson Police

Department, NY, EOW: Sunday, July 27, 2008, Cause of Death:

Vehicular assault.

Trooper Shawn W. Snow, New York State Police, NY, EOW:

Sunday, August 3, 2008, Cause of Death: Electrocuted.

Detective Sandra Joyce Bullock, Bushnell Police Department,

FL, EOW: Tuesday, August 5, 2008, Cause of Death: Automobile

accident.

Deputy Sheriff Dennis Compton, Colleton County Sheriff's

Office, SC, EOW: Wednesday, August 6, 2008, Cause of Death:

Gunfire.

Officer Monte Ruby, CoxHealth Department of Public Safety,

MO, EOW: Wednesday, August 6, 2008, Cause of Death: Assault.

Agent Orlando Gonzalez-Ortiz, Puerto Rico Police

Department, PR, EOW: Thursday, August 7, 2008, Cause of

Death: Gunfire (Accidental).

Detective Michael Smith Phillips, Virginia Beach Police

Department, VA, EOW: Thursday, August 7, 2008, Cause of

Death: Gunfire.

Deputy Probation Officer Irene Beatrice Rios, Imperial

County Probation Department, CA, EOW: Wednesday, August 13,

2008, Cause of Death: Automobile accident.

Lieutenant Robert Curry, Gulfport Police Department, MS.

EOW: Thursday, August 14, 2008, Cause of Death: Motorcycle

accident.

Deputy Sheriff Martha Woods Shareef, Lafourche Parish

Sheriff's Department, LA, EOW: Wednesday, August 20, 2008,

Cause of Death: Vehicular assault.

Ordinance Officer Kathy Ann Cox, Gordon County Sheriff's

Office, GA, EOW: Thursday, August 21, 2008, Cause of Death:

Automobile accident.

Police Officer Thomas Raji, Perth Amboy Police Department,

NJ, EOW: Friday, August 22, 2008, Cause of Death: Vehicular

assault.

Police Officer Melvin Dyer, Duxbury Police Department, MA,

EOW: Monday, August 25, 2008, Cause of Death: Struck by

vehicle.

Police Officer Timothy A. Haley, Columbus Division of

Police, OH, EOW: Tuesday, August 26, 2008, Cause of Death:

Duty related illness.

Trooper Evan F. Schneider, Montana Highway Patrol, MT, EOW:

Tuesday, August 26, 2008, Cause of Death: Automobile

accident.

Deputy Sheriff Anne Jackson, Skagit County Sheriff's

Office, WA, EOW: Tuesday, September 2, 2008, Cause of Death:

Gunfire.

Officer Christopher Kane, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office,

FL, EOW: Thursday, September 4, 2008, Cause of Death:

Automobile accident.

Police Officer Isabel Nazario, Philadelphia Police

Department, PA, EOW: Friday, September 5, 2008, Cause of

Death: Vehicular assault.

Police Officer Kenneth Santucci, Belleville Police

Department, NJ, EOW: Saturday, September 6, 2008, Cause of

Death: Automobile accident.

Deputy Sheriff Marty M. Martin, Franklin County Sheriff's

Department, OH, EOW: Saturday, September 6, 2008, Cause of

Death: Automobile accident.

Sergeant Paul Starzyk, Martinez Police Department, CA, EOW:

Saturday, September 6, 2008, Cause of Death: Gunfire.

Trooper Andrew Stocks, North Carolina Highway Patrol, NC,

EOW: Tuesday, September 9, 2008, Cause of Death: Automobile

accident.

Sergeant Dario Aponte, New Haven Police Department, CT,

EOW: Wednesday, September 10, 2008, Cause of Death:

Automobile accident.

Police Officer Grant Jansen, St. Charles Police Department,

MO, EOW: Wednesday, September 10, 2008, Cause of Death:

Automobile accident.

Police Officer III Spree Desha, Los Angeles Police

Department, CA, EOW: Friday, September 12, 2008, Cause of

Death: Train accident.

Sergeant Michael C. Weigand Jr., Latimore Township Police

Department, PA, EOW: Sunday, September 14, 2008, Cause of

Death: Motorcycle accident.

Detective Tommy Keen, Harris County Sheriff's Department,

TX, EOW: Monday, September 15, 2008, Cause of Death:

Accidental.

Deputy Sheriff Adam William Klutz, Caldwell County

Sheriff's Office, NC, EOW: Friday, September 19, 2008, Cause

of Death: Gunfire.

Officer Kristine Fairbanks, United States Department of

Agriculture--Forest Service Law Enforcement, US (Washington),

EOW: Saturday, September 20, 2008, Cause of Death: Gunfire.

Sergeant Patrick McDonald, Philadelphia Police Department,

PA, EOW: Tuesday, September 23, 2008, Cause of Death:

Gunfire.

