Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, due to the fact that I have been appointed by the President of

the United States to be a Congressional Representative to the United Nations, I was in New York City and missed recorded votes on the House Floor on Monday, September 24, 2007 and Tuesday, September 25, 2007.

I ask that the Record reflect that had I been able to vote that day, I would have voted ``yes'' on Rollcall vote Nos. 894, 895, 896, 897, 898, 899, 900, 901, 905, and 907. I would have voted ``no'' on Rollcall vote Nos. 902, 903, 904, and 906.

Mr. Speaker, two delivery services, UPS and FedEx, take a package and deliver it for a customer anywhere in a world in just a handful of days. Amazingly, a customer can even track one of those 23 million packages on the Internet and know exactly where it is on any given day. Maybe the Federal Government could learn something here.

The Federal Government doesn't seem to even know where 20 million illegals are in this country, much less track their whereabouts. A good example of how private industry works and the Federal Government does not.

Anyway, it has been suggested that the way to solve the case of the missing illegals is to give every illegal that crosses into the United States a FedEx or UPS package. The package could contain items for their stay illegally in the United States. Then we could record when people enter the U.S. and know where they are at any given time.

Mr. Speaker, it is a disgrace that the Federal Government can't handle border security any better than it does. The Feds owe it to the American citizens to come up with ways to stop the flow of illegals into the United States.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, in 1987, 20 years ago, Congress first recognized October as National Domestic Violence Awareness month. Because of Congress's actions, local community groups, religious organizations, healthcare providers, corporations, and the media are addressing domestic violence in our communities. This October, thousands of victim advocacy organizations, state coalitions, and community groups will hold events to raise awareness to the violence that annually affects millions of men, women, and children in the United States. If we can raise awareness and teach the youth healthy relationship skills and intervene in youth violence, we can reduce dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in our schools and communities. As the founder of the Victims' Rights Caucus, and sponsor of H. Res. 590, I hope to give a voice to domestic violence victims. Raising awareness of domestic violence provides victims with help and a safe haven, while holding abusers accountable. And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, for too many people in this country, love comes with bruises, broken bones, and black eyes. Twenty years ago, the first Domestic Violence Awareness Month was observed. In the past 20 years, there are programs, education, and funding dedicated to preventing domestic violence, but domestic violence is still a dangerous reality for too many Americans. One in every four women will be a victim of domestic violence during her lifetime. But domestic violence doesn't discriminate--it affects everyone--men, women, and children of every race, ethnicity, religion, and economic status. It affects the workplace, increases health care costs, and spurs even more violence among children who witness it at home. The cost of domestic violence is staggering--over $5.8 billion each year. Domestic violence happens

during dating and in marriages. Children who witness domestic violence at home do poorly in school, use drugs and alcohol at an early age, and are more likely to engage in violent behavior themselves. Boys who witness domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their own partners and children when they become adults.

As a former prosecutor and judge, I founded the Congressional Victim Rights Caucus to advocate for crime victims. I sponsored H. Res. 590 to declare October 2007 as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. October will raise awareness of the increasing number of abusers who murder their victims and then take their own lives, in addition to the financial strain experienced by domestic violence victims, including loss of employment and loss of housing. In October, thousands of victim advocacy organizations, State coalitions, and community groups will hold events to bring awareness to the violence that affects men, women, and children every single year. Community awareness about domestic violence allows victims to seek help--it creates shelters for domestic violence victims to seek refuge in, holds abusers accountable, and helps children live in nonviolent homes.

In the past, Congress's support of this month has led to an increasing number of local community groups, religious organizations, health care provides, corporations, and media addressing domestic violence in communities.

Congress has been instrumental in increasing the funding for programs located under the Violence Against Women Act, VAWA, but there is still a need for further awareness of domestic violence. Let's send a message to domestic violence victims that Congress is their voice. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, the University of Hate has a new branch campus and it is called Columbia University.

Madman, maniac, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is speaking today at Columbia. The Iranian President believes in the murder of the Jewish people in Israel. He is a hater of Americans. He is sending money, arms, and ammunition to Iraq that is used to kill American troops. Not the kind of person that deserves a U.S. audience.

But Columbia doesn't care. The University said that they would have even invited warmonger Hitler to speak on their campus.

