Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, on Memorial Day, while Americans were celebrating the holiday, Deputy Gerald Barnes of the Harris County Sheriff's Department in Houston was celebrating just being alive.

Responding to a call from a nightclub, the 15-year veteran from the Sheriff's Department came upon two men arguing. Oscar Perez had pulled a gun on Miguel Soto and began randomly firing his pistol.

When Deputy Barnes arrived, he told Perez to drop the gun. Perez refused and shot at Deputy Barnes numerous times. One bullet struck him in the chest above his bulletproof vest. Then after kidnapping Soto, whom Perez later shot, Perez sped off into the night. He was later captured. Oscar Perez had been illegally in the United States for years.

According to reports, the last three police officers shot in Harris County, Texas, were all shot by people illegally in the United States.

Deputy Barnes will recover, but Perez shouldn't have been in this country. The Federal Government's refusal to secure the border is allowing criminals like Perez to invade this country and commit crimes. Instead of promoting amnesty, the government should protect the border.

And that's just the way it is.

I want to thank the gentleman from Utah for yielding.

Across the Sabine River from southwest Louisiana is southeast Texas, and the citizens of southeast Texas are still reeling from the beating that they got from Hurricane Rita in 2005. The hurricane devastated rice farmers who were struggling even before the wind and rain destroyed most of their crops.

It hit the oil refineries in my congressional district and across the gulf coast, which account for one-third of the Nation's domestic oil production, and it brought our fuel supply to a screeching halt. Gasoline prices soared, and citizens can no longer afford to heat and even cool their homes.

Amidst the chaos of Hurricane Rita and its aftermath, lawlessness preyed upon the real victims. Some of those who weathered the storm took advantage of FEMA's incompetence in its attempt to distribute money to those in need. The cheaters took FEMA debit cards and spent them on gentlemen's clubs and brand-new cars. The real victims languished homeless and helpless, waiting for the Federal Government to do something.

The folks in my congressional district can still feel the impact of the hurricane 2 years later. People are still trying to just survive; and, as Mr. Boustany has said, another hurricane season is now upon us. We cannot forget how a few short hours in southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas caused so much destruction. We cannot forget in historical terms Hurricane Katrina or Rita, and we must remember they are not rare events for the gulf coast.

In 1900, an unnamed hurricane was the deadliest natural disaster in our Nation's history. It killed between 10- and 12,000 people in Galveston, Texas. It destroyed most of the buildings on the island, some 3,600. With remarkable determination, the survivors of the great storm of 1900 raised the whole City of Galveston, Texas, 12 feet to protect it from future disasters.

We cannot forget the victims of the past, and we must remember how the victims of Katrina and Rita are still fighting to recover their homes, their towns and their livelihoods, and we must be better prepared in the future.

That's why, Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to rise in support of this resolution offered by my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Louisiana.

The National Hurricane Museum and Science Center in Southwest Louisiana will honor these victims and those of previous hurricanes, preserve their history. It will tell the stories of all the hurricanes of the past, but also encourage new solutions for natural disasters of the future. So I'd like to commend Dr. Boustany for offering this important resolution. It's a long time in coming.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Ms. Ros-Lehtinen for yielding time.

Sudan is responsible for the genocide in Darfur. ``Genocide'' is a fancy term, Mr. Speaker, that means organized murder by a government. The violence has displaced over 2 million people, and it has claimed at least 500,000 lives. President Bush has announced tougher sanctions on businesses and individuals dealing with the government of Sudan, but the perpetrators of evil are also propped up by China.

Seventy percent of Sudan's oil goes to China, and loads of Chinese arms regularly find their way to these demons of the desert. No wonder China is road-blocking change in Sudan. It is all about money and who gets it.

Though the Chinese have appointed envoys, they haven't done anything to pressure the Sudanese to stop murdering their own people. I think it is safe to say, Mr. Speaker, that as long as China continues to prop up the evil in Sudan, the Chinese government is complicit in this atrocity; and I don't think it is too much to ask Congress, in the name of basic human rights, to demand that China use its influence in Sudan to help stop the genocide. That is why I am proud to cosponsor this resolution offered by the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).

Mr. Speaker, the Chinese have an opportunity to show the world that they care about innocent people and take this blemish off of their historical record. It is in their best interest, not to mention the best interest of the victims of Darfur, that they pressure Sudan to stop the killing of their own people.