Police Officer Nathaniel Taylor Jr., Chicago Police

Department, IL, EOW: Sunday, September 28, 2008, Cause of

Death: Gunfire.

Trooper First Class Mickey C. Lippy, Maryland State Police,

MD, EOW: Sunday, September 28, 2008, cause of Death: Aircraft

accident.

Pilot Stephen H. Bunker, Maryland State Police, MD, EOW:

Sunday, September 28, 2008, Cause of Death: Aircraft

accident.

Sergeant Robert Douglas, Oklahoma City Police Department,

OK, EOW: Sunday, September 28, 2008, Cause of Death:

Motorcycle accident.

Correctional Officer Douglas Falconer, Arizona Department

of Corrections, AZ, EOW: Wednesday, October 1, 2008, Cause of

Death: Heart attack.

Correctional Officer Rodney Kelley, Alabama Department of

Corrections, AL, EOW: Friday, October 3, 2008, Cause of

Death: Automobile accident.

Police Officer Bradley Moody, Richmond Police Department,

CA, EOW: Tuesday, October 7, 2008, Cause of Death: Automobile

accident.

Deputy Sheriff David Gilstrap, Oconee County Sheriff's

Office, GA, EOW: Thursday, October 9, 2008, Cause of Death:

Struck by vehicle.

Game Warden George Harold Whatley Jr., Texas Parks and

Wildlife Department--Law Enforcement Division, TX, EOW:

Friday, October 10, 2008, Cause of Death: Heart attack.

Officer / Paramedic Bruce W. Harrolle, Arizona Department

of Public Safety, AZ, EOW: Monday, October 13, 2008, Cause of

Death: Aircraft accident.

Deputy Sheriff Christopher Yonkers, Barry County Sheriff's

Office, MI, EOW: Friday, October 17, 2008, Cause of Death:

Motorcycle accident.

Deputy Sheriff Sarah Irene Haylett-Jones, Monroe County

Sheriff's Office, IN, EOW: Sunday, October 19, 2008, Cause of

Death: Struck by vehicle.

Second Lieutenant Frank Stecco, Fairfax County Police

Department, VA, EOW: Tuesday, October 21, 2008, Cause of

Death: Drowned.

Police Officer David Tome, Northern York County Regional

Police Department, PA, EOW: Tuesday, October 21, 2008, Cause

of Death: Struck by vehicle.

Police Officer Richard Bremer, Frederick City Police

Department, MD, EOW: Thursday, October 23, 2008, Cause of

Death: Vehicle pursuit.

Deputy Sheriff Randy Hamson, Los Angeles County Sheriff's

Department, CA, EOW: Friday, October 24, 2008, Cause of

Death: Struck by vehicle.

Police Officer Shane Figueroa, Phoenix Police Department,

AZ, EOW: Saturday, October 25, 2008, Cause of Death:

Automobile accident.

Sergeant Michael King, University City Police Department,

MO, EOW: Friday, October 31, 2008, Cause of Death: Gunfire.

Police Officer Frank P. Russo, Schaumburg Police

Department, IL, EOW: Saturday, November 1, 2008, Cause of

Death: Heart attack.

Detective Joseph Airhart Jr., Chicago Police Department,

IL, EOW: Tuesday, November 4, 2008, Cause of Death: Gunfire.

Police Officer Nathaniel Burnfield, South Strabane Township

Police Department, PA, EOW: Tuesday, November 4, 2008, Cause

of Death: Struck by vehicle.

Police Officer Charles Skinner, North Salt Lake Police

Department, UT, EOW: Friday, November 7, 2008, Cause of

Death: Vehicle pursuit.

Deputy Sheriff Lawrence Canfield, Sacramento County

Sheriff's Department, CA, EOW: Wednesday, November 12, 2008,

Cause of Death: Motorcycle accident.

Sergeant Monty Carmikle, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission,

AR, EOW: Sunday, November 16, 2008, Cause of Death: Aircraft

accident.

Sergeant Timothy Simpson, Philadelphia Police Department,

PA, EOW: Monday, November 17, 2008, Cause of Death: Vehicular

assault.

Special Agent Samuel Hicks, United States Department of

Justice--Federal Bureau of Investigation, US (Pennsylvania),

EOW: Wednesday, November 19, 2008, Cause of Death: Gunfire.

Police Officer Alex Del Rio, Hollywood Police Department,

FL, EOW: Saturday, November 22, 2008, Cause of Death:

Automobile accident.

Deputy Sheriff Nick Pham, Monroe County Sheriff's Office,

FL, EOW: Wednesday, November 26, 2008, Cause of Death:

Automobile accident.

Sheriff Brent Lee, Trinity County Sheriff's Department, TX,

EOW: Thursday, November 27, 2008, Cause of Death: Vehicle

pursuit.

