Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, today, the badges of American peace officers are draped with the black cloth of sacrifice in honor of those killed in the line of duty protecting America's people.

Even though Congress has not yet passed legislation this year to designate today, May 15, as National Peace Officers Memorial Day, this is the day we remember America's peace officers.

Today at 1 o'clock in the afternoon in front of the Capitol, thousands of peace officers and families of the fallen will pay tribute to those who wear the badge and those who gave their life so that others could live.

Peace officers are the last strand of wire in the fence between the law and the lawless, between the people and the barbarians, between good and evil.

Almost 20,000 peace officers have been killed in the line of duty in the United States. 60,000 a year are assaulted. Nearly 1 million peace officers vigilantly, faithfully patrol our streets, neighborhoods and rural communities and cities. We owe them our heartfelt respect and gratitude.

Madam Speaker, peace officers who wear the badge are, as my dad used to say, ``A cut above the rest of us.''

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, today is National Police Officers Memorial Day, May 15. Last year, 181 peace officers in the United States were killed in the line of duty. Over 18,000 have been killed in the line of duty serving this country. At this very hour on the west front of the Capitol, thousands of police officers and families of those who have been killed in the line of duty are assembling to pay tribute to these wonderful men and women who represent the United States.

Just 10 years ago, two Capitol Police officers, John Gibson and Jacob Chestnut, were killed in the line of duty defending this Capitol and literally gave their lives for Members of Congress.

Moment of Silence

I would ask that the House observe a moment of silence in honor of these peace officers and their wonderful families.

Mr. Speaker, as the sun came up this morning bringing a new spring day in America, a new Texan was born at 8:27 a.m. and took her first breath of life. Hallie Elizabeth Poe, a 7-pound, 19\1/2\-inch girl was born in The Woodlands, Texas.

Hallie's parents, Kurt and Suzy, are happy with boastful pride, but they can't be prouder than I am because I'm the grandfather!

The miracle of birth is the Good Lord's gift to the people of the world and renews a spirt of hope and freshness. A baby girl is one of the most amazing miracles of life, one of the great joys of life, and one of the reasons why there is a little extra sunshine, laughter, and happiness in life.

Little girls are special. They bring a delight and innocence into the world of ours. I know that Hallie will have the forcefulness of Margaret Thatcher and the southern grace of Lady Bird Johnson.

Mr. Speaker, we pause for this moment in time for this most happy of all events, the birth of a new baby girl.

So there's a new yellow rose in Texas tonight that will obviously bring more warmth and beauty to our world. After all, Mr. Speaker, there is nothing like a little girl.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, as a former prosecutor and long-time judge in Texas, I'm concerned about, of course, drugs and corruption, especially on the international border between the United States and Mexico. I have great sympathy and compassion for the Mexicans living just south of the border, especially those that have had the problem of dealing with the drug cartels. It's an epidemic that occurs on our southern border with Mexico.

According to the DEA, 500 people were murdered in Nuevo Laredo recently. Most of those cases were never solved, and many of those individuals were peace officers. There have been 400 kidnappings in Nuevo Laredo; 41 of them were Americans, and none of them, not one of those cases, have ever been solved. And we understand now that behind most of those crimes of violence of murder and kidnappings are the drug cartels. What you might be surprised, Mr. Speaker, to find out is that many of those people involved in the drug cartels are former individuals in the Mexican military that were trained in the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security has reported that in the last 10 years also, there have been 250 documented cases of incursions by suspected Mexican military units into the United States. Most of them in Texas, California, and Arizona. Recently, I have been in a place called Neely Pass in Hudspeth County where the Mexican military was photographed coming into the United States.

In order to gain control of access corridors into the United States, drug cartels are hiring hit men from the elite Mexican military force, and this group is known as the Zetas. The Zetas are military deserters that are trained in the United States at the School of the Americas in Fort Benning, Georgia, as an elite force of anti-drug commandos. But unfortunately, after they were trained by Americans, they went over to the dark side. They were sent by the Mexican government to the U.S.- Mexico border to combat drug trafficking, but they switched sides, deserted the Mexican military, and worked for the drug cartels. Officials suspect that there are more than 200 Zetas, including former Mexican police officers.

And the problem isn't just at the border, either. The Zetas operate in the United States. Authorities have believed that the drug cartels and the Zetas are responsible for murders in the United States.

And there's a second group. The second group is called the Kaibiles. The Kaibiles were a special operations force in the Guatemalan military. Like the Zetas, many of them received training in the United States in counter-insurgency operations. And like the Zetas, many of them deserted the special forces and began to help the drug cartels.