Mr. Speaker, the United States is being invaded by millions of people from many countries throughout the world.

The invasion has taken place by land, sea and air. The rulers of some of those Nations have encouraged the invasion, by words and other methods such as providing tactical maps as to how to illegally enter the United States.

The people coming here want what the United States has. Some claim the land in the Southwest actually belongs to their native country and are retaking it. Some here are to commit lawless acts, but most are here as occupiers that have intentions of living here and reaping the benefits of the United States. No matter the reason, they are all here illegally. It is an invasion when masses of people move to someone else's country without permission.

So, we have been invaded by people from other Nations. So what do we do? Some want the invasion to stop. I am one of those. Some in the United States want the invasion to continue. And some here in the United States are indifferent.

But what about our government? Is it fighting to protect our sovereignty? Well, no. Rather than protect the United States border, the United States Federal Government is raising the white flag and has already drawn up terms of surrender. It is called the ``Grand Bargain.'' It's a plan to allow the illegal occupiers to just stay in America. The United States Government appears to take the position that it cannot stop the invasion so it will just legalize the invasion. So the occupiers will win the day and they will get to stay.

The propaganda machine of our government is trying to convince Americans that this proposal is not amnesty. The idea is to change the meaning of the word ``amnesty.'' Sort of a new take on what definition of ``is'' is. The political propaganda people are trying to convince Americans it is better to surrender to the occupiers than to prevent illegals from coming across our borders, but it's still amnesty.

Even though I was a judge in Texas for over 20 years, you don't have to have a law degree to know that amnesty means forgiveness or pardon. To give you an example, if somebody trespasses on your land or is a squatter on your land, as some people call it, if that person is caught and they pay a fine but they get to remain on your property, it's still trespassing, and if they get to remain on your property, even paying a fee, it is amnesty.

Trespassers are required to leave when caught, no matter how long they have been trespassing on somebody else's property. This has been the law of nations for thousands of years. But our government's going to legalize trespassing and let squatters stay whether Americans and legal immigrants like it or not.

Make no mistake. This plan, or treaty of capitulation, lets the illegal occupiers stay here. It's cold hard amnesty. The Feds have their priorities wrong.

When a Nation is invaded, the duty of government is to stop the invasion. That is the first duty of our government, to defend, protect and secure the Nation. We protect the borders of other nations, but we don't protect our own. Our government has not protected the border but talks about legalizing the illegals. In other words, agree to the invasion and give in to the demands of the occupiers. And this is absurd. This is surrender.

The first answer to an invasion is to defend the land, seal the border. Stop the people from coming here and don't give in to them. Simply stop the invasion.

It's in the best interest of America that the government realizes there's a border war going on, and rather than surrender the government needs to get on the right side of the border war, the American side, and stop the invasion. Secure the border, then decide what to do with the people that are here illegally. But if the border's not protected, more occupiers will continue to come here illegally, and our government will continue to be missing in action.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, this Memorial Day, we honor the warriors of America whose lives were taken in their youth for their country's future. In Southeast Texas, 18 of these men have been killed in Iraq in sacrifice and service for the rest of us. One of those was 20 year old Lance Corporal Anthony Aguirre of Channelview, Texas.

While on patrol with 20 other Marines in the desert sands of Al Anbar Province, Lance Corporal Aguirre stepped on an improvised explosive device. Since America's enemies hide in caves and won't face off with our troops, these cowards of the desert use these explosives to kill Americans. Rather than immediately jump off the IED, however, Aguirre stood firm and told his fellow Marines to clear the area. When his buddies were safe, he took his foot off the bomb. He died so others could live. Amazing men, these young Marines of the United States Marine Corps.

Later, as the funeral procession passed through the streets of Channelview, the crowds, estimated at 8,000, waved flags and stood in silence along the rural roads for this Son of Texas.

Mr. Speaker, Lance Corporal Aguirre and his fallen comrades are why we have Memorial Day.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, born in the 1920s, he grew up in the Depression of the 1930s, and like most rural American children, he grew up poor. Fresh vegetables were grown in the family garden behind the small frame house. His mother made sandwiches for school out of homemade bread. Store-bought bread, as he called it, was for the rich. He grew up belonging to the Boy Scouts, playing the trumpet in the high school band, and he went to church almost every Sunday.