Reserve Officer Curtis Jones, New Orleans Police

Department, LA, EOW: Saturday, November 29, 2008, Cause of

Death: Automobile accident.

Police Officer Robert Davis, San Antonio Police Department,

TX, EOW: Monday, December 1, 2008, Cause of Death: Struck by

vehicle.

Police Officer Timothy Abernethy, Houston Police

Department, TX, EOW: Sunday, December 7, 2008, Cause of

Death: Gunfire.

Deputy Sheriff Brian Denning, Sumner County Sheriff's

Department, TN, EOW: Monday, December 8, 2008, Cause of

Death: Automobile accident.

Senior Trooper William Hakim, Oregon State Police, OR, EOW:

Friday, December 12, 2008, Cause of Death: Bomb.

Captain Tom Tennant, Woodburn Police Department, OR, EOW:

Friday, December 12, 2008, Cause of Death: Bomb.

Officer Joseph Sanders, California Highway Patrol, CA, EOW:

Monday, December 15, 2008, Cause of Death: Struck by vehicle.

Police Officer Mark Simmons, Amarillo Police Department,

TX, EOW: Wednesday, December 17, 2008, Cause of Death:

Automobile accident.

Deputy Sheriff Jeremy Keith Carter, Evangeline Parish

Sheriff's Department, LA, EOW: Friday, December 19, 2008,

Cause of Death: Duty related illness.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, the Stimulus bill we're voting on today is supposed to stimulate business and create jobs. However, one provision of the bill will do just the opposite. Title II of the Conference Report on H.R. 1, under the Office of Justice Programs, State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance, provides $2 billion in Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (JAG). This funding is frequently used by local government agencies to fund pretrial release for criminal defendants. The problem is that it's at taxpayer expense.

When a defendant is given a pre-trial release bond or personal recognizance bond, he is released on his own recognizance. For example, a bond may be set at $10,000, and the defendant is released on his promise to return based on his ``word'' alone. If the defendant does not return, the sheriff has to go find him. The taxpayers are usually out $10,000 because judgments are seldom obtained from defendants for failure to appear.

On the other hand, when a surety bond is used, the court enters into a contractual agreement with a bonding company. The defendant also makes an agreement with the bonding company, and pays the company 10%. Then the defendant is released with the understanding that the bonding company will pay the court $10,000 if the defendant does not show up. Plus the bonding company is obligated to go and look for the defendant if the defendant does not appear in court. This form of free enterprise takes taxpayers off the financial hook.

Mr. Speaker, by allowing taxpayer money to go to pretrial release, the free enterprise system is greatly hindered. Instead of providing jobs, jobs are taken away from the private sector--namely the bonding and insurance community.

As a former judge, I found that defendants released on pretrial bonds seldom reappeared in court. With surety bonds, however, they were much more likely to show up because they had a vested financial interested in appearing. Plus, the bondsman looks for defendants who fail to appear.

During my 22 years as a criminal court judge, I saw how if left alone, the free enterprise system guarantees the best result. By allowing private enterprise to take part in the process, people are held accountable, and taxpayers are protected.

Mr. Speaker, this so-called ``Stimulus'' bill will not stimulate the economy with jobs. It will only further stifle the free enterprise system, take jobs, and will leave taxpayers with the bill. This is just one of many examples of flaws in this bill.

Madam Speaker, most of us are aware of the bus accidents that have been occurring around the country. Two years ago there was a fatal bus accident involving the Westbrook High School girls' soccer team in Beaumont, Texas. Just this year, there was an accident in Sherman, Texas, which involved several Vietnamese community members. Similar incidents occurred in Liberty, Missouri, Arlington, Virginia, New York City, and New Orleans, to name a few.

These tragic bus accidents demonstrate that school bus safety reform is an urgent issue. While school buses are among the safest mode of transportation, these re-occurring accidents are unacceptable. School buses need to be safer.

The widespread bus crashes have sparked a comeback in the idea of seatbelts in buses. Seatbelts raise the issue of whether they would increase bus safety.

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, Texas safety belt use has topped 90%, this being the third year in a row. The majority of people in Texas are wearing their seatbelts in cars and trucks. But few to no passengers are wearing their seatbelts in school buses! Currently, there is no federal mandate on seatbelts in buses.

Every state, except New Hampshire, requires by law that car and truck drivers and passengers wear seatbelts. This is because seatbelts work-- they increase a passenger's chance of survival in a crash. In short, seatbelts save lives.

If laws require passengers of cars and trucks to wear seatbelts, why are there no requirements for buses to even include seatbelts? In many states there are variations of ``Click it or Ticket'' policies that threaten motorists who don't wear seatbelts, yet no such laws apply to the buses that carry our children and community members on a daily basis.

