Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, it's Christmas time in the city, so the Federal Government is about to give away more taxpayer dollars to those with their corporate hands out.

Now the Big Three Automakers say they need Uncle ``Santa'' Sam to save them from themselves even though they have been bad all year. And they expect ``Joe Sixpack'' from Dime Box, Texas, to pay for their naughty deeds.

We can't call it a bailout because that might be too honest a statement to our citizens; so we call it a ``bridge loan.'' Actually it's a bridge loan to nowhere.

And Congress wants to create a Car Czar to oversee the control of how the Big Three make new cars. They tell us it's not the nationalization of the car business, but it sounds close enough for government work to me.

Anyway, does anybody really think the Federal Government knows anything about the car business?

If you like the way the Federal Government fouled up the mortgage industry by over-regulating Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that has cost the taxpayers billions, or you like the way the Federal Government controls passenger rail service with Amtrak that loses billions of dollars every year, you'll love the way the Federal bureaucrats make new cars.

The new federalized auto industry will have the competence of FEMA, the pleasantries of the Post Office, and the compassion of the IRS.

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, well, here we go again, rushing into another bailout without appropriate congressional hearings. And what have the Big Three auto boys done to restructure their businesses after they first flew up here on their big private jets? Absolutely nothing. They just showed up here again demanding American money.

They say they are too big to fail. Madam Speaker, they have already failed, but they want the American citizen to pay for their mess.

So with the option before us today, we are going to let the Federal Government take over the auto industry and even decide what kind of car we should build. Not only that, we are going to appoint a ``Car Czar'' to manage how it is done.

The underlying bill gives the ``Car Czar'' complete control over the auto industry. Can you imagine what a Federal Government-made car will look

like? Most likely it will have a sail, solar panels, or even a windmill on top. It will be the typical Federal project. It will be too expensive, won't work, and we will never get rid of it.

With this bill, we are subsidizing failing companies. It is not the American way to subsidize failure. This is just like what we continue to do with Amtrak. Taxpayers pay millions of dollars every year to subsidize the failing passenger rail industry. So if we like Amtrak, we are going to love the new Federal car industry.

As President-elect Obama said on ``Meet the Press'' Sunday: ``We don't want government to run companies. Generally, government historically hasn't done that very well.'' I agree completely.

What the Big Three need to do is reorganize under the bankruptcy laws to prevent failure and job loss, just like the airlines did. The Big Three saying bankruptcy will cause 100 percent job loss is nonsense. It is just the politics of fear.

People say this isn't a bailout, but that is exactly what it is. It is not a bridge loan. And if it is a bridge loan, then it is a bridge loan to nowhere.

Folks, this is nothing more than a down payment on a future bigger taxpayer-funded corporate welfare bailout.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, for Houston police officer Timothy Abernethy, fighting crime was more than an occupation; it was his personal calling. Officer Abernethy was part of a special effort through the Houston Police Department to place more peace officers in high crime areas, which is why he was in an area of town that others tend to shy away from when he was shot and killed this past Sunday, December 7.

Working overtime and in a one-man patrol unit, Abernethy had pulled over a 28-year-old male for a traffic violation. As the man and the officer talked, the individual made a run for it and Officer Abernethy pursued him on foot through a nearby northwest Houston apartment complex. Tragically, the coward of a man, who happened to be out on parole, hid and ambushed Abernethy shooting him four times and killing him. The criminal has been apprehended and is charged with capital murder of a peace officer.

Officer Abernethy graduated May 27, 1997, from the Houston Police Academy, Class 170. During his 11-year HPD career, he was assigned to patrol at the North Command station and served with the HPD Search and Recovery Dive Team. Recently, Abernethy was part of an HPD bomb squad and was due to be transferred full-time to this squad.

Officer Abernethy is remembered as a giving person. His Captain, Ceaser Moore, recalls a time during Hurricane Ike this past fall when his power was out for weeks, and even though Abernethy already had his in-laws staying with him, he invited Captain Moore to stay with him until electricity was restored.

Officer Abernethy was the type of person who worked hard not only to improve his community but also himself. He worked successfully to obtain a degree while he was a member of the Houston Police Department.

Prior to joining the Houston Police Department, Officer Abernethy served in the United States Navy in the Submarine Corps.