In 1944, this 18-year-old country boy who had never been more than 50 miles from home finally found himself going through basic training for the United States Army at Camp Walters in Camp Walters, Texas. After that he rode the train with hundreds of other young teenage American males to New York City for the ocean trip on a cramped Liberty ship to fight in the great World War II.

As a soldier in the 7th Army, he went from France on to survive the Battle of the Bulge and through the cities of Aachen, Stuttgart, Cologne, Bonn and others. He thought General Patton was the greatest soldier that ever lived, and as a teenager, this young soldier saw the concentration camps and the victims of the Nazis. He saw incredible numbers of other teenage Americans buried in graves throughout France. One monument to those soldiers is on the cliffs at a place called Normandy.

After Germany surrendered, he went back to Ft. Hood, Texas, expecting to be reequipped for the land invasion of Japan. It was there he met his wife at a Wednesday-night prayer meeting service at church.

Until a few years ago, this GI would never talk about World War II, and he still will not say much except he does say that heroes are the ones that are buried in Europe today.

After the war, he opened a DX service station where he pumped gas, sold tires, fixed cars and began a family. Deciding he needed to go to college, he moved to west Texas and enrolled in a small Christian college called Abilene Christian College. He and his wife and his two small children lived in an old converted Army barracks with other such families. He supported his family by working nights at KRBC radio and climbing telephone poles for Ma Bell, later called Southwestern Bell.

He finished college, became an engineer and worked 40-plus years for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company in Houston, Texas. He turned down a promotion and a transfer to New York City because it was not Texas, and he said it was no place to raise a family.

This GI, my dad, instilled in my sister and me the values of being a neighbor to all, loving our country, loving our heritage and always just doing the right thing by all people.

He still gets mad at the Northeastern media. He flies the flag on holidays. He goes to church on Sunday, and he takes Mom out to eat every Friday night. He stands in the front yard, and he talks

to his neighbors. He can fix anything. He knows more about world events than most politicians. He still mows his own grass, even though he's over 80 years of age, and he has a strong opinion on politics and world issues. He gives plenty of advice to all people, including me. He has two computers in his home office. He sends e-mails to hundreds of his buddies throughout the world.

Dad and Mom still live in Houston not far from where I grew up. My dad is a charter member of the Greatest Generation. He was proud to be in the United States Army, but he, like many Americans of that generation, get emotional about the ones who died for this Nation.

Mr. Speaker, not far from this Capitol is the World War II memorial that honors those who never returned from Europe, Africa, the South Pacific in the great World War II. This memorial lists the battles, the names, and the States and the territories where those warriors called home. In the back of this memorial is a massive bronze-looking plate, but on closer inspection, Mr. Speaker, it's not a bronze plate at all. It's actually 1,000 bronze stars. Each star represents 400 Americans killed for our country in World War II, 400,000 Americans, mostly kids in their teens and in their early twenties who gave their youth for our future. Further down the Mall are the memorials for Vietnam and Korea, and in the brush is the World War I memorial that is hidden among the trees.

So today, Mr. Speaker, as we approach Memorial Day to honor those who have fought in the great World War II, and all American wars, we honor not only my dad and those who returned in victory, but also, we honor all those American heroes who never returned and for whom the bugles have played Taps for the last time.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, ``amnesty'' is a trigger word for most Americans. While we as a people disagree on many issues, most Americans oppose the thought of legalization of illegal conduct; in other words, amnesty.

So the special-interest groups and the profiteers from plantation labor have been careful not to call the new, inclusive immigration proposal amnesty. But that's exactly what it is. It legalizes the illegals that are in America, some 12- to 20 million. All they need to do is a few things, including pay a fee, or as I see it, a government kickback, and they get to stay in America. But supporters of this proposal still refuse to accept the obvious: It's amnesty, or pardon for illegal conduct.

If somebody trespasses on your land, when they are caught they usually have to pay a fine, but they also must get off your property. If they pay the fine and are allowed to continue to stay on your property, it is amnesty. This is similar to what the special-interest groups are trying to repackage and sell to the American public and even illegal immigrants. But it seems to me these groups are selling out America. We shall see what the American public think.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, the Senate's new repackaged immigration proposal, the ``Give America Away Act,'' has a provision that should be of concern to college students and parents who foot the bill for college. It gives the illegals in the United States a better deal than U.S. citizens or legal immigrants when it comes to the cost of college tuition for State universities.

