Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, when the second lady of the gulf, Rita, hit Jefferson County, Texas, first responders hunkered down to wait out the storm. They did not leave during this hurricane. After the storm, the first responders began working 12-hour shifts and slept in their cars. The county had and still has no power or water. The responders had no food. So three local heroes took control.

Port Arthur police officer Marcelo Molfino, Port Arthur fire fighter David Barclay and a lawyer by the name of Everett Sanderson of Nederland, Texas, took control. Molfino and Barclay worked 48 straight hours looking for meat and finding it before it got thawed. Sanderson opened up his beat up, old damaged restaurant and used a generator and set up a barbecue pit outside in a National Guard tent.

These three worked 7 days a week, 15 to 20 hours a day, cooking. Local grocery stores donated more meat during the weeks. One day last week, they fed 6,500 police officers, firefighters, Red Cross and FEMA workers, National Guard troops, Coast Guard and other responders from as far away as Maine, all eating Texas barbecue.

They did so without any government bureaucracy, no red tape forms, no permission and no committee meetings. These three heroes got her done.

Madam Speaker, when the ladies of the gulf, Katrina and Rita, came barreling through recently, we learned many lessons. Unfortunately, in the aftermath we learned that the gulf coast oil and natural gas production can be easily disrupted to the detriment of the Americans. Although there were around 2,900 platforms pelted in the path of the ladies of the gulf, very little environmental impact resulted. In the wake of these hurricanes, the need for American petroleum and natural gas and dependence on ourselves has become evident.

The United States must be more self-sufficient when it comes to energy.

The United States imports 60 percent of its crude oil from foreign countries. In doing so, we are subject to the illegal price fixing cartel known as OPEC. The Gulf of Mexico is responsible for one-third of the domestic oil production and 22 percent of the domestic natural gas production. We learned

from Katrina and Rita, oil and natural gas production can be disrupted to the detriment of consumers throughout the United States because production is too concentrated in the gulf coast region.

To correct these problems, I have introduced H.R. 3811. This legislation would allow for safe oil and natural gas exploration along the Outer Continental Shelf. This bill would do away with all appropriation moratoriums and executive orders that limit leasing activities, while maintaining environmental safeguards.

It is imperative that the United States begin drilling in other parts outside of the gulf. Madam Speaker, as my colleagues can see from this map, there is a wide range of areas where we can drill. Right now, the United States drills right here off my home State of Texas and Louisiana; yet, there is crude oil still in the Gulf of Mexico, on the east coast and, yes, Madam Speaker, even off the sacred coast of California. It is imperative that we think and consider drilling in these areas.

Since the 1980s, Congress has been placing appropriations moratoriums on drilling on all of these red areas that are outlined on this map. They are doing so by withholding leases. It started in California, and now about 90 percent of the Outer Continental Shelf is off limits to energy developments. All these people on these coastal States want cheap gasoline, they want natural gas, but they say do not drill in our neighborhood.

Madam Speaker, this is hypocritical. This does not make sense. It violates common sense. In this Outer Continental Shelf, there are about 300 cubic feet of natural gas and more than 50 billion barrels of oil yet to be discovered, enough to replace current imports from the Persian Gulf for 60 years and produce sufficient natural gas to heat 75 million homes for 60 years.

Madam Speaker, it would seem to me that opening up these areas would be the obvious choice. We are the only major industrial power in the world that has this silly rule about not drilling off our own shores. They drill in the North Sea, and around the world, and yet, they do so safely.

My bill would allow the Department of the Interior's Mineral and Mining Service to begin processing these leases. This would bring in additional lease revenue to Americans. Right now, Americans are receiving in this blue area $7.5 billion a year in lease revenue. Imagine what we could get from these red areas if we allowed drilling in these areas.

It is important that we use some common sense. Americans worry about skyrocketing energy prices and want solutions. The decision on where to drill is going to have to be made and made soon. This is a price issue, but it is also a national security issue.

Hurricane season is not over and it will be back next year. It is inevitable that more storms will come down hurricane alley right here in the gulf, and they are going to stop in Louisiana or Texas. With all the rigs in the same place, we are destined to repeat history. Although most of the rigs survived Hurricanes Rita and Katrina with minimal damage, there will be more storms, wind and disasters.