Officer Abernethy is survived by his wife Stephanie, his son Timothy Scott Abernethy, Junior, and his daughter Olivia Ann Abernethy.

His only son, Tim, Jr., followed in his father's footsteps and joined the United States Navy so that he, too, could serve his country. Abernethy's daughter Olivia is a 2008 graduate of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.

Officer Abernethy was a man of honor who was dedicated to making our world a safer place for the rest of us. He will be greatly missed by citizens and peace officers alike. He was one of Houston's finest. Mr. Speaker, he was a cut above the rest of us.

His funeral will be this Friday in Houston, Texas, and his fellow officers will wear their black cloth of sacrifice across their badges. Peace officers are the last strand of wire in the fence between the law and those that violate the law.

Officer Timothy Abernethy lived and died serving the people of Texas and the City of Houston.

And that's the just way it is.

Madam Speaker, it seems that some in Congress are trying to call back the speech police and reinstate the Fairness Doctrine again. Although the Fairness Doctrine was abolished over 20 years ago, some of our colleagues just can't let it go.

This time they want to police and control the radio airwaves. I'm not talking about the former Soviet Union that controlled what Russians listened to on the radio, I'm talking about the American speech police.

The so-called ``Broadcast Fairness Doctrine'' is an attempt by the Feds to force private radio stations to be fair and balanced by forcing broadcasters to air opposing views of public importance. Sounds good, but who's going to determine what fair is, the Federal fair police?

Are we going to let a bunch of Potomac River bureaucrats determine if a radio station in Tomball, Texas is being fair when it discusses politics? Sounds like government control of speech to me.

It is actually totalitarian state control of speech. And what does ``fair'' mean? Fair means different things to different folks. In some places in the country like Texas, fair is where you take your chickens to. That's why the word ``fair'' is not in the Constitution. The Constitution protects free speech, not fair speech. It says ``Congress (that's us, folks) shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech.'' And the Constitution applies to the thieves of free speech and the government's speech police whether they like it or not.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, the politics of fear has won the day. The Secretary of Treasury has in essence told the country, ``Give me money and give it to me by the close of the business day or the country is going into the financial abyss.''

His fear tactics have caused the stock markets to tumble, and by putting a financial shotgun to the head of America, he has collected a $700 billion ransom to pay for the financial mistakes of Wall Street. There are two problems: we still don't know what he's going to do with America's money; and second, those who caused this mess are the ones who will profit from their bad gambling debts.

These Wall Street elites are free market capitalists until they start making mistakes, and rather than pay, they arrogantly expect Americans who did nothing wrong to pay the cost.

Well, I didn't come to Congress to sell out to Wall Street and let Americans be ripped off by intimidation tactics. Americans should not be expected to pay for the sins of the Wall Street money barons.

But the bill that passed today benefits a few in New York City; it raises taxes; there is no assurance it will even solve the problem; and the good old American patriot is left holding the bag because of the politics of fear.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, the bill to bail out the elite financial industry in New York that caused this mess failed this House, but our Senate colleagues are sending us a new bill, four times longer than the 100-page bill rejected by us.

The bill to stabilize the financial industry is now packed with squeaky pork. One would ask, what does pork have to do with the financial industry? Well, nothing of course. But the Senate bill with the piglets will help these entities: new tax earmarks for film and TV production; litigants in the Exxon Valdez incident; wooden arrows used by school children.

There are more tax earmarks: auto racing tracks; Indian tribes; wool research; and get this one, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rican rum. I am not making this up. There are more breaks for the railroads and the mining industry. None of these solve our banking and financial crisis. Why are they in this bill?

The House needs to deal with this financial situation to make sure that those responsible are held accountable and that the American taxpayers aren't forced to go broke paying for this financial rescue.

And that's just the way it is.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, because Wall Street money grabbers have made bad judgment calls, the American taxpayer is being forced to bail them out at $700 billion. Why is it, Madam Speaker, that the bigger the business, the more the Federal Government thinks it should swoop in and save incompetent businesses? Small businesses, mom and pop grocery stores, don't get this break. When they make bad financial decisions, they go out of business. But the rich and famous Wall Street New York City fat cats expect Joe Six-Pack to buck it up and pay for all this nonsense.

Reward people for being irresponsible and expect responsible people to pay for the sins of the financial industry? I think not. Putting a financial gun to the head of each American is not the answer.