Mr. Speaker, I have here a photograph taken by sheriff's deputies on the Texas-Mexico border, and this is a group of the Kaibiles. You notice they are all in uniform; they all have hoods on them. You notice the first person in the front is carrying an AK-47, and they're bringing cocaine into the United States in backpacks, and this is what has happened to these individuals that were trained in the United States and switched sides.

Now, the reason I bring all of this up, Mr. Speaker, is there is an initiative called the Meridia Initiative where the United States government is proposing to send $1.5 billion in training and equipment south of the American border into Mexico to help combat drug trafficking. While this may sound well and good, unfortunately, the truth of the matter is that we cannot trust the local officials on the Mexican side of the border because of the high rate of corruption because of these individuals that continue to switch sides. And it would be very unfortunate indeed if we sent equipment to the northern portion of Mexico, south of the American border, turned over this military equipment to the Mexican military to have it used against us as shown in this photograph.

It would be better money spent in training to send this $1.5 billion to the southern border to the second front where there is a war going on but keep it on the American side. Let the local officials, the State officials, let the sheriffs along the border use this equipment. Many of them don't even have enough equipment. As one of them has told me, they're outmanned and they're outgunned by the drug cartels.

So keep that equipment, keep that training on the American side of the border. Support the American cause before we turn this equipment and turn this training capability to the other side. And it's a sad fact of life that we can't trust sending money, equipment, and training south of the United States border because of the corruption that occurs in northern Mexico.

So I would hope that Congress, when this initiative comes up, that we have lively debate about this $1.5 billion; and before we send it all south of the border, that we rethink that and maybe spend part of that money, half of that money or most of that money, on the American side and let the border sheriffs of Brownsville, Texas, to San Diego use that equipment to fight the drug cartels, fight the crime on the American side of the border. I think that would be better money spent, American taxpayer money spent.

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, on May 21, 1881, the American Red Cross was founded by Clara Barton. Ms. Barton was a former schoolteacher, clerk in the U.S. Patent Office, and hero during the Civil War where she was nicknamed the ``Angel of the Battlefield'' for her service to wounded troops.

After successfully lobbying Congress to join and found the American chapter of the International Red Cross and to sign the Geneva Convention, Barton became the organization's first President. She led the American Red Cross for 23 years.

Just over three months after its founding, the Red Cross was called into action. The first major disaster relief operation occurred on August 22, 1881, when the American Red Cross responded to devastation caused by major forest fires in Michigan.

On June 6, 1900, the American Red Cross was given a Congressional charter that mandated the organization to fulfill the provisions of the Geneva Convention, by rendering aid to those wounded during war, providing communication between family members and members of the U.S. military, and administering relief to those affected by disasters during peacetime. The charter also reserves the Red Cross emblem for use only by the Red Cross.

Even though the organization has a Congressional mandate, it is not a federally funded organization. It is a non-profit, charitable organization that receives its funding from public donations.

Today, the American Red Cross is more important than ever in helping Americans who are in need of aid and who are affected by disasters. The organization has six major areas of work that it focuses on today: Disaster relief, community services that assist the needy, communications services and comfort for military members and their family members, collection processing and distribution of blood and blood products, educational programs on health and safety, and international relief and development programs.

Each year, more than a million volunteers and 30,000 Red Cross employees mobilize relief efforts to the victims of more than 63,000 disasters nationwide through a network of more than 700 chapters.

One of the most important and successful roles of the Red Cross has been the organization's role as the primary supplier of lifesaving blood for more than 50 years. As a leader in blood collecting and screening techniques, the Red Cross has helped to develop new techniques that have assisted in providing safer blood to those who need it which helps to lessen complications and transmittable illnesses.

As the Red Cross moved into the 21st century, it has begun to spread out into other lifesaving areas. It has concentrated training and public awareness in the fields of First Aid, Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AED), and water safety training.

Although I hope I shall never need the American Red Cross's emergency services and aid, it is good to know that we have such an outstanding organization there if such as situation should arise. The vision of Ms. Barton has come to fruition to the benefit of all Americans, and for this I want to recognize both Clara Barton and the organization that she founded, The American Red Cross.

Madam Speaker, the Eyes of Texas are shining tonight on the life and legacy of Houston news legend Ron Stone. Stone died today at the age of 72.

For 30 years, Ron Stone was a fixture on Houston television and the host of one of my favorite shows, the Eyes of Texas, featuring the real-life stories about unique people and places of our great State.

Though he had countless awards to mark his contributions in the media industry, it was his down to earth, folksy style that endeared him to audiences all across the Houston area.

He was born in Oklahoma, but Stone came to Houston in the 1960s, and his love for Texas took root then. He said he wasn't born in Texas, but he got there as fast as he could. After retiring from KPRC in 1992, he continued to leave his mark on the industry. He was a recognized filmmaker, author of several books on Texas history and continued his dedication to our community.