Certainly, buses are made very different from cars and trucks. For one, buses can carry many more passengers than any car. Some of these differences might lead one to believe that there should not be a mandate on seatbelts in buses. These differences have not stopped bus drivers from being required to wear seatbelts. So why not for school bus passengers as well?

Some claim that seatbelts may not be properly worn by passengers or cause injury. If anything, it shows that seatbelts should be made better. However, to completely disregard seatbelts as a safety precaution is absurd.

The answer appears to be that of common sense. While seatbelts are in no way a quick fix and there are many questions surrounding seatbelts in buses, they should be looked into as one of the very many necessary measures taken to ensure school bus safety.

Madam Speaker, the Texas A&M Aggies are known to boast many mottos, but a saying less famous than ``Gig 'em'' or ``Hullabaloo'' is one they lean on during times of hardship: ``Through Unity, Strength.'' Last month, the student body was struck with another tragedy and two of Texas' warriors were taken from their families, friends and fellow students. The student body has banded together to get through this tragedy and in that unity they, once again, are finding their strength. I would like to take this opportunity to honor the two men who dedicated their lives to serving this country and whose time was cut short by a tragic accident.

On January 12th, during routine helicopter training on Texas A&M's campus, two soldiers were killed in the accidental crash. Lieutenant Zachary Cook was a recent A&M graduate and had just been commissioned as a United States Army officer. His temporary assignment was with Texas A&M's ROTC program which was holding the training demonstration for some ROTC cadets. Zachary, 22, was a former member of the Corps of Cadets Company D-1 and had just received his degree in December. There has already been an outpouring of support for this young man from A&M's student body and there will assuredly be hundreds of voices answering ``Here'' during roll call at the university's memorial service known as ``Muster'' in April.

Sergeant Charles Mitts, 42, of Spring, TX also died in the helicopter crash. Sergeant Mitts had served his country dutifully his entire adult life. After graduating from high school in Killeen, TX Charles served in both the Gulf War and Operation Iraqi Freedom. During his deployment to Iraq he served in General Petraeus' personal helicopter unit and he was currently enlisted in the Texas Army National Guard. Sergeant Mitts devoted his life to serving this country and is one of the many warriors that Texas is proud to call its own.

Madam Speaker, we honor these soldiers and their oath to serve us and protect all that we hold dear. Across the entire state Texans are honoring Sergeant Mitts, Lt. Cook and their families. As P.H. Duval Jr. put it so eloquently in his famous poem ``The Last Corps Trip''--

It was Judgment Day in Aggieland

And tenseness filled the air;

All knew there was a trip at hand,

But not a soul knew where . . .

. . . And the band poured forth the anthem,

In notes both bright and clear

And ten thousand Aggie voices

Sang the song they hold so dear.

And when the band had finished,

St. Peter wiped his eyes

And said, ``It's not so hard to see

They're meant for Paradise.''

And the colonel of the Cadet Corps said

As he stiffly took his stand,

``It's just another Corps Trip, boys,

We'll march in behind the band.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, some day in the future we may live in a land flowing with renewable green energy, windmills on every corner, cute little battery-operated cars in every garage. But the path to blissful nirvana is long and we have just begun that journey.

Right now, our primary fuel source for vehicles is crude oil, whether we like it or not. We get most of it from the Middle East. We transfer billions of dollars of taxpayer money to countries that don't like us or respect us, countries that have ties to radical terrorists that want to kill us.

The American people support clean offshore drilling. It is good for the country. We will keep our money in America instead of sending it overseas. Offshore drilling creates high-paying jobs for Americans. We reduce the risk of oil spills from tankers from the Middle East. Oil companies will send millions of dollars to our Treasury for the right to lease offshore, and it can be done cleanly and safely.

But the new administration has blocked offshore drilling. With all the rhetoric about stimulating the economy, one would think that a real stimulus would be to drill off our shores and bring jobs and money to Americans instead of going into debt with the elusive stimulus package.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, ballparks across America are back in swing and only days until opening day at the taxpayers' new park in New York, Citi Field. The average cost for a family of four to see a game is $200. Wonder what the average cost for an office and executive secretary for former big shots at Citigroup in Manhattan costs? Well, it's not peanuts.

According to news reports, our struggling friends at Citigroup have plenty enough to plaster their name on a new ballpark and keep high dollar offices and secretaries for ex CEOs. The coach at Citigroup is making cuts to the roster at every other position, but it seems the luxury suite won't be traded.

Households across our country are prioritizing spending, doing without to make ends meet, and they're not getting any bailout money from the Federal Government.

Citigroup is striking out when it comes to wise usage of taxpayer money. Citigroup should not spend taxpayer money on baseball parks and elaborate offices for former Citigroup players. If Citigroup goes broke, they shouldn't be coming looking for more taxpayer money. If they go bankrupt,

we can call the new field in New York ``Bankruptcy Field.''