Those that say no to offshore drilling have no solutions to the energy problem. We can drill offshore safely, environmentally correct, when you get over the fear factor proposed by the anti-drilling people, and take control of our own energy needs. Otherwise, Madam Speaker, we will freeze in the dark. That is just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, in the Mexican border town of Nuevo Laredo, across the border from Laredo, Texas, crime has skyrocketed as disciplined drug cartels have turned up their battle for total territory control over this chief entry point into the U.S. Our open border policy encourages drug dealers to lead organized efforts to infiltrate the United States in their fighting over this territory.

So far this year more than 135 people have died, seven police officers have been killed and 44 American citizens

have been kidnapped in this treacherous town. Mr. Speaker, I have a recent newspaper article from Nuevo Laredo that shows a police officer, a policewoman, that was set on fire in the streets of Nuevo Laredo trying to enforce the law. The reason that there is chaos, Mr. Speaker, is because these drug cartels are trying to come into the United States. They are fighting over territory. Because the United States basically has no policy in protecting our borders, there is chaos on the border.

Mr. Speaker, the border is a perilous place. How many more people have to die? How many more Americans have to be kidnapped in this border town before we protect our borders?

Mr. Speaker, on October 1, 2005, the National Association of Police Organizations will honor law enforcement agencies and officers at the 12th Annual Top Cops Awards Ceremony here in Washington, DC. Officer Muzaffar Siddiqi of the Houston Police Department, a great man whom I have the privilege of knowing personally, is receiving an award at this prestigious event, and I join the city of Houston and all Texans in honoring this outstanding achievement.

As a former prosecutor and criminal court judge in Houston, TX, I have had a longstanding relationship with the Houston Police Department. I have witnessed many great works by police officers in Houston and the surrounding communities, and I can say without hesitation that Officer Siddiqi's record of service is exemplary. Having previously been named Houston Police Department Officer of the Year, Officer Siddiqi has received high honors throughout his career. His service has been recognized at all levels: city, State and Federal.

Before working for the Houston Police Department, Officer Siddiqi served as a police officer in Karachi, Pakistan. Since joining HPD, he has been a great asset in building positive relationships between law enforcement and Houston's South Asian and Middle Eastern communities. His work has been invaluable, and the people of Houston are fortunate to have a public servant of his caliber in uniform. As he honors the city of Houston with his service, Mr. Speaker, we must honor the selfless work of Officer Muzaffar Siddiqi.

Mr. Speaker, due to preparations for Hurricane Rita in my district, I unfortunately missed the following votes on the House floor on Friday, September 22, 2005.

I ask that the Record reflect that had I been able to vote that day, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote No. 488 (Sauder Amendment to H.R. 2123), 489 (Stearns Amendment to H.R. 2123), 491 (Musgrave Amendment to H.R. 2123), 492 (Boehner Amendment to H.R. 2123), and rollcall vote No. 493 (Final Passage of H.R. 2123, School Readiness Act). I strongly support these amendments and the bill because they take important steps to prepare children for success in school.

I also ask that the Record reflect that had I been able to vote that day, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall vote No. 490 (Davis (D-IL) Amendment to H.R. 2123).

Mr. Speaker, as the howling winds and incessant rain from the ``Lady of the Gulf--Rita'' moved closer to southeast Texas, 90 percent of the population in my district evacuated, but the first responders in Beaumont and other towns were worried about where to ride out the looming summer storm and potential floods.

Docked in the Port of Beaumont were the Cape Vincent, helmed by Captain David Scott, and the sister ship Cape Victory, with Captain Kevin Brooks. These two massive vessels transport military cargo to Iraq and Afghanistan.

The captains and the mayor, Guy Goodson, met briefly. The plan: Use the ships. The ships were loaded with first responders and police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, city dump trucks, front end loaders and even police helicopters. The expert ship crews coolly but quickly took little time in safely securing our first responders and their equipment. Tugs in the port operated during the howling hurricane winds to secure the ships.

In this operation, there was no senseless red tape, no forms were filled out, no committees met, and no permission from bureaucrats was sought. The people of Texas appreciate Captain Brooks and Captain Scott and their crews for, as we say in Texas, ``Gittin' `er done.''