I met Ron many years ago while I was a judge in Houston. It was his personal approach to news that set him apart from others, and captivated audiences for more than 30 years. Ron Stone leaves a unique mark on Houston's history. May the Eyes of Texas forever shine on him and his family.

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, Congress passed an energy bill which should have been called the Anti-American non Energy Bill, because it punishes Americans for using energy, rather than finding new sources of affordable energy. But the bill does one thing, Madam Speaker, it controls the type of light bulbs that all Americans must use throughout our fruited plains.

Congress's energy bill bans incandescent light bulbs by 2014, and requires Americans to buy compact fluorescent bulbs. Those are called CFLs. Now we can say goodbye to Thomas Edison's incandescent bulb and his invention.

Madam Speaker, I have a Constitution here and, like most Members of Congress, I carry it with me. I've read it through and through, but I don't see anywhere in the U.S. Constitution that it gives the government the power to control the type of light bulbs used in Dime Box, Texas or any other place in the United States. Besides the lack of constitutional authority, let me discuss these light bulbs further.

Nothing in Congress seems to be easy, and that phrase is certainly true with these CFL light bulbs. These light bulbs contain mercury, so they have to be disposed of in a certain way. According to EPA rules, you're supposed to take them to a local recycling center. Thanks to Congress, nothing is easy.

If you throw them out at home, you're supposed to seal the bulb in two plastic bags and place them in the outside trash; otherwise, the bulb may break and pollute the landfill, of all things.

CFLs are made of glass, so they're fragile. If one breaks it or drops it, you have to follow simple rules, thanks to Congress. And according to the EPA, here's what do you if you break one of these light bulbs, and I quote. ``Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let anyone walk through the area.'' We must evacuate the room, Madam Speaker.

I continue. ``Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more. Shut off the central heating and air conditioning system. Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with a metal lid.'' Obviously, that's readily available.

I continue. ``Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small grass fragments and powder.'' Of course we do have lots of duct tape in Texas, so that's no problem. But we're not through yet.

I continue to quote. ``Wipe the area clean with a damp paper towel or disposable wet wipes and place them in the glass jar or plastic bag. Do not use a vacuum or a broom.''

And, Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to file this 3-page, single space requirements the EPA has made all Americans follow on disposing of one of these broken light bulbs.

If you break a light bulb in a high rise where the windows don't open, will the EPA light bulb police haul us off to jail because of improper disposal procedures?

If I dropped this light bulb, we would have to evacuate the House of Representatives, according to the EPA light bulb law. Have we gone a bit too far with this nonsense?

Thanks to Congress, we're making what is simple very difficult. And besides, these light bulbs, are expensive, and using them may fade photographs on the wall.

Now, Madam Speaker, I'm going to carefully remove one of these light bulbs from a box that contains all these warnings on the outside. And this is one of those CFL light bulbs that Congress is requiring all Americans to use by 2014.

There's more to the requirements of using these. It says here, and I quote, ``these light bulbs may cause interference to radios, televisions, wireless telephones and remote controls.'' Now we're in trouble for Monday night football because we're going to have to turn out the lights so there's no interference with our TV.

We can also thank Congress for giving more money to China. This light bulb, it says right here, with all the warnings on it, is made in China. And Madam Speaker, they are only made in China. They're not made in the United States. We import every one of these things.

You know, over the past year we've seen Chinese pet food kill our dogs and

cats; Chinese lead paint is poisoning our children, and now Chinese light bulbs that contain mercury can be harmful to our health. Doesn't this bother anybody?

Meanwhile, gasoline nears $4 a gallon, and Congress still has no energy plan except turn on these light bulbs.

Oh, I yearn for the day when America took care of Americans by developing our own abundant natural resources like coal and natural gas and crude oil to provide affordable energy to America. But those days have gone the way of Edison's incandescent light bulb. We might as well turn out the lights, the party's over.

And that's just the way it is.

What To Do if a Fluorescent Light Bulb Breaks

Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) are lighting more homes

than ever before, and EPA is encouraging Americans to use and

recycle them safely. Carefully recycling CFLs prevents the

release of mercury into the environment and allows for the

reuse of glass, metals and other materials that make up

fluorescent lights.

EPA is continually reviewing its clean-up and disposal

recommendations for CFLs to ensure that the Agency presents

the most up-to-date information for consumers and businesses.

Maine's Department of Environmental Protection released a CFL

breakage study report on February 25, 2008. EPA has conducted

an initial review of this study and, as a result of this

review, we have updated the CFL cleanup instructions below.

Pending the completion of a full review of the Maine study,

EPA will determine whether additional changes to the cleanup

recommendations are warranted. The agency plans to conduct

its own study on CFLs after thorough review of the Maine

study.