But the university does have some people that they refuse to allow on campus. This is the same university that, in 1969 during the Vietnam War and peacenik movement, banned the ROTC from campus. And in spite of current law and a Supreme Court ruling, still bans the ROTC.

Columbia University clearly shows a pattern of being anti-American by promoting forums to warmongers and by preventing the U.S. military ROTC program on campus. Maybe the university should just relocate to Tehran. And in the meantime, the U.S. taxpayers have no business sending American money to the University of Hate.

And that's just the way it is.

I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I thank Mr. Sarbanes for introducing this very important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, it is imperative for all Americans to know our early American history. Soon after the War of Independence and American independence, the new struggling United States had to go to war again with England to keep its independence.

Sometimes the War of 1812 is referred to as the forgotten war in American history. It is referred to as the ``second American War of Independence.'' Be that as it may, we went to war with England a second time because the British kidnapped American sailors on the high seas and made them involuntary servants in the British Navy.

When the British invaded the United States during the War of 1812, they burned this city, Washington. They used Thomas Jefferson's books to burn this Capitol. They burned the White House. The President had to flee in the darkness of a torrential rainstorm. The United States future looked bleak.

So after capturing Washington, DC, the British headed north to finish the United States off in Baltimore. During a heated sea battle, the British bombarded Fort McHenry, defending the harbor of Baltimore. But the fort commander stood defiant, refused to surrender, and hoisted a massive American flag over the fort.

Mr. Speaker, this is no small flag. It is 30 feet by 42 feet in size. Such a flag could be seen for miles and miles away from Fort McHenry. An American lawyer named Francis Scott Key was onboard a British ship during the battle. He was there seeking the release of an American captive. After watching the night battle and seeing the glorious U.S. flag at sunrise, he wrote a poem, later turned into a song called the Star-Spangled Banner to honor this American victory.

This national anthem of ours is played at sports games and ceremonies and events across the Nation every day. In fact, I think the first time it was played at a sporting event was at a Chicago White Sox game in the early 1900s. Chairman Davis could correct me if that is incorrect.

Mr. Speaker, it is important that Americans understand what the anthem stands for and why it was written. I totally support H.R. 1389. This bill will create a commission to plan activities, programs and observances of history events surrounding this War of 1812. I am proud of how the United States as a new democracy developed into a great Nation during this time. This war and Francis Scott Key should be celebrated and honored and recognized.

By the way, Mr. Speaker, the British left the United States permanently after the battle of Fort McHenry and after Andrew Jackson and his boys defeated the British at the Battle of New Orleans.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio for yielding me time and for offering this important piece of legislation.

As a former judge and prosecutor and founder of the Victims' Rights Caucus, I certainly understand how crime victims may be distraught and scared and hopeless. Some die in this emotional nightmare and some of those who die are kids. But now they need not be voiceless. Congress can be a voice for crime victims, especially those who have been murdered.

I am proud to cosponsor H.R. 340. This resolution provides a voice for victims and their families, those that are involved in missing- person cases and unidentified human remains cases.

Any given day in the United States, there are over 100,000 missing persons. There are over 40,000 remains in medical examiners' offices and coroners' offices that cannot be identified. Cities and counties bury or cremate the unidentified human remains without collecting DNA in many cases. So Congress must continue to fund DNA testing, train and educate law enforcement on these issues, and raise awareness about the use of this scientific phenomenon, DNA, so that it can be used to identify the unidentified.

We owe this to those silent who cannot speak for themselves.

DNA identifies missing victims as well as convicts the guilty and frees the innocent. For all of these reasons, this resolution should be adopted. So I totally support this resolution.

Madam Speaker, it's never too late to say thank you and recognize a hero of our Armed Forces even if it is 62 years later. I had the opportunity to do this when I recently met William Oliver Sievertson, of Kingwood, Texas.

Sievertson served in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1945 during World War II and fought against the Japanese in the Battle of Sugar Loaf Hill in Okinawa, Japan. This battle included some of the fiercest fighting of the Pacific Theater in which his division, the Sixth Marine Division Reinforced, suffered 2,662 casualties.