Mr. Speaker, I wanted to thank the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King) for yielding and for hosting this hour to discuss these important issues.

When the two ladies of the gulf came in to Southeast Texas and southwestern Louisiana just in the last few weeks, in some respect the whole area and our attitude about natural disasters changed. As you mentioned, this is not the greatest loss of life regarding hurricanes. In fact, the greatest disaster that occurred in American history occurred in the year 1900 when ``the storm'' as it was called came across Galveston, Texas, that island, and killed at least 8,000 people, maybe even 12,000 people.

Times have changed a great deal because we now follow those hurricanes as our weather forecasters did with the two ladies of the gulf, Katrina, and more recently, Rita.

As you know, the folks in Louisiana disbursed throughout the United States but many, probably most came to Texas. And Texas is on the other side of the Savine River, and many of those people stopped off in my congressional district in Beaumont. Even this past week before Rita hit, there was still 15,000 people from Louisiana in Jefferson County where Beaumont, Texas is. Many of them went on further to Houston which is about 90 miles away.

The good folks in Texas and other parts of the country have tried to take care of those displaced citizens the best they can. Just last week, almost a week ago Hurricane Rita came down hurricane alley and hit us in Jefferson County and Liberty County and Harris County, three counties that I represent or portions of these three counties.

We did some good things. I say ``we,'' the government officials, local officials, Federal officials, and the community did some good things before Hurricane Rita came ashore. Of course, they were aware of the fact that there was a hurricane coming so there was an evacuation plan implemented. There was an expectation that about a million people would evacuate southeast Texas and move further west into other parts of Texas, but the truth of the matter was there was over 2\1/2\ million people evacuated.

By any imagination this would have been a large scale military operation in time of war. Moving 2\1/2\ million people logistically is a massive undertaking. The mayor of the City of Houston, Bill White, and the county judge, which is our county president, Robert Eccles, did a tremendous job moving people and evacuating people. And so, those people are coming back into southeast Texas as we speak.

The counties that I represent, Jefferson County, is still without power tonight. It has been almost a week. Still without water. It has been almost a week. The same is true in parts of Liberty County. As you know, in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana from New Orleans to Corpus Christie, Texas, 60 percent of the Nation's gasoline is refined in that one area. In Port Arthur, Texas, which was hit by Hurricane Rita, 27 percent of the gasoline is refined in that one small community for the whole United States. And because of the Katrina and Rita, several of these refineries have had to shut down. Many of those refineries have never shut down since the day they opened some 20, 25 years ago. Those refineries invented the phrase of working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, many years ago. It takes several days to get these refineries up and running once again.

I will mention something about the refineries momentarily. But for the most part, there was no damage to these refineries that cannot be repaired in just a few days, but they are missing a power source to start up again.

The county of Jefferson County, Beaumont and Port Arthur, evacuated about 90 percent of the people who lived there. Most of them are still displaced in parts of Texas, I think some of them are have gone to Iowa and looking at Iowa for the first time in their lives. They, of course, want to come home.

The situation there now after a week, local officials are there trying to maintain, of course, some order. For the most part there has been very little looting, and our first responders are spending 12 hours a day working in shifts. The biggest problem our first responders have is that they are sleeping in their police cars. Of course, they have no electricity. They have no air conditioning and they are doing a marvelous job. It is interesting to note that not one member of the Beaumont Police Department left town during Hurricane Rita.

Something remarkable occurred and I think it is worthy to note that the port of Beaumont ships most of the military cargo to Iraq and Afghanistan. Docked in the Port of Beaumont at the time of the hurricane was the Cape Victory and the Cape Vincent, two cargo ships that transport military cargo to Iraq and Afghanistan.

They were all expecting a surge of water to not only take over Port Arthur but further north, Beaumont as well. So the mayor and the first responders were concerned about their vehicles, what to do with them because they were doing to need them as soon as the hurricane was over. So the two captains of the Cape Victory and the Cape Vincent and the mayor, Mayor Guy Goodson, came up with the idea to put all of these vehicles on the two cargo ships. One does not think of seeking safety on a ship during a hurricane, but that is exactly what happened.