If this idea becomes law, besides granting amnesty to 12 million to 20 million illegals in the United States, it will treat those illegals better than U.S. citizens and legal immigrants when it comes to college costs. The idea is to grant all illegals a status so they can attend State universities as an in-State tuition even though they illegally entered the United States.

Some States already allow illegals to attend State universities and pay in-State tuition. Unfortunately, my State of Texas was one of the first, along with California.

Currently there are about a dozen States that allow this absurd policy of preference. Some States are considering opposite laws that require illegals to pay out-of-State tuition. No matter what the people want or the States want, a proposal in this new immigration policy plan will require all States that allow illegals to attend State universities to pay only in-State tuition, not out-of-State tuition.

So, what's the difference in cost? Well, if you are an in-State resident in Texas and attend the University of Texas, you pay about $1,500 for 12 semester hours. If you are an out-of-State student, say a student from Tennessee, you pay over $4,000 for 12 semester hours. So this proposal will discriminate against American citizens and legal immigrants, and favor and prefer illegals.

An example. If you are from New York and you want to get admitted to the University of Texas, you have to pay out-of-State tuition because, simply, you are not from Texas. Or, as we say, ``You're not from around here.'' But if you are an illegal and get admitted to the University of Texas, you will get to pay in-State tuition.

If the Senate plan passes, this preference policy will be law and apply to every State, whether they like it or not. This is blatant discrimination against Americans and legal residents. So American students and parents, get your checkbooks out, because you are going to pay more for college than people who illegally enter the United States. You will be discriminated against by your own government. So, if you want to attend a State college somewhere in America other than your own State, and you don't have the money to pay the extra tuition, well, it's just too bad.

Mr. Speaker, this is just another reason this so-called new immigration reform proposal is a bad idea for America. It is nothing more than a preference policy for people illegally in the United States.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, the new, reformed, inclusive, repackaged, politically motivated Senate immigration proposal is more of the same lip service we have heard for years about protecting our borders.

In the 1980s, the American public was promised, and Congress passed, legislation that was supposed to beef up the border, reform the troublesome immigration service, and grant amnesty to 3 million people. The result? Our borders are less secure now. The immigration service is overwhelmed with mismanagement and lack of resources. But that amnesty deal, it did happen. Now 20 years later, the amnesty gift has only increased illegal entry, not slowed it down. We now have 12- to 20 million people here without permission.

Why doesn't the Federal Government enforce the existing law and secure the border? Because the Federal Government doesn't have the moral will to enforce current law, and if Congress tries to pass a similar bill like the 1980s: we will get more of the same: lax border security and an immigration service that is in confusion. But we'll sure let those illegals stay in America. It's another case of second verse, same as the first.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Skelton for sponsoring this legislation, and I appreciate Mr. Wilson yielding me time to speak on this important individual.

It is true in this House of Representatives, what we call the People's House, there are only two portraits. There could be more, but there are only two. We honor George Washington and we honor Lafayette. And there are reasons for that; because both of these men were not only friends, but they were resilient in their quest for American liberty many, many years ago.

One evening in 1776, at the dinner table with King George III's relatives, the Marquis de Lafayette got wind of America's Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson and the trouble the colonists were making for the British--all in the name of liberty.

Facing disapproval from his Noble family and arrest by his own French people, young Lafayette sailed to America. He volunteered to serve at his own expense in the Continental Army with General George Washington. Lafayette was a superior military tactician, and he was fearless. Only in his late 20s, Major General Lafayette went to war with the American colonists.

He was wounded in the battle at Brandywine, he defeated the Hessians alongside General Greene at Gloucester Point, and he stayed faithful to Washington when even some American discontented generals thought they could do a better job than George Washington.

It was Lafayette who persuaded the French to help the Americans in their fight for freedom. And Lafayette never lost his place alongside Washington and his ragged Continental Army. That is one reason we have his portrait in this House.