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, I bring you news from the front. This week, in one of our neighboring country's schools, an elementary school, there was a raging gun battle for over 2 hours between the bad guys, the Army, and of course the police were involved in all of this. I'm not talking about a battle that took place in Iraq or Afghanistan. I'm talking about a battle that took place just south of our border in Mexico--the border, the second front that we should be concentrating on as a Nation and be concerned about what's taking place there. In Reynosa, Mexico, right across the Rio Grande River from McAllen, Texas, is where this gun battle took place.

The Gulf Drug Cartel, in control of Reynosa, was trying to move drugs into the United States, and they got involved with the Federal police and soldiers. This battle kept going on because both sides kept getting reinforcements. At least five of the gang members were killed and five peace officers, or Federal police, were killed. It is reported that teachers were shoving kids on the floor, blocking the windows with desks and tables, trying to keep down because of the ricochets that were taking place in the school.

One third grader said this: ``We were all crying. We were so afraid,'' said this 9-year-old. She continued: ``They could have killed every one of us.''

The gun battle took place on both sides of the school. Then it moved into a shopping area and other parts of Reynosa.

The principal of the school had this comment. She said, ``The bad men think they're lords of the streets.'' Mr. Speaker, maybe they are.

This is gang warfare in Mexico. Just last year, there were 6,000 people killed in Mexico, most of them attributed to the gang fights to try to control the drugs that are coming into the United States. Six thousand people? What does that mean? Well, there have been 5,000 Americans killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, less than the total number killed just last year in Mexico. It's reported that one American a week is killed in Mexico, maybe more than one a week. The drug cartels murder police officers; they kill elected officials; they chop the heads off of police chiefs; and some now have said that Mexico may be a failed state because of the drug cartels and the violence that is taking place there.

I don't know if it's a failed state or not, but it's a serious epidemic, and what is taking place that the drug cartels are in the center of this border war has to do with four commodities--with four commodities, Mr. Speaker. Two of those commodities go north, and two of those commodities go south. The drug cartels, of course, are running drugs and people into the United States. The two of those that are going south are the drug cartels that are helping to control, of course, the money and illegal guns going back into Mexico, most of those controlled by the drug cartels. We know that many of the drug cartels are working with the human smugglers, the coyotes, to have them bring drugs and people into the United States at the same time.

So the drug cartels are the enemy of America. They're working in Mexico. If anyone thinks that they're going to stay south of the Rio Grande River, they've not been very attune to what has taken place. Much of Mexico, especially on the border, has been corrupted by the drug cartels. It is extremely violent. I've been down to the Texas- Mexico border about 15 times, and every time I go, the situation is worse on both sides. Yet good folks on both sides live in fear because of the drug cartels and their violence, and nothing is happening.

President Calderon has answered with 40,000 soldiers on the border. He says, ``Mexico confronts a historic challenge to become a secure country, a challenge to truly transform itself into a country of law and order.''

Well, good for President Calderon. I hope he succeeds, but if we think it's going to stay south of the border, we're sadly mistaken.

Just in 2007, in my hometown of Houston, in broad daylight, two rival gangs, smuggling gangs, were going up and down the freeway, shooting at each other, trying to fight over a group of illegals that one of them wanted to take away from the other. You know, that case, like many others, has gone ignored mainly by the mainstream media.

This country, Mr. Speaker, faces a border war like we have never seen before, and so now I think we ought to take some action on this side of the

border. It's interesting that, in the last Presidential campaign, neither candidate, in all of that talk, ever said anything about the border--our border, the second front.

It is time to reinforce the border with the National Guard, the military. If the Mexican Government is going to have the courage to have the military on the border to keep the drug cartels from crossing into our country, we ought to have the courage to have the border secured with our military to protect us and to squeeze those drug cartels dry. Send the military down there, and teach the drug cartels they will not have it their way, Mr. Speaker.

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, this morning I was talking to my friend Sammy Mahan. He is from Baytown, Texas. He is a wrecker driver, and has five wreckers under his service. He was asking me about the stimulus bill. And he said, ``How are we going to pay for it?'' And I said, ``Well, we don't have the money, so we are probably going to have to borrow it maybe from the Chinese. Eventually there is going to be a tax increase.''

And he said, ``How much is it going to cost?'' And I said, ``$790 billion.'' Then he said, ``No. How much is it going to cost me?'' I said, ``It is about $10,000 per family, is what they say.''

Then he said, ``Well, I don't have $10,000; and unlike you government boys, I can't spend money I don't have. So I want you to opt me out of this deal.'' And I said, ``What do you mean, `opt me out'?'' He replied, ``Give me a form. I want to sign it. You take $10,000 off that $790 billion, and I don't want to pay it because I don't have the money.''