Fluorescent light bulbs contain a very small amount of

mercury sealed within the glass tubing. EPA recommends the

following clean-up and disposal guidelines:

Before clean-up: ventilate the room

1. Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let

anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.

2. Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.

3. Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning

system, if you have one.

Clean-up steps for hard surfaces

4. Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using

stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with

metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.

5. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any

remaining small glass fragments and powder.

6. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable

wet wipes and place them in the glass jar or plastic bag.

7. Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb

on hard surfaces.

Clean-up steps for carpeting or rug

4. Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a

glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a

sealed plastic bag.

5. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any

remaining small glass fragments and powder.

6. If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are

removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.

7. Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister),

and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.

Disposal of clean-up materials

8. Immediately place all cleanup materials outside the

building in a trash container or outdoor protected area for

the next normal trash.

9. Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic

bags containing clean-up materials.

10. Check with your local or state government about

disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states

prohibit such trash disposal and require that broken and

unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local

recycling center.

Future cleaning of carpeting or rug: ventilate the room

during and after vacuuming

11. The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central

forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window

prior to vacuuming.

12. Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut

off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after

vacuuming is completed.

I want to thank the gentleman for yielding.

I appreciate your service in the House but also in your other career as a sheriff. I'm sure, based upon the information we know about you, Sheriff, when you left the State of Washington and came to the House of Representatives, the criminals were probably cheering that you had left town and you were coming to Washington, DC. But I want to thank you and the other several individuals in the House of Representatives who served in law enforcement prior to coming to the House of Representatives.

This week is Police Week, May 11 through the 17th. I am proud to be the author of House Resolution 1132 to designate May 15 of this year as Peace Officers Memorial Day so that we can honor all Federal, State, and local peace officers killed in the line of duty or disabled in the line of duty.

As you have mentioned, Sheriff, thousands of local, State, and Federal law enforcement officers across the country are injured every year. Almost 60,000 a year are injured in the line of duty. Many others are also killed in the line of duty.

Peace officers selflessly protect our communities and our property regardless of the dangers they face. Every day when they get up, they pin that badge or star on, and they go on patrol throughout this country, they always put their life on the line for the rest of us. There are almost 1 million sworn peace officers in the United States today.

When I came to Congress, I was the author and founder of the Victims' Rights Caucus. This bipartisan group advocates not only on behalf of crime victims but peace officers as well, to give bipartisan support for the work that peace officers do because many of them also become victims of crime.

You mentioned that you spent 33 years in law enforcement. I saw it probably from the other position. You used to catch them and I used to prosecute them, so to speak. I spent 8 years prosecuting criminals in Houston, Texas, and left the District Attorney's office and became a judge in Houston for 22 more years, hearing only criminal cases, hearing some 25,000 cases during that period of time. And I saw firsthand how police officers became victims of crime. During my years as a prosecutor, I knew several peace officers that were injured or killed in the line of duty. And since the first recorded police death in 1792, there have been almost 20,000 officers killed in the line of duty in the United States. Of course, the deadliest day in law enforcement history was September 11, 2001, when 72 officers were killed responding to international criminal attacks against the United States. Last year 181 officers were killed. That's 30 more than in 2006.

Law enforcement officers are also frequently the victims of assault. They continue to be assaulted day in and day out. And it's not part of their duty and job to be victims of assault. But as you mentioned, many times they take it because that's what they do.

Here in Washington, DC., we have the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. This memorial lists the names of brave men and women who have died in the line of duty, and every year more names are added to that memorial, and every year more families suffer the rest of their lives for being a victim of crime and the loss of their loved one.

This year, in 2008, Texas has the highest number of law enforcement officers that have been killed, with Georgia being second. Ranking in the States, California has lost the most, Texas the second most, and New York the third most since we have been recording the number of officers killed. This week allows us an opportunity to pay tribute to these brave men and women who are no longer with us because they protected our communities.

Texas has a high number of officers who have been killed because of the unique problem we have with illegal trespassers and that epidemic that is occurring on our southern border. You can open a newspaper almost every week in Texas and read about some illegal trespasser committing a crime, and too often that crime is against a peace officer. Right now, as we are here tonight, down in Houston, Texas, an illegal trespasser by the name of Juan Leonardo Quintero-Perez, who had already been deported from this country once for child molesting, came back into the United States and was arrested by Houston Police Officer Rodney Johnson for a routine traffic stop. But Officer Johnson was the victim of a crime because this illegal criminal shot Officer Johnson four times in the back of the head. His wife was also a Houston police officer. Now they mourn his loss while the killer is on trial for capital murder, too often a

scenario that occurs here in the United States.