According to Mr. James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy in 1945, ``Units of the division withstood overwhelming artillery and mortar barrages, repulsed furious counter-attacks and staunchly pushed over the rocky terrain to reduce almost impregnable defenses and captured Sugar Loaf Hill.''

Sievertson was wounded during this battle on May 19, 1945 and received the Purple Heart. After recovering in a Navy hospital in Guam, he returned to his unit and participated in the occupation of Japan after its surrender to the United States.

Many years later as a civilian, Sievertson learned from the West Virginia Veterans of Foreign Wars Newsletter that his division had been given a Presidential Unit Citation from President Harry S. Truman. The article described how another Marine had served in the same division during the same time period and had received the award from his U.S. Senator decades later. This inspired Sievertson to contact his Congressman to see if he qualified for the award also.

After some inquires by my staff, we learned that Sievertson did indeed qualify for the citation and was long overdue to receive it. After 62 years, on August 20, 2007, I had the pleasure of personally awarding Mr. Sievertson the Presidential Unit Citation for the Battle of Sugar Loaf Hill. Along with his wife Joy Sievertson, their children and grandchildren, we held an award ceremony in my district office in Humble, Texas, to finally present the award to him.

Mr. William Sievertson is a shining example of America's Greatest Generation. He courageously served his country in a time of World War to battle America's enemies abroad. It is my honor to finally give recognition to this American patriot for his heroic service to our great nation.

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, next week I will be traveling to New York City as a Congressional Delegate to the United Nations General Assembly. It's no secret, Mr. Speaker, that I believe the United Nations has a lot to do in order to restore the trust of the American people.

Since its inception, one of the primary objectives of the United Nations has been to protect and advance fundamental human rights around the world. It's a noble cause. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, in my view, this goal has been tarnished by the problem of corruption, hypocrisy, and an unapologetic bias against the state of Israel. This kind of behavior is unacceptable and the United Nations must be held accountable.

We all know about the fraud, mismanagement, and abuse prevalent in the Oil-for-Food program. The program was established to bring humanitarian relief to the people of Iraq and it fell victim to despicable corruption by U.N. officials. Yet, since the scandal was first discovered and reports were issued, little has been done by the United Nations to ensure reform.

The Human Rights Council was established in 2006, to replace the U.N. Human Rights Commission which had become so discredited that Secretary- General Kofi Annan admitted, ``the declining credibility [of the Commission] has cast a shadow on the reputation of the United Nations system as a whole . . . .'' The mission of the Commission--not to mention the United Nations as a whole--was questioned by the election of some of the world's worse human rights abusers to serve as members of the Commission. The record of the new Human Rights Council is dismally better; of the 47 members only 25 were considered ``free'' states.

This Council has also demonstrated a strong bias against Israel. In the first year of its operations, more than 70 percent of the country- specific resolutions were on Israel. This disproportionate focus on Israel and disregard for holding major human rights violators across the world accountable cannot be tolerated. It goes against the most basic, fundamental principles of the U.N.

I appreciate the mission of the United Nations, Mr. Speaker, but I'm concerned about the way it's being carried out. The U.N. has got to take reform seriously if they plan on gaining the support of the American people.

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 867, H.R. 3246, the Regional Economic and Infrastructure Development Act, I was inadvertently detained. I would have voted ``nay.''

On rollcall Nos. 868 and 869, I was also detained. I would have voted ``aye'' on H.R. 1657, Science and Technology Scholarships and ``aye'' on H.R. 3527, Extending Authorities for the Overseas Investment Corporation--Private.

Madam Speaker, ``I do not believe that the men who served in uniform in Vietnam have been given the credit they deserve. It was a difficult war against an unorthodox enemy.''

These are the words of General Westmoreland in the war where ``all gave some and some gave all.'' But the disrespect continues. Now, despicable vandals have desecrated the sacred black granite Vietnam Wall. An oily, slimy, greasy substance was smeared over the Wall and the walkway. The Park Service is attempting to remove the damage, but the monument desecraters run free.

This monument bears the name of 56,000 warriors. They answered the call for America and they died in their youth. I grew up with friends whose names are on that wall.

The unpatriotic, cowardly, abusing criminals should be tracked down, prosecuted, and put in jail somewhere off the shores of America, maybe Guantanamo Bay.