Madam Speaker, I suspect that if most Americans read this bill and they realized how much it was going to cost them personally, they would want to opt out of this deal. We need to come up with a plan, but this isn't the deal. And since people I represent can't opt out, I am going to opt out for them.

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, procedure is important. Procedure rules are important because they are placed there for a reason. This House unanimously voted that there should be 48 hours after a bill is filed before we voted on it. The

reason for that is to give us time to read it. It is unconscionable that we would vote on a 1,000-page bill without at least reading the bill. But we didn't get 48 hours. I guess the motion really meant 4 to 8 hours, because that is all we've really received, 4 to 8 hours to decide whether or not to proceed.

We need more time to read the bill. Let's stay here until tomorrow or Sunday or Monday. But let's read the bill, regardless of our position on it, and then we can be knowledgeable to vote on this $1-trillion package one way or the other. The idea that we're going to vote on a bill we haven't read because we didn't get time to do it is absurd, Madam Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the stimulus bill we're voting on today is supposed to stimulate business and create jobs. However, one provision of the bill will do just the opposite. Title II of the Conference Report on H.R. 1, under the Office of Justice Programs, State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance, provides $2 billion in Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (JAG). This funding is frequently used by local government agencies to fund pretrial release for criminal defendants. The problem is that it's at taxpayer expense.

When a defendant is given a pre-trial release bond or personal recognizance bond, he is released on his own recognizance. For example, a bond may be set at $10,000, and the defendant is released on his promise to return based on his ``word'' alone. If the defendant does not return, the sheriff has to go find him. The taxpayers are usually out $10,000 because judgments are seldom obtained from defendants for failure to appear.

On the other hand, when a surety bond is used, the court enters into a contractual agreement with a bonding company. The defendant also makes an agreement with the bonding company, and pays the company 10

percent. Then the defendant is released with the understanding that the bonding company will pay the court $10,000 if the defendant does not show up. Plus the bonding company is obligated to go and look for the defendant if the defendant does not appear in court. This form of free enterprise takes taxpayers off the financial hook.

Mr. Speaker, by allowing taxpayer money to go to pretrial release, the free enterprise system is greatly hindered. Instead of providing jobs, jobs are taken away from the private sector--namely the bonding and insurance community.

As a former judge, I found that defendants released on pretrial bonds seldom reappeared in court. With surety bonds, however, they were much more likely to show up because they had a vested financial interest in appearing. Plus, the bondsman looks for defendants who fail to appear.

During my 22 years as a criminal court judge, I saw how if left alone, the free enterprise system guarantees the best result. By allowing private enterprise to take part in the process, people are held accountable, and taxpayers are protected.

Mr. Speaker, this so-called ``stimulus'' bill will not stimulate the economy with jobs. It will only further stifle the free enterprise system, take jobs, and will leave taxpayers with the bill. This is just one of many examples of flaws in this bill.

Madam Speaker, the date: February 12, 1973, 36 years ago this day, when a tall, lean, underfed

POW boldly boarded a C-141 transport plane with a tin can in his hand flying from Vietnam back home to America. His name? Colonel Sam Johnson, now a Member of this United States House of Representatives, from Texas.

Sam Johnson was a fighter pilot, flew 62 missions in Korea, and on his 25th mission in Vietnam he was shot down. He landed in a rice paddy, was captured by the North Vietnamese, and for 7 years was a prisoner of war. He was tortured, beaten, but never broken. He did have a broken arm, and his other arm was useless. April 16, 1966 is when he began his 7 years of confinement. But today is his 36th anniversary from his 7 years in a POW camp. He served in a cell the size of a tomb with that tin cup and polluted rice, and sometimes a rat would come by.

Madam Speaker, we want all of America's sons to grow up to have the character of Colonel Sam Johnson. We thank Sam Johnson for his 7 years of service in a POW camp. We thank all the Americans that served in those POW camps--those that survived and came home, and those that did not.

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, they say that World War I is the forgotten war, but it is not so in Kingwood, Texas at Creekwood Middle School.

The school did what is called a ``service learning project'' that is a hands-on, in-depth study of the survivors of World War I. Thanks to the work of the teachers of the school, the history teachers--but especially teacher Jan York--the kids studied World War I and the survivors who still are alive today.

World War I, 90 years ago last November, the war to end all wars, ended. It started in the early 20th century. The United States got involved in 1917, and the United States sent 4.7 million doughboys across the seas to fight in that great war.

When American troops landed in Europe, our allies were stunned at the enthusiasm and at the aggressiveness of our troops, and our enemies were shocked by their determination and relentless spirit.