This week also there is another group that is meeting, and the name of this organization is Concerns of Police Survivors, or COPS, as it's called. They have their National Police Survivors' Conference this week, and it's an organization of 15,000 families of law enforcement officers that were killed in the line of duty, and they are meeting this week to honor the loss of their loved ones and peace officers throughout the United States.

It is important that we in Congress recognize the work that peace officers throughout the United States do on a daily basis. They don't get much recognition, and it's our responsibility to make sure that we are their advocate and we're their voice.

When I was growing up in Texas, before we moved to Houston, we lived in a small town called Heidenheimer. You've never heard of it, Sheriff. But occasionally we would go to the biggest town in our area, Temple, Texas. And once I was there with my dad watching a parade, and I noticed that there was an individual standing on the side at the curb not involved in the parade, just watching the parade. And, of course, that was a local Temple police officer. And back in those days, they didn't wear uniforms. They just wore a cowboy hat and a white shirt and a star, as some of them still do. And I was 5 or 6 years of age. And I remember my father told me, because he noticed I was watching this individual, he said, ``If you are ever in trouble, if you ever need help, go to the person who wears the badge because they are a cut above the rest of us.''

Now, those words were true many, many years ago when I was a kid, but they are true today as well. People still, when they're in trouble, when they need someone to help them, they go to peace officers, those individuals who wear the badge, because they are the last strand of wire between the law and the lawless, and they protect us from those who wish to commit crimes against our community. They are all that separate us from the barbarians, if you will. And we honor them for wearing the badge of an American peace officer.

When September 11, 2001, occurred, all Americans remember what they were doing that morning. I was driving my jeep to the courthouse, and I was listening to the radio, and it was interrupted, and we heard about an airplane that crashed into the World Trade Center. And as I continued driving to the courthouse, we heard about a second plane that crashed into the World Trade Center, the second tower. And then another plane crashing in Pennsylvania because of some heroes on that plane, and the fourth plane crashing not far from here, into the Pentagon.

And later that evening, as most Americans were watching television, as I was, while peace officers like yourself, Sheriff, were out doing your duty on patrol, I noticed that there were thousands and thousands of people. When those planes hit the World Trade Center, thousands of people were running as hard as they could to get away from that crime in the skies.

But there was another group, not near as many, but they were there anyway, a small group, that when those planes hit the World Trade Center, they were running as hard as they could to get to that crime scene. Who were they? Emergency medical technicians, firefighters, and peace officers. And 72 of those peace officers gave their lives that day.

And while it's important that we remember the 3,000 that were killed on 9/11, it's equally important we remember those that lived because peace officers and other first responders gave their lives so they could live and are living today.

So it's important that we honor our peace officers because they are, as my dad said many, many years ago, ``a cut above the rest of us.''

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, the Humble ISD board of trustees will say farewell to a dedicated public servant on May 13, 2008 when my friend Mrs. Lynn Fields retires after serving 14 years as a board member.

I met Lynn when she was a reporter for the Baytown Sun back in the 1980s and I was a Texas Judge. Since those days, Lynn Fields has served as the voice of a mother and community volunteer on the Humble ISD school board who always looked out for the best interests of our children. She faithfully carried the torch of public service passed to her from her father-in-law, Jack Fields Sr., who previously served the district as board member for 21 years.

Over the years, she worked hard at improving services for students in both educational and social areas. She initiated the district's pursuit of a Spanish immersion program at two Humble elementary schools. She led the district with efforts to reduce alcohol and drug use among children with programs such as ``Common Ground,'' which resulted in increased awareness of the dangers of binge drinking and the importance of students' making responsible decisions in social situations.

Many of her friends and colleagues have spoken kind words in describing her dedication to public service. ``Lynn's heart is as big as the state of Texas,'' said Dave Martin, President of the Humble ISD Board of Trustees. ``We could always count on Lynn's guidance to lead us down the direction and path that put the morality and ethical issues of our students first.''

Lynn Fields and Humble ISD Superintendent, Dr. Guy Sconzo, have hosted a monthly cable access show called ``Your Schools,'' which spotlights people and programs within the district. She received the School Bell Award for outstanding media coverage of educational news for the program by the Texas Retired Teachers Association.

``Lynn is frankly just one of the kindest, most caring servant leaders I have ever met,'' said Dr. Sconzo about working with Lynn. ``Through literally every very difficult budget development crisis and challenging growth issues that face our district, Lynn always kept the discussion focused on what's best for children.''

Lynn Fields has also experienced many wonderful personal moments in her 14-year tenure as school board member including the opportunity to hand two of her children their high school diplomas at their graduation. She also watched with pride when the board of trustees named an elementary school after her late father-in-law Jack Fields Sr.