Madam Speaker, I have this bill; it's over 100 pages long. That means it's seven billion dollars a page. The New York City fat cats expect us to pay for it. I think not.

This year alone, Madam Speaker, it's a sad time to be an American taxpayer. Here's Uncle Sam, all beat up because he's broke, and the reason is we have paid out Bear Stearns, a bailout, $28 billion, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, $200 billion, AIG bailout, $85 billion. Last week, the automobile industry got $26 billion. And today, lo and behold, $700 billion.

The American taxpayer is tired of paying for the sins of other people. It's time for them to pay and be responsible for their own misconduct.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, they say it's going to be Y2K all over again. Remember all the media hype about the date January 1, 2000--that the worldwide computer systems would fail, that financial records and transactions would be lost and go haywire and that the world would be gloom and doom and despair?

This is the same politics of fear we are hearing from the fat cat financial bullies from Wall Street.

They say Congress must save them from their financial sins before the stock markets open tomorrow or the country will fall into the abyss. So Congress is working on a plan in the back rooms of this Capitol. There are no public congressional hearings, no witnesses before committees. This Sunday, the plan for financial salvation to save us all is being discussed by only a few in the shadows of this great hall.

Doesn't sound like a good way to run the business of Congress.

Backroom deals have always troubled me because they usually turn out to be bad deals for Americans. The irresponsible elites in New York City who caused this financial mess should bear the blame and the cost or there should be no deal. However I suspect that Americans will be held financially hostage until they pay the ransom for Wall Street's salvation.

By the way, the Y2K scare was just a mythical hoax. And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, today I recognize Port Arthur police officer, Rickey Antoine for his commitment to law enforcement and traffic safety.

On August 21, 2008, Officer Antoine was awarded 2008 Traffic Officer of the Year by Texas Department of Transportation's Statewide Transportation Enhancement Program (STEP) that offers grants for police officers to target a specific area of enforcement during overtime. The Texas Department of Transportation acknowledged Officer Antoine for his ``outstanding achievements and extraordinary efforts to save lives on Texas streets and highways.'' Being the first time a police department east of Houston has been recognized for its efforts, this is a great accomplishment for Officer Antoine and the Port Arthur Police Department.

Despite issuing traffic tickets not being pleasant for him and hearing many complaints, Officer Antoine has dedicated his service to enforcing the law. He has issued hundreds of traffic tickets in the two years he has served on the Department's traffic unit. He has even ticketed motorists driving 5 miles over the speed limit, which appears to be absurd to violators, but Officer Antoine sticks by the law to ensure traffic safety.

While Officer Antoine would rather not write traffic tickets, he follows the principle that drivers must take responsibility for their actions. Driving over the speed limit increases the risk of death in an automobile accident. Officer Antoine has devoted his career to limiting that risk for drivers by enforcing the speed limit to as many people possible.

Before Officer Antoine came onto the area stretching across Ninth Avenue, speed limits were almost always violated.

On behalf of the Second Congressional District of Texas, I congratulate Officer Rickey Antoine for his accomplishments and applaud his dedication to traffic safety and making Southeast Texas a better place to drive.

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, Jesus told the well-known parable of a shepherd who owned 100 sheep, Luke 15:3-7. When the shepherd discovered that one of his sheep was missing, he left the 99 secure and went back to find the lost one. The point is that every sheep is important. ``The Lord is . . . not willing that any should perish'', 2 Peter 3:9. Today, I am proud to honor long time shepherd, Dr. Ed Young, and his ministry as he celebrates 30 years with Second Baptist Church in Houston, Texas.

Dr. Young became the pastor of Second Baptist Church in 1978 and continues to minister today. Under Dr. Young's leadership in 1979, Second Baptist started its weekly broadcast of the church's worship services on local television station, Channel 39. The purpose of the weekly broadcast was to create interest in local residents and minister inside and outside of the church network.

Dr. Young was elected President of The Southern Baptist Convention in both 1992 and 1993. He has also authored a number of books, including The Winning Walk: Outfitting for the Christian Adventure, The 10 Commandments of Parenting, and Total Heart Health.

Dr. Young is host of the broadcast radio show, The Winning Walk, named after his first book. The Winning Walk television broadcast has also emerged. Both programs and the Internet outreach have produced national and international exposure.