After that war was over on the eleventh day of the eleventh month at the eleventh hour in 1918, when all hostilities ceased, 114,000 doughboys, as they were called, did not come home. Many are still buried in Europe in graves only known to God.

After those troops did get home, thousands of others died from the Spanish flu that they contracted in Europe during that war. There was just one doughboy left. His name is Frank Buckles. He is the lone survivor, the last doughboy.

Madam Speaker, this is a photograph of Frank Buckles that was taken not long ago by photographer David DeJonge from Michigan. David has made it his ambition and life's work to take photographs of the survivors of World War I and of events that occurred in World War I.

Frank Buckles, he was an interesting individual. When the war started, he was just 16, so he tried to join the United States Army, but he was too little. He didn't weigh enough and he was not 18. So he lied about his age. He finally got a recruiter to take him, and he went to Europe as a 16-year-old and fought in the great World War I. He drove an ambulance and rescued other doughboys who had been wounded in World War I.

After the war was over with, he came back to the United States and started a farm in West Virginia, and when World War II started, he found himself in the Philippines. He was captured by the Japanese, and during World War II, he was held as a prisoner of war for 3 years until that war was over with. Frank Buckles in this photograph is now 108 years old, the lone survivor.

Last Friday, I had the honor to be present with those 1,000 school kids at Creekwood Middle School who are studying in-depth World War I and their survivors, like Frank Buckles, and what happened. Not only did they have an exhibit and photographs, but they got Frank Buckles on the telephone, and they sang to him ``happy birthday'' for his 108th birthday.

But that's not all, Madam Speaker. The choir sang the song that the World War I doughboys went off to war with the song ``Over There, Over There.'' They will not be back until it's over over there. But it was more than just to honor Frank Buckles. It was to raise money for a memorial on the National Mall for the World War I veterans. Let me explain.

We had four great wars in the last century, and we have built monuments for three of those--Vietnam, Korea and World War II--but if you look on the mall, there is no national monument for people like Frank Buckles. We just

didn't get around to it as a Nation. It is true, as in this photograph, that this is a memorial for the D.C. veterans of World War I. It is decrepit, cracking, and the sidewalk, itself, is broken where Frank Buckles is sitting in his wheelchair when rain was coming down when this photograph was taken. So the kids raised $13,000 to build a memorial to the World War I veterans.

I have introduced legislation to expand this D.C. memorial for all veterans of World War I. You see, those veterans don't have high-dollar lobbyists in D.C. who are advocating for a memorial for them. They just have the kids of the Nation, kids like those at Creekwood Middle School, who are doing everything they can to honor another generation, that generation that was the fathers of the greatest generation.

So I commend them for their relentless spirit and for studying American history and about American people like Frank Buckles. Their slogan was ``bucks for Buckles, dough for the doughboys'' to privately raise funds for this memorial. He is the lone survivor, but his voice will be heard throughout this country because David DeJonge is going to schools throughout the country on this national exhibit that started in a little place called Kingwood, Texas at Creekwood Middle School.

So God bless those kids, and God bless those doughboys who served and who went over there for the rest of us. They went to a land they did not know. They fought for a people that they had never met all because they were asked to do their duty. The American spirit and the American youth of this country should be congratulated.

And that's just the way it is.

I want to thank you for yielding, Dr. Burgess. I appreciate your comments, especially on the health care portions of that. It is an issue that the country needs to solve eventually, the whole concept of health care.

But the stimulus bill is before us. We have yet to see this bill. We know it is going to be several hundred pages long when it is finally brought to the House floor. I suspect that if we want to read it, most of us will need to stay up all night and read the bill so that we can be adequately prepared to debate it and vote on it tomorrow.

I wish that we weren't trying to rush this bill to the floor, and do as the House voted earlier this week, that at least 72 hours before a bill is voted on, it would be posted on the Internet for not only us to read but for the American public to read. For some reason that rule that we agreed on has been overlooked in this stimulus bill; and, at least we should wait until Saturday or Monday so that we can get a lively debate.

And at least we should wait until Saturday or Monday so that we can get a lively debate. But be that as it may, we've heard a lot of numbers regarding this so-called ``stimulus'' bill. And I think it is appropriate to ask a question that I've asked a lot of people, both those that are in favor of the bill and those that are opposed to the bill as it currently stands. Where are we going to get the money to pay for this? And generally I don't get an answer from anyone. That doesn't seem to be a concern that a lot of people have here on the House floor, for some reason, about where the money is going to come from. I think that is a valid question because I've been getting a lot of calls from people in southeast Texas wanting to know how much it is going to cost them to stimulate the economy.

Well, a couple of numbers. The bill is about $800 billion. As you mentioned, it

is going to be about $300 billion additional because of the debt that we will have to obtain for this bill. So we're talking about $1,100,000,000,000. We don't have that kind of money. We're going to have to borrow it, as you said, probably from the Chinese. It kind of bothers me that we pay interest to the Chinese on American debt. That is another issue.