In addition to her efforts in the school district, she is also an active community leader in several organizations. Lynn is a member of Humble Area First Baptist Church. She is a Light Keeper member of Mothers Against Drunk Driving and serves as MADD Southeast Texas Regional Council Chair. She has been a long-time advocate for women and children. Lynn started the Bay Area Women's Center in Baytown in 1981. With the help of her husband, former Congressman Jack Fields, they raised funds to help open ``The Door,'' a shelter for battered women in the Humble area.

Jack Fields has been a long-time friend of mine, and he is extremely proud of Lynn's accomplishments as well. ``My wife has given of herself, unselfishly, for the students of our area,'' he said. ``She has led in the areas of character, alcohol and drug education, and Spanish immersion for those students wishing to become bilingual. She is an outstanding woman, mother and wife. Our area and my family are benefited by her years of service. She is the model for those who serve in their communities. I could not be more proud of her. I am honored to be her husband. I love her very much.''

It is an honor today to recognize the great contributions that Lynn Fields has made to Humble ISD and the community. Madam Speaker, we thank Lynn, for her years of service, principled leadership and dedication to our children. I wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, America's lawmen are the last strand of wire in the fence between the law and the outlaws. They are all that stands between chaos and civilization, between the barbarians and the people, and between what is good and what is evil.

As we honor these lawmen, I give special attention to the Capitol Police Officers. These officers are on duty 24 hours a day in the halls, on the roof, and in the shadows of this Capitol diligently protecting this shrine of democracy.

Ten years ago, a madman entered the Capitol, shot and killed Officer Jacob Chestnut. He headed to the majority leader's office and wounded Officer Douglas McMillan and tourist Angela Dickerson. His shooting stopped after he murdered John Gibson, who literally gave his life for a Member of Congress.

In these hallowed halls, we have portraits and statues of great Americans that have lived before us, but the spirit of duty, sacrifice, and honor is still alive and on display daily by those Capitol Police who serve us so well. They carry on the tradition of Chestnut, McMillan, and Gibson, those noble three that stood in the line of fire for the rest of us.

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, it's voting season. Presidential primaries are being held all across the country, giving U.S. citizens the opportunity to vote, a right guaranteed by the 15th Amendment of the Constitution. This year, record numbers of citizens of all ages are turning out in droves, standing in lines to exercise that right, they are even participating in caucuses. As wonderful as it is to see more people participating in the election process, turnout is still not as high as it should be.

We live in the greatest country in the world, and enjoy more rights than any other country in the world. When you take into consideration that many in this country struggled, fought, and even died for the right to vote, every able bodied American should proudly vote whenever there is an election. We must never become so complacent, busy, or apathetic that we take for granted this most important right.

I was privileged to travel to Iraq, on January 30, 2005, to observe its first historic election. Having been in Baghdad and Fallujah and other parts of northern Iraq, I went to polling places, and when dawn came, the whole country was shut down to vehicular traffic. Slowly, surely and defiantly, the Iraqi people, young and old, men and women walked to the polls, taking their families, relatives, and neighbors. They voted for the very first time and attained the opportunity to make a free choice. The atmosphere of democracy unfolding was almost carnival in nature, a celebration of their new rights.

In spite of intimidation, threats, and actual violence, the Iraqi people boldly spoke out against the past oppression of Saddam Hussein and his dynasty of tyrants and spoke loudly for democracy.

Almost 300 individuals were wounded because they decided to vote for their own rulers, and they wanted to vote for freedom. Many died on election day going to or from the polls, yet 60 percent of these proud Iraqis walked to 30,000 polling stations. They took a great risk, but even after they voted, they stayed around the polling places to watch history unfold. When they left the polling booths, they walked down the street with their ink-stained right forefinger, signifying that they voted, held high in the air, defiant to terrorists, who swore they would murder those who voted or attempted to vote. The Iraqi people took the risk because freedom was more important to them, they were proud to be voters in the first free and fair election, the hope of democracy.

Freedom is not free. It always comes at a cost. Freedom fighters and civil rights activists throughout countless generations in this country paid a tremendous price to deliver equality and freedom for their brothers and sisters and the posterity of others. Thankfully, no one in this country risks being shot, or murdered for voting, so there is no excuse for able bodied Americans to stay home and remain silent. We should be proud to be part of free elections guaranteed by democracy.

A vote is a voice. It ensures that our democracy is of the people, by the people and for the people. Celebrate our hard-earned rights, remember those who fought, struggled, and lost their lives so that we could reap the benefits. Show our gratitude to those who made your freedom and rights possible by showing up at the polls, and proving that their sacrifices were not in vain. In this great country, each time there is an election, voter turn out should be so high that everything is forced to shut down because everyone is at the polls. Americans should show the world that this is what democracy is all about, and let those who yearn for democracy know that it is definitely worth fighting for!