So they, in just a few minutes, made the decision and started within an hour without any red tape, without any permission, without any bureaucracy, without any committee meetings, just loading those two ships with police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, fire equipment, front- end loaders, police helicopters and dump trucks from several surrounding towns. Tug boats went into operation during the hurricane to secure the ships, and as soon as the hurricane passed by those vehicles were ready to be used and they are being used and they were all taken care of in a very safe manner.

We are thankful to these two salty sea captains for coming up with that idea and protecting the first responders there.

I do want to thank the President for coming down to my district and viewing the situation firsthand. He did so in Louisiana, came into Texas. He had a meeting with the local officials and the first responders. And then he flew over the entire area in a helicopter to see southeast Texas and of course Louisiana as well.

The need for American petroleum and natural gas and dependence on ourselves could not be more evident in this hurricane, in these last two hurricanes.

We in this country for various reasons have not built a new refineries since over 25 years ago. It is not economically profitable to do so so there has not been any. We are now 60 percent dependent on foreign crude oil in the United States, and every day we take more and more away from our own selves and we have to import crude oil to make sure that the American public has gasoline.

These two disasters are evident that we need to do something about being energy self-sufficient. Most of our refineries are in southeast Texas, southwest Louisiana. Most of the offshore rigs are in the gulf in the same area. That is why it is important in my opinion that we drill in other parts offshore, not just off the coasts of Louisiana and Texas but even further east, even off the coast of Florida, the East Coast and West Coast as well. We are the only major power in the world that has the policy of not drilling off our own shores.

People complain and are concerned, and that is rightfully so about the price of gasoline, certainly they should be, and we have to find a place to refine that crude oil and we also must find a way to produce crude oil as well.

Well, of course they are not on a beach and the only way you could ever see is them on a clear night you could sometimes see the lights from the rigs that are offshore; but generally speaking, in the daytime you cannot see them at all.

I do not understand why. I think, in my own opinion, there is a certain fear and panic about offshore drilling that is unfounded. Those folks that can drill offshore today can do it in a very environmentally clean manner. The best example is probably using the North Sea. The roughest seas in the world are in the North Sea. And the North Sea has numerous offshore rigs. Most of them built by, of course, Texans, and they can do so in a safe manner.

We can drill offshore in a safe manner. We can drill in an environmentally safe manner. No one wants polluted air or water. I think the day has come now where we have to get rid of the unnecessary and abusive regulations so we can drill offshore. It will not only bring us natural gas, crude oil for gasoline, but it will bring an income to the American public, because when the Federal Government leases offshore, oil companies pay for those leases.

And some estimate that the American Treasury could receive up to $7 billion a year by leasing in those areas where we have not leased before.

So it is a decision that the American public is going to have to make, depending on foreign gas, natural gas, depending on foreign crude oil or drill offshore; and I think we should drill in numerous places. And it is a security issue because as you know when those hurricanes get in the gulf, they have to go somewhere. And we got all those rigs in one place, the refineries in one place as we have seen, it could have been a whole lot worse and the country could be in a whole lot worse shape just because of the energy and the lack of offshore drilling.

Mr. Speaker, as far as I know there has not been any major problems. We know we have had these two hurricanes and with very little environmental impact with the offshore rigs. The refineries are built very, very well. The refineries knew that the hurricanes were coming. They started burning the fuel that was in the pipe so there would not be any pipe disasters.

Just to mention as a side note, one-third of the pipelines in the United States go right through my congressional district. They go to all parts of the United States, but one-third are through that congressional district. It is all very highly concentrated, but we can proceed with a safe energy policy. And like I said, the American public has to make that decision, and I hope they make the right decision which would be that we become more self-sufficient on energy.

Mr. Speaker, every day in this land of the free there are some women who live lives of quiet desperation. These women are not free, but are imprisoned in their own homes. Their crime? Being with the wrong person. Their warden is their spouse or their boyfriend. Their sentence? A lifetime of abuse, sexual assault, intimidation, mental turmoil, and even death.

As a judge in Texas, I saw these victims appear in court to tell their compelling, sad stories of their incarceration in their own homes.

This is a family issue. This is a