It has been said that ``Vietnam was a war that asked everything of a few and nothing of most in America.'' Now America must be resolved to capture these outlaws and restore dignity to those who died for the rest of us.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, aircraft repair stations located in foreign countries are allowed to become certified by the Federal Aviation Administration to work on United States aircraft without meeting the same standards or being subject to the same oversight imposed on domestic stations in regard to drug and alcohol testing of workers.

This amendment would close this loophole because it makes no sense to require U.S. mechanics to undergo various levels of drug and alcohol testing if workers doing the same work on the same type of aircraft for the part of the same airlines are exempt from this requirement simply because the station is located overseas in another country. According to a report by the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation, the number of certified foreign repair stations has increased from 344 in 1994 to almost 700 in 2007, more than double the number of stations over the last 13 years. U.S. air carriers now outsource overseas 35 percent of their maintenance work to foreign repair stations, and that is up 21 percent from 2003. This growing trend necessitates the additional safety standards.

The FAA itself has moved to extend drug and alcohol testing domestically and noted, ``It has the statutory authority and, in the interest of aviation safety, the responsibility to require that individuals who actually perform safety-sensitive duties are subject to drug and alcohol testing.''

Also, the Department of Transportation's recent pilot program to allow Mexican-domiciled motor carriers to enter and travel throughout the United States, DOT stipulated that operating authority will not be granted to these Mexican companies unless this company has in place, and DOT can verify, a controlled substance and alcohol testing program consistent with U.S. domestic requirements. So if DOT can impose the requirements on Mexican drivers as a condition of entering the U.S. in the name of safety, there is no reason why the FAA cannot follow suit with similar requirements for foreign mechanics working on aircraft that will operate in the United States.

This is a safety issue. Mechanics that work on American aircraft overseas should meet the same drug testing requirements as mechanics that work on these aircraft in the borders of the United States.

I urge support of this amendment to close this loophole so that all maintenance workers who work on planes that fly in the United States equally are treated the same and undergo drug and alcohol testing.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

I thank the gentleman for his comments and his support on this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, today I wish to extend my appreciation to the 515th Field Artillery Battalion of World War II as they reunite for the first time since the end of the war. These men of the 515th represent the best of the greatest generation.

Composed of officers and enlisted men from various units around the United States, the 515th was trained to operate the 155mm ``Long Tom'' guns. From the time that it fired its first rounds in combat until nearly the end of the war, the unit was constantly on the move and involved in combat, supporting various units. Moving steadily northward, the unit finally crossed the Rhine River on a heavy pontoon bridge at Worms, Germany. From here the battalion moved south to the area of Heidelberg and then north again toward the area of Birkenfeld. It was reported that during the month of March the battalion traveled a distance of 557 miles, 153 miles of which were during combat. The 515th fired 3,122 rounds of ammunition during this time.

The 515th rarely stayed in any one place for more than a day or two. Movement was not fast and generally cumbersome since the tractors pulling the ``Long Toms'' moved at only about 30 miles per hour. Once an area was designated it would sometimes take as much as a day to set up all three gun batteries, coordinate their positions and lay communication lines between the individual guns and battery commands, and then from the battery commands to Headquarters. These men met monumental challenges every day, and courageously faced their obstacles and overcame them.

The 515th Field Artillery Battalion will be remembered for their pivotal role in the United States achieving victory in World War II. These soldiers gave their heart and soul for our country. Their efforts will never be forgotten and their actions will always be remembered. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, as air travel increases, revenue to airports, of course, increases as well. Much of that money is from hidden taxes passengers pay. But now this increased revenue isn't enough for some. They want to tax flyers even more to fly.

Right now, if a citizen buys a typical round trip ticket, the fare is about $230. But additional taxes raise the fare another $45. So the passenger is now really paying $275.

Airports now want to collect more Federal taxes from each passenger by increasing the passenger facility charge, another word for tax, to $7 per passenger per segment. What that means is a family of four that flies from Odessa, Texas, to Washington, D.C., with a stopover in Dallas, is going to pay another $112 in more taxes.

Airports already get plenty of money. They sell bonds; they get millions in Federal, City and State taxes; they charge airlines for gates and the right to land; they get taxes off rental cars; and they lease airport space to businesses.