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, today I am proud to pay tribute to the late Dorothy Ingram.

Ms. Ingram, a graduate of Lincoln High School in Port Arthur, Texas, started working in schools during summers, even before she earned her undergraduate degree. After obtaining a bachelor's degree from Bishop College in 1936, she went to Prairie View A&M University, earned a Master of Arts Degree, and went on to become a woman of many firsts, including the first African-American fellow of George Peabody University.

Ms. Ingram participated in and made notable contributions to organizations in the Golden Triangle and in the State of Texas, receiving honors too numerous to list in their entirety. She taught at Lamar Elementary School, and in 1952, she was the first African- American woman in Port Arthur to become Principal of George Washington Carver Elementary School. Many of her former teachers remember her as a strong disciplinarian who ran a tough shift at school. She insisted on the highest standards for staff and students. She believed that children should learn and that it was the responsibility of teachers to make it happen. She encouraged students and teachers to keep climbing and to make a difference.

Helping organize the Port Arthur Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Ms. Ingram became its first President. In 1965, one year after Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc. was organized in Tyler, Texas, Lady Ingram, with four other ladies, became charter members of the new Golden Triangle Chapter, and Ingram was again the first President. She was inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame; was Zeta Phi Beta Sorority's Woman of the Year; the Martin Luther King Support Group's Woman of the Year; and in Dallas, she was inducted into the Museum of African Life and Culture in 1968.

Ms. Ingram served as Principal of Pease and Wheatley Elementary Schools from 1972 to 1975, and was the first woman to become President of the Black Principals and Supervisors of Texas, and the Southeast Texas District Teachers Association.

In 1998, Ms. Ingram became Port Arthur's first and only Centennial Queen, celebrating the town's charter; and in 2000, she was Woman of the Year by Quota International of Southeast Texas. Her memberships included the Jefferson County Historical Commission; Democratic Women of Jefferson County; American Red Cross; Texas Senior Citizens' Association; and AAU President.

She was choir director and organist for the Imperial Radio Choir, which was broadcast over KTRM 990, and Ms. Ingram served as a musician for fifty years at Sixth Street (now Mt. Sinai) Baptist Church. The Boy Scouts of America honored her with the Silver Fawn Medal; and the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Clubs honored her with the Sojourner Truth National Meritorious award.

Ms. Dorothy Ingram was a very dynamic person with a beautiful personality. She was a hard worker and believed everyone else should work hard. She insisted that everyone do the best at whatever they endeavored. She loved music, and she loved people, which is why she remained so active in the community well into her 90's.

Madam Speaker, Ms. Dorothy Ingram was a pioneer in education, and an incredible role model. She served and enhanced her community of Port Arthur, TX for more than sixty years, and I am proud to celebrate her accomplishments, and the legacy that she leaves behind.

Madam Speaker, the Spirit of Texas has been a popular genre in the classic Westerns of Hollywood. Recently, Hollywood and Texas lost Richard Widmark, who starred as Jim Bowie in the 1960 John Wayne version of The Alamo. Widmark's portrayal of Bowie is a classic representation of the fire that drove the defenders of the Alamo and soldiers of Texas to secure their independence.

John Wayne's version of The Alamo does more than just tell a story. Characters attach themselves to the audience. Richard Widmark did just that in his role as Jim Bowie. The contrast between the liberal minded Widmark and the conservative John Wayne is one of the highlights of the movie, and illustrates that the defenders of the Alamo came from all different backgrounds and mindsets. More importantly, however, is that Widmark and his fellow cast members captivated audiences with the Spirit of Texas and the devotion the defenders had in sacrificing their lives for their country. Widmark himself captures this spirit near the end of the movie, when he fights to the death with his famous Bowie Knife as he is lamed up in bed.

Richard Widmark recently passed away at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut on March 24. While not a Texan by birth, his contribution to the movies and the story of the defenders of the Alamo is one that should be remembered. His portrayal of Jim Bowie is a testament to the Spirit of Texas and her citizens. As we ``Remember The Alamo,'' we should also ``Remember Richard Widmark.''

Mr. Speaker, as gasoline prices soar, as our truckers are about to sit on the side of the road because they can't get enough money to buy fuel for those diesel trucks that they're driving up and down our highways to deliver goods, people are wondering, how did we get here?

Well, there are several reasons how we got in this mess, and Congress is partly to blame. First of all, we had this theory that ethanol is going to save us all, so we subsidized the production of ethanol. What that has done is drive food prices up around the world, because in the United States, instead of eating corn or letting it go to feed our beef, we're burning it in our vehicles, and that's caused world food prices to go up, not just in the United States but all over the world.