Since his start, Second Baptist has grown from 2,000 members to more than 48,000 members in five different campuses. Dr. Young and Second Baptist's ministry has not only spread throughout Houston, but has reached people worldwide.

Dr. Ed Young was born on August 11, 1936 in Laurel Mississippi. He was inspired by his pastor's wife, Mrs. Gates, who led him to faith at the age of 12.

Dr. Young attended University of Alabama for half a semester before leaving. After being challenged about his faith by a dorm-mate at the University, Dr. Young decided to seek out God's purpose in his life. He transferred to Christian University, Mississippi College, where he continued his education and prepared himself for his future ministry. He later attended Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina and remained in the area, where he got his first pastoral experience. After ministering in North and South Carolina for a while, he and his wife, Jo Beth, moved to Houston, Texas.

On behalf of the Second Congressional District of Texas, I want to congratulate my long time friend Dr. Ed Young for his 30 years at Second Baptist Church and honor his ministries that have touched numbers of people worldwide.

And that's just the way it is.

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 percent, 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, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information for publication in the Congressional Record regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 2638, the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act for FY09.

Account: Army, RDT&E, Army Missile Defense Systems Integration (Non- Space).

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Lamar University.

Address of Requesting Entity: 4400 MLK Blvd., P.O. Box 10009, Beaumont, TX 77710.

Description of Request: The Advanced Fuel Cell Research Program (AFC) at Lamar University is currently operating fuel cell test beds on behalf of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (USASMDC) that simulates power requirements and characterizes alternative power and storage capabilities for a wide variety of USASMDC systems. Critical need continues to exist for an efficient and clean advanced renewable energy source to meet urgent U.S. Army space and missile defense battlefield requirements. AFC continues to develop, test and validate advanced fuel cell technologies necessary to enable lightweight, power efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective renewable energy technology and products for Army space and missile defense systems including: sensors, radars, weapons, and communications. The FY09 request will leverage fuel cell technology achievements funded through previous DoD Appropriations bills by transitioning prototype lightweight fuel cells into Army renewable power products. UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) prototypes integrated with the AFC-developed fuel cells will be flight-tested and demonstrated under field conditions to validate reliable, long duration, and quality power for missile defense situational awareness missions. The AFC's advanced hydride fuel cell will validate the UAV's unique long loitering time and stealth capabilities for critical extended endurance surveillance missions. Amount Received: $3,000,000. These funds will be used to pay labor costs for 22 full time personnel, lab and test bed equipment and supplies, and facilities improvement.

Account: Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard Bridge Replacement.

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association.

Address of Requesting Entity: 2010 Butler Drive, Friendswood, TX 77546.

Description of Request: Galveston Causeway Railroad Bridge Replacement. Today, 21 thousand barges move 29 million tons of cargo worth $10 billion through the Galveston Bridge each year. In 2001, after a lengthy review process, the bridge was declared a hazard to navigation by the Coast Guard under the Truman Hobbs Act. The current estimated cost of replacement is almost $68 million. This request is consistent with the intended and authorized purpose of the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, under the Truman Hobbs Act. Amount Received: $4,000,000. Under the Truman Hobbs Act, the federal government pays 90 percent of replacement cost and the bridge owner, Galveston County pays 10 percent.

Madam Speaker, Lois Gibson has made the Guinness Book of World Records as ``The World's Most Successful Forensic Artist.'' Her sketches of perpetrators have been instrumental in assisting the police to catch over 1,062 criminals. She has recently written a book with renowned author, Deanie Francis Mills, about her experience being a criminal sketch artist and the profession's value to society. This Houston resident has made a name for herself in law enforcement all across the country and has done so for twenty-five years.

An alumna of the University of Texas at Austin, Gibson has put her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree to great use. A naturally artistic person, she decided to take the FBI Academy Forensic Artist Course to become a qualified criminal sketch artist. When Gibson was younger, she was sexually assaulted by a serial rapist and murderer. Perhaps it was this experience that most inspired Gibson to enter into the service of catching criminals and helping those in need. The memory of her traumatic incident definitely stays with Gibson but rather than letting it get her down, she uses it to inspire her work every single day.