Airports should make do with the abundance of revenue they already get from the taxpayers. Don't raise taxes any more on passengers.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, America is about people. Who we are and what we are is because of the people who have come to America. They are individuals who have lived and died and influenced the rest of us because of their tenacious spirit and determination.

Mr. Speaker, I am a history fan. I love American history especially, and Texas history, not the history of dates and movements, but the history of the lives of individual Americans who made a difference.

Roy Benavidez was one of those Americans. Roy Benavidez was born in South Texas in a small town called Cuero, August 5, 1935. He was the son of a sharecropper. He was an orphan and he had mixed blood of Yaqui Indian and Hispanic. He was raised by his uncle after he lost his family and he dropped out of school in the seventh grade. He didn't see the need for an education at that time.

He was a migrant farm worker. He worked all over Texas and as far as Colorado in the sugar beet fields and the cotton fields. He decided to join the United States Army in 1955, and he joined in Houston, Texas. He was in love with his hometown sweetheart, Lala Coy. So while he was away in Germany on active duty, he asked a local priest, his grandfather and his uncle if they would go to Lala's father and ask permission for Roy to marry her, and he agreed. Mr. Speaker, you have to appreciate that old school that marry this way.

While he was in the Army, however, he was in a lot of trouble, even though he was a member of the Military Police. So he finally joined the Special Forces training at Fort Bragg and reached the rank of staff sergeant and went to Vietnam as a Green Beret.

But on May 2, 1962, his life changed and the lives of many Americans changed. It is a story that is almost unbelievable. On the morning of May 2, 1968, a 12-man Special Forces team was inserted in Cambodia to observe a large-scale North Vietnamese troop movement, and they were discovered by the enemy.

Most of the team members were close friends of Roy Benavidez, who was the forward operating officer in Loc Ninh, Vietnam. Three helicopters were sent to rescue this 12-man team, but they were unable to land because of the heavy enemy concentration. When a second attempt was made to reach the stranded team, Benavidez jumped onboard one of the helicopters, armed only with a Bowie knife.

As the helicopters reached the landing zone, Benavidez realized the team members were likely too severely wounded to move to the helicopters. So by himself he ran through heavy small arms fire to the wounded soldiers. He was wounded himself in the leg, the face, and the head in the process.

He reorganized the team and signaled the helicopters to land. But despite his injuries, Benavidez was able to carry off half of the wounded men to the helicopters. He then collected the classified documents held by the now dead team leader. As he completed this task, he was wounded by an exploding grenade in the back and shot in the stomach. At that moment, the waiting helicopter's pilot was also mortally wounded, and that helicopter crashed.

He ran to collect the stunned crash survivors and form a perimeter. He directed air support, ordered another extraction attempt and was wounded again when shot in the thigh. At this point he was losing so much blood from his face wounds that his vision became blocked. Finally, another helicopter landed and as Benavidez carried a wounded friend to it, he was clubbed in the head with a rifle butt by an enemy soldier. That soldier bayonetted Benavidez twice.

Mr. Speaker, Benavidez was wounded in that one battle 37 times; seven gunshot wounds, he had mortar in his back, and two bayonet wounds. He was taken for dead and left for dead and zipped up in a body bag, but right before they zipped the bag up, he spit in the doctor's face, letting the doctor know he was yet alive.

He later recovered. He received the Distinguished Service Cross and then many years later Ronald Reagan presented him with the Congressional Medal of Honor. President Reagan stated that if this were a movie, no one would believe it because of the heroic deed of Roy Benavidez.

Mr. Speaker, after he retired from the military, Roy Benavidez went around America talking about the importance of an education, since he only went to the seventh grade. He talked to young gang members, he talked to youth, telling them to stay in school and get an education.

He was a remarkable individual. A Navy ship has been named after him, several elementary schools in Texas have been named after Roy Benavidez, and even a toy company has issued a Roy Benavidez GI Joe action figure.

Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate and honor Hispanic Heritage Month, one of those great Hispanic Americans was Roy Benavidez, a Texas hero, an American hero, a war hero that loved America and, as he said, got to live the American Dream the way that he wanted.

And that's just the way it is.