But down the road, eventually, somebody is going to have to pay for this $1.1 trillion. That amounts to about $10,000 per every family in the United States. So every family in the United States is going to be responsible for $10,000 to help stimulate the economy. We still don't know whether it will help or not. But that is the cost. Someone will have to pay for it. Eventually, debt has to be paid. Even the Federal Government's debt has to be paid. And with all of these programs, the bailout bills from last year, the bailout bills that we hear coming down the pike that we haven't even voted on yet, and other stimulus packages, we're now told all of this is going to cost about $9,700,000,000,000. Now we're talking about real money, Dr. Burgess, when we're talking about $9,700,000,000,000. And that is the biggest number I have ever seen. It is hard for me to write it down. I have it on a chart over there. It took two charts to put that number on there.

And that amounts to about $1,500 for every person that lives on planet Earth. That is how much money $9,700,000,000,000 is. And that is debt we're going to acquire for stimulus packages, bailout packages, more stimulus packages that we hear are coming later this year. Now that is a lot of money. Somebody has to pay. Unfortunately, the American taxpayer has to pay it. Taxpayers always have to pay. It has been that way, and it is unfortunate that they are being saddled with that debt, still not even understanding it, and it is very questionable whether this stimulus package will work.

We have heard from the Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan group that is a bunch of mathematicians that does a lot of accounting for us. They told us that even if it passed the stimulus package, it probably will not help the economy in a positive way. Now that is really disturbing to spend all this money and it not work.

Now there is one project in this bill that I want to mention. There are a lot of them that have been mentioned tonight and they have been mentioned yesterday. But one of the projects that is in the bill that the House didn't even vote on--as you know, the third bill, the conference bill, is a bill that is written behind closed doors with very little input from both sides--and there is $8 billion for high- speed rail, another $400 million for Amtrak. And specifically, one of the new rail projects is going to be from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Now that is not going to affect or help people down in southeast Texas. I mean Amtrak goes through Beaumont in my district, but Hurricane Ike blew away the station, so it doesn't even stop there anymore. All that's there for Amtrak is a concrete slab. But anyway, I don't understand why we're building high-speed rail from Los Angeles into Las Vegas. Are we trying to get folks into Las Vegas to gamble? Are we trying to get folks into Las Vegas to see the new mob museum that this bill provides for? That's right. The mob museum, where taxpayers are going to pay money to build a museum to organized crime in Las Vegas. Yes, it is in that bill. And it disturbs me that we are trying to stimulate the economy with all of these, what I think, are earmarks that are put in the bill for special interest groups. Maybe we do and maybe we don't need high-speed rail from Los Angeles to Las Vegas so people can go out there and spend their money. I don't know. But that doesn't create jobs for Americans. It certainly doesn't create jobs for most Americans.

You are correct. We need to do something. We have to help this economy, not hinder the economy with the stimulus package. And one way that I see is maybe back up, look at the whole concept of spending money we don't have, and maybe rethink that and not spend money. But yet, let Americans keep more of their own money to begin with, not take money from them like the government does and then dole it out a little bit in $500 checks. That doesn't work. Maybe not take their money to begin with. Maybe tell all Americans, and maybe Congress ought to think this through, everybody who pays taxes and reports their taxes ought to get a tax cut across the board, and then they will have more of their own money, and they can decide how to spend their money and stimulate the economy the way they decide, rather than Big Brother up here in Washington trying to make that decision for them.

I think that is something we ought to have the debate on. We haven't had that debate because we're rushing to pass this bill because we have to get it passed before Valentine's Day. That is what we have been told. And I thank the gentleman for his efforts on this. And I'm glad that we're having at least a discussion about some alternatives tonight.

Mr. Speaker, the sky is falling, the sky is falling, but never fear, the Federal Government is here. But in another failed attempt to save the day, the administration announced they would use the full force of the government to spend our way out of this crisis. Congress hasn't even passed the $835 billion stimulus package and the Treasury Department announces $2 trillion more for the bailout for the fat cats on Wall Street. With that new emerging threat on the horizon, the stock markets tanked.

Government is not the answer. They are the problem. These ideas do little to address the economic situation. It is just more scare tactics and government-savior rhetoric. Reagan once said that the most feared words in the American language are, ``We are here from the Federal Government, and we are here to help you.''

The Federal Government can't spend money it doesn't have. This will be debt that Americans yet to be born will

have to pay off. The Congressional Budget Office said all of this spending will have a negative effect on the economy. Let Americans keep more of their own money, tax cuts for all those that pay and report their taxes. Wasteful government spending is not the answer. It is the problem.

And that's just the way it is.