Lafayette remained a passionate advocate for the cause of freedom until his death, and stood firm in the French Revolution. So much so that at one point he suffered imprisonment for 5 years in Austria and Prussia because of his quest for liberty in France.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor a man who paid both blood and money on two continents for the sake of liberty. As loyal as he remained to Washington and the United States throughout his life, so the people of our great Nation remain indebted to his sacrifice, his courage and his loyalty, and to the example of his unwavering commitment to freedom.

In troubled times, America could always count on Marquis de Lafayette.

Mr. Speaker, Memorial Day will soon be upon us. Eighteen soldiers from southeast Texas and troops have given their lives in Iraq. These are their photographs over here to my left, all 18 of them. These are the names of those warriors, the roll call of the fallen:

Staff Sergeant Russell Slay, United States Marine Corps, age 34. He was killed on November 9, 2004. He is from Humble, Texas. When Russell told his mother he was joining the Marine Corps after high school, he told her that he knew she would not like it, but he joined anyway to serve his country.

Lance Corporal Wesley Canning, United States Marine Corps, age 21, killed November 10, 2004. He is from Friendswood, Texas. He always wanted to be a marine and had the ambition to serve for 20 years. He was a proud Texan, and when he was home on leave, he bought a new pickup truck so he could show his marine buddies his ``Don't Mess with Texas'' bumper sticker.

Lance Corporal Fred Lee Maciel, United States Marine Corps, age 20, killed January 26, 2005. He was from Spring, Texas. He was killed in a helicopter crash in al-Anbar province on his way to begin security preparations for the historic Iraqi elections. Four days later I was in Iraq to witness those successful elections. Lance Corporal Maciel made them possible.

Private First Class Wesley Riggs, United States Army, age 19, killed May 17, 2005, from Baytown/Beach City, Texas. He graduated in just 3 years from high school, and he loved agriculture.

Sergeant Bill Meeuwsen, United States Army, age 24, killed November 23, 2005, from Kingwood, Texas. He went to Texas A&M, but he dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army as a result of 9/11.

Lance Corporal Robert Martinez, United States Marine Corps, age 20, killed December 1, 2005, from Cleveland, Texas. He dreamed of getting a degree in education and becoming a baseball coach after his career in the Marines was over. Today, there is a post office in Cleveland, Texas, named in his honor.

Staff Sergeant Michael Durbin, United States Army, age 27, killed January 25, 2006, from Houston, Texas. He was a gifted artist. The day he was killed, he called his wife to tell her that he loved her.

Tech Sergeant Walter Moss, Jr., United States Air Force, age 37, killed on March 30, 2006, from Houston, Texas. He joined the Air Force after high school, and he served in Operation Desert Storm. He specialized in detecting and defusing makeshift bombs. He was killed while defusing an IED.

Private First Class Kristian Menchaca, United States Army, age 23, killed June 16, 2006, from Houston, Texas. When he joined the Army, Kristian wanted to become an infantryman. Kristian's wife stated that being in the military was what he always wanted to do. He was kidnapped and murdered by enemy forces.

Staff Sergeant Ben Williams, United States Marine Corps, age 30, killed June 20, 2006, from Orange, Texas. He joined right after high school, and he served his country for 12 years and was on his third duty in Iraq when he was killed.

Lance Corporal Ryan Miller, United States Marine Corps, age 19, killed September 14, 2006, from Pearland, Texas. He was a third- generation marine, and he graduated early so he could enlist and follow his father's and grandfather's footsteps. After his tour of duty was over, he wanted to become a Houston police officer, just like his mom and dad.

Staff Sergeant Edward Reynolds, Jr., United States Army, age 27, killed September 26, 2006, from Port Arthur, Texas. He was looking forward to his New Year's Eve wedding date with his new fiancee, and he was the man that pushed his friends to succeed.

Captain David Fraser, United States Army, age 25, killed November 26, 2006, from Spring, Texas. He attended West Point Military Academy, where he graduated as the top student in civil engineering.

Lieutenant Corporal Luke Yepsen, United States Marine Corps, age 20, killed September 14, 2006, from Kingwood, Texas. He attended Texas A&M after high school, but he dropped out to enlist in the United States Marine Corps.

Specialist Dustin Donica, United States Army, age 22, December 28, 2006, from Spring, Texas. When he was asked why he joined the United States Army, he said, ``Most people my generation want something for them, but I want to give something back.''