Ms. Gibson's status as a past victim, allows her to truly and deeply sympathize with those that she works with. After an upsetting situation, those affected often have issues rehashing the situation and having to again envision the assailant's face, but Ms. Gibson allows them to get past this. Gibson can communicate well with these people because she understands where they are coming from, being a victim herself. Thus, victims are more likely to open up to Gibson and she makes it easier for them to focus and give her an accurate depiction of their attacker.

Despite the profession of criminal sketching having many talented and trained artists, there is a limited amount of full-time sketch artists in the country. It took Ms. Gibson, herself, some time to persuade the Houston Police Department of her merit. The HPD had never used an artist before and they believed the role Gibson proposed seemed superfluous. When the department finally agreed to let her work, Gibson was soon identified as a valuable asset to the law enforcement team and some police officers began to wonder how they had ever operated efficiently without her.

About thirty percent of Gibson's sketches catch their intended offenders when finger prints are around ten percent effective. It is findings like these that make the question of, why more police departments do not embrace the importance of having a full-time sketch artist, more profound. Still, Gibson's work has not gone unnoticed, as she has won numerous awards for stopping ruthless criminals and bringing justice to the blameless victims.

I commend this remarkable American on her twenty-five year devotion to public service, and thank her for doing work that has made our country a safer place to live in.

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, it has come to my attention that on August 14, seventeen of Republic of China's diplomatic allies requested that the United Nations General Assembly include a supplementary item in the agenda of the 63rd session to ``examine the fundamental rights of the 23 million people of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to participate meaningfully in the activities of the United Nations specialized agencies.''

I join my colleagues on the Hill in voicing my support for Taiwan's request. Taiwan has been denied participation in the conferences, mechanisms and conventions of the United Nations and the specialized agencies since 1971, thereby creating a major breach in the operations of the United Nations system. This has been a gross injustice that needs to be corrected. Taiwanese people deserve a voice in the UN specialized agencies for a number of reasons. Taiwan's population is larger than two thirds of the UN member states. Taiwan has a vibrant economy. Taiwan is a democracy. Taiwan wants to provide a positive feedback to the international community. Taiwan's meaningful participation in the specialized agencies would help promote peace and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

Madam Speaker, the tension cross the Taiwan straits has been eased since May 2008, and leaders of Taiwan and the People's Republic have shown a willingness to settle their dispute. This thawing of relations has been warmly welcomed by the international community. It is my hope that the PRC will favorably respond to Taiwan's request with goodwill and flexibility. Only by allowing Taiwan to participate meaningfully in the specialized agencies can the UN principle of universality be fulfilled and regional peace and prosperity be ensured.

Madam Speaker, today, I am proud to recognize the Trinity Valley Exposition on its 100th anniversary this October. The TVE has been a fixture in southeast Texas that brings fun and culture together for a great yearly event. Additionally, outside of the celebration in the autumn, TVE is active in the community and invests in the youth of our great State.

The TVE is a charitable organization located in Liberty, Texas. The main groups benefitting from the works of the TVE are the young people residing in the counties of Liberty and Chambers. Over the past few years, the TVE has contributed thousands of dollars in scholarships to those students who are going to be attending post-secondary institutions. For example, in 2004, the TVE gave $30,000 in scholarships to students in the area.

The TVE owns 60 acres of land, a covered arena, an exposition hall, and a pavilion. Various functions occur in these places throughout the year. People are allowed to rent these facilities, giving members of the community a chance to convene and offering anyone a great place to have ceremonies, celebrations, and get-togethers.

The TVE is a volunteer organization that relies on its helpers to be effective, especially, every fall when the TVE hosts a county fair. This is a tradition that attracts people from many places, near and far, to gather for the festivities. There is no gate charge, all events are free, and the entire public is invited.

This time, for the 100-year anniversary, the event is extra special with numerous contests engaging participants in kind-spirited competition. The contests include: quilting, baking, scarecrow, kiddie tractor pull, and salsa. Also, this year, favorite TVE memory is a contest, calling people to recollect special experiences of times past. In addition to these events, the TVE asks the children to participate in a coloring contest or in playing one of many games available. There will be live family entertainment, a magician, hotdogs, and rice. The grand event closes with a fireworks display to usher out a truly meaningful milestone.

The TVE is a tradition that brings the community together and calls to mind many of the things that identify us as Texans. Therefore, I am happy to draw attention to the Trinity Valley Exposition on its 100th year of operation.