Costco and Sam's Club are now rationing rice. Who would have thought in this year, 2008, in America we can't buy rice because we're tilling up our soil and burning crops. We're also finding out that ethanol can't save us all because, promised to be a nonpollutant, that's wrong. Science Magazine has now reported that ethanol causes more pollution than that nasty old crude oil that we produce. There are a lot of reasons for that. One of those reasons is because it takes a lot of fertilizer to produce corn, and that fertilizer runs down the Mississippi River. And when it gets down in the Gulf of Mexico that nitrogen in the fertilizer kills everything, except algae, and that is called a dead zone. Dead, because nothing is there except algae.

So what we ought to do is quit the subsidies to ethanol. Let the world market handle whether we should use ethanol or not and stop those subsidies.

The second thing that's a problem but we don't talk much about is the value of the American dollar gets less and less on the world market. It's less this week than it was last week. Why? Because the Federal Reserve doesn't regulate the dollar. It regulates interest rates. Well, maybe that isn't just what the Constitution says. When in doubt, sometimes we ought to just read the Constitution. It says Congress has the responsibility ``to coin money and regulate the value thereof.'' We have the responsibility to set the price on the dollar and we should do so. Stabilize the dollar so it doesn't cost us more to buy gasoline every week. That is our responsibility and we can't pass it off to someone else.

Third. The crude oil supply in the United States, which we still drive our cars based upon crude oil production, is getting less. It's an economic fact that third graders learn--the less supply you have, the higher rate of cost. And, of course, those oil companies that everybody wants to punish, the American oil companies only control 10 percent of the world market. Foreign countries, foreign dictators like Chavez down there in Venezuela and OPEC, they set the price on crude oil in the world, not American oil companies. So we need to take care of ourselves.

Now here's a map, Mr. Speaker. We drill off the coast of Texas, where I'm from, we drill off Louisiana and part of Mississippi and Alabama. But you see all these red zones here? Even off the sacred coast of California, there's crude oil out there and we can drill for crude oil but this Congress won't let us take care of ourselves. Why? Because the environmental lobby is so strong in this Congress that they have had fear tactics that prevent us from drilling here, off the east coast, and way up here in ANWR in Alaska. Open up the Outer Continental Shelf and start drilling.

You might be interested to know right here off of Florida, 47.5 miles, there's a new rig going out there and it's built by the Chinese and the Cubans because there's an oil field out there. But we won't drill there.

So we need to drill offshore. And we need to let our refineries produce more. They're producing all they can and because they can only produce so much, we're importing gasoline into this country for the first time, or one of the first times in our history.

We haven't built a new refinery in 30 years. Why? Silly environmental restrictions. Nobody wants pollution, but we need to get back to common sense and let our refineries refine.

Right here where I represent in southeast Texas, most of the refineries for this country are right there. Produces 22 percent of the Nation's jet fuel.

Now let's talk about jet fuel. This Congress passed a bill recently that says we cannot explore or take crude oil out of the tar sands in Canada. Canada is one of our biggest importers of crude oil.

Now what does that mean? That means because the crude oil is in the sand, we can't take it into the United States. Well, who uses that? The United States Air Force turns that into jet fuel. Doesn't anybody understand we're at war? Our airplanes need to be flying. But because of this Congress, they cannot import that. And now where are we going to get our jet fuel to fuel the Air Force? Silly restriction passed by this Congress. So let's remove that restriction as well.

Some people say, Well, let's tax those mean old oil companies. We'll show them. Also, we'll tax people to drive. Let me tell you something. That idea is to punish people who drive. Now where I live, down here in southeast Texas, we don't have any subways. Nobody rides a choo-choo train to work. The closest subway is in Dallas, 250 miles away. They drive pickup trucks because they work the land, they farm the land, and they can't buy the diesel fuel to run their trucks.

So here are some ideas, Mr. Speaker, that we ought to do and change the policy that this Congress has implemented.

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, Houston Police Officer Rodney Johnson was the best of the best, but he was killed by the worst of the worst.

An illegal outlaw from Mexico, Juan Leonardo Quintero-Perez, shot Officer Johnson four times in the back of the head after a routine traffic stop. Officer Johnson would still be alive today, enjoying time with his five children and his wife, Joslyn, a fellow Houston police officer, if our border was protected.

This lawless trespasser had already been deported for indecency with a child in 1998, but he sneaked across the border again to continue his crime spree. After coming to Houston, Quintero finally confessed to murdering one of Houston's finest.

Today, Quintero is on trial for capital murder in Houston, but the Mexican government, rather than pay restitution to the Johnson family, is paying for the battery of defense lawyers representing this cold- blooded cop killer.

Mexico is meddling in the U.S. court system, but Juan Quintero cannot miss his judgment day and his day with his Maker, because justice is what we do in America, even if the Mexican government doesn't like it.

And that's just the way it is.