Specialist Ryan Berg, United States Army, age 19, killed January 9, 2007, from Sabine Pass, Texas. He joined the Army on his 18th birthday, and he was the first soldier from Sabine Pass killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Staff Sergeant Terrance Dunn, United States Army, age 38, killed February 2, 2007, from Atascocita, Texas. He enlisted in the Army several years after high school, and to his fellow soldiers he was known as ``Dunnaman,'' because he could get anything done.

And lastly, Mr. Speaker, Lance Corporal Anthony Aguirre, United States Marine Corps, age 20, killed February 22, 2007, from Channelview, Texas. He entered the Marines because it was the toughest branch in the military.

Mr. Speaker, these are the few, the bold, the brave, the courageous, the Americans. These are the sons of southeast Texas who have fallen in battle for their country.

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, ``The police are the public and the public are police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.'' These words spoken by Sir Robert Peel, founder of the Metropolitan Police Force in London, describe the obligation and dedication required to be a law enforcement officer in society.

Peace officers are the last strand of wire in the fence between the law and the lawless. They are all that stands between order and chaos. They are all that stands between the people and the outlaws. Peace officers are the rare breeds--the noble breed that wear the badge of Duty, Honor, Courage, and Service. Larry Welch is one of these Peace Officers.

For 46 years, Larry Welch has served his country and the citizens of the State of Kansas as a law enforcement officer. As a child, Larry knew that he wanted to be a law enforcement officer--specifically an Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI. While most kids in high school were thinking of football games and school dances and the coming college years, Larry was writing to the FBI, inquiring about becoming a Special Agent. After obtaining his bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas in 1958 and his Juris Doctorate in 1961, Larry graduated the FBI Academy and became a Special Agent in 1961.

For the next 25 years, Larry served as a dedicated FBI Agent, a career that spanned eight cities and Puerto Rico. He investigated and served the Bureau in a variety of positions, including serving on the protective detail of U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy, shortly after President Kennedy was assassinated. Larry also had the experience of serving in a supervisory position with the FBI, including director of FBI operations in Kansas.

In 1986, Larry left the FBI to become the Associate Director of the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center in Huntchinson, KS. The Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center serves as the headquarters for all law enforcement training in Kansas. By 1989, Larry was promoted to the Director of the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center and was responsible for the certification of all law enforcement officers within the State of Kansas--an incredible responsibility.

But Larry still had his eye on a position with an organization that he had strived to become a member of for over 30 years. Before Larry was hired as an FBI Agent, he had applied to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, KBI. The KBI is the statewide law enforcement organization that provides investigative and laboratory services to criminal justice professionals across the State. A position with KBI appealed to Larry, so a family friend and mentor tried to pull some strings to get him hired; but, KBI refused to waive the 7 years of law enforcement experience requirement and instead Larry joined the FBI. This time, however, KBI was not saying no to Larry Welch and in 1994, he was hired as the 10th Director in the history of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Under Larry's leadership, KBI flourished as one of the premiere law enforcement agencies in the State. During his tenure, KBI increased the number of forensic laboratories throughout the State. KBI's forensic laboratory achieved national accreditation, on its first try, from the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors--the first State crime laboratory to do so. Larry's KBI also assisted the Wichita Police Department in solving the Bind, Torture, Kill, BTK, murders in 2004. He has expanded KBI's investigative focus on computer crimes, such as identity theft and child pornography, as well as the rapid growth of the methamphetamine epidemic across Kansas.

I have had the privilege of calling Larry Welch my good friend for so many years. As a former Judge in Texas for 22 years, I have always been impressed by Larry's dedication to the people of our Nation and upholding the tradition of public service. His integrity is above reproach and his competence is extraordinary.

For Larry Welch, being a lawman was his life's calling, and after 46 years, this dedicated and well-respected law enforcement official is hanging up the badge that he has so proudly worn. The citizens and the State of Kansas are fortunate to have his service. In life, there are not many individuals who have the drive or dedication to a career that Larry has had. He is truly one of a kind, and I am honored to pay him this tribute today.

And That's Just The Way It Is.

Madam Speaker, 11-year-old Christopher Ryan Coomes, or Ryan, as he is more familiarly called, is an outstanding young man. A native of Texas, born in Houston and raised in the suburb of Spring, Texas, Ryan lives a normal, average American life with his father, Tim, mother, Brenda, big sister, Candance, and little brother, Chase.

Ryan is finishing the 5th Grade at Salyers Elementary in Spring, Texas; however, he is no ordinary 5th grader because Ryan has a gift for excelling in school. In December 2005, when Ryan was a 4th grader, he competed in the Salyers Elementary Spelling Bee. Spelling the word, ``walrus,'' Ryan was named the champion of the spelling competition. When he competed the following year, in 2006, Ryan beat out 30 other participants and would-be spelling bee champion hopefuls to win by spelling the word ``staccato''--which is a musical term, meaning to cut short or crisply. Ryan also competed in the Spring ISD District Spelling Bee competition in February of 2007.

Spelling is not the only thing Ryan excels in. Ryan is also an outstanding student, who has been and is on the honor roll at Salyers Elementary. His favorite subjects are history (which also happens to be mine), science, and math. While most kids scheme to get out of going to school in the morning, Ryan eagerly gets up and goes. Currently, he is trying to maintain a perfect attendance record for the 2006-2007 school year. Ryan has a love of reading and is very skilled at writing, having his work continually used by his teacher as an example. He participates in several extra-curricular activities, such as the Chess Club and the Safety Patrol.

Already at 11, Ryan has set goals for himself: He wants to make Eagle Scout--an honor only 5 percent of Boy Scouts ever achieve; he wants to attend college at either Texas A&M, Rice, or an Ivy League college (Yale); he wants to visit England and see Stonehenge.

Ryan has been a long time member of the Cub Scouts, which is a division of the Boy Scouts. The Cub Scouts were formed for boys in the first through fifth grades and was established to promote character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness. Boys involved with Cub Scouts are required to go through 5 different award levels of the Cub Scouts before they are promoted to the highest award level, Arrow of Light.

To be awarded the Arrow of Light, the Cub Scout must demonstrate the specific skills and activities of each of the previous Cub Scout levels. The Cub Scout is also required to learn the Scout Promise and Scout Law. Finally, the Cub Scout is required to attend one Boy Scout Troop meeting and one Boy Scout Troop Activity. Ryan Coomes has met all of these requirements and on March 3, 2007, he was awarded the Arrow of Light for the Cub Scouts of America, Pack 355.

Madam Speaker, Ryan Coomes is a remarkable young man. An honor student, spelling bee champion, and Cub Scout recipient of the Arrow of Light award, Ryan is an example to his fellow students, his fellow citizens of Spring, and his fellow Texans. We need more young people like Ryan. I congratulate Ryan on being awarded the Arrow of Light for the Cub Scouts and I am proud to pay him this tribute today.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, the border war is increasingly more violent because of the drug cartels seizing control of areas in Mexico to manufacture drugs.

According to the Associated Press, President Calderon has called out the Mexican military to take out the drug smugglers. But some say the drug cartels have more money and outgun even the military. Recently, seven journalists reporting on the ``drug war'' have been murdered, the second most dangerous place for a reporter in the world next to Iraq. Thousands of Mexican citizens have been killed in the violence.

But the problem is not just in Mexico. As long as the United States does not protect our borders, the drug barons will continue to ship those drugs to America.

Some estimate the cartels make between $10 and $30 billion a year shipping that cancer to America.

But the problem has a third ingredient. It is not enough for the military to control the violence in Mexico. It is not enough for us to secure our borders. But the violence will continue until the American consumers curb their lustful appetite for narcotics.

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, recently six foreign-born extremists, inspired by al Qaeda and its preachers of hate, planned to murder U.S. troops with semiautomatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades. The place, not in Iraq, but the United States Army base at Fort Dix in New Jersey.

They were knowledgeable and cunning, using one member who delivered pizzas on the base to gain intimate knowledge of the fort. They were also planning to attack a U.S. Naval installation in Philadelphia.

Before the attack could be unleashed on U.S. troops, the FBI was tipped off to their plans, and they were arrested. Not surprisingly, three of these terrorists were in the country illegally. Two others had green cards.

We are no longer a safe nation. The dangers of our security are real. We discuss in Congress the war against extreme radicals, but it starts with securing the borders. Because crossing unsecured U.S. borders is very easy. It brings the good, the bad, and the ugly. Because all three groups know that, for political reasons, the Federal Government refuses to protect American citizens by securing our sovereignty.

And that's just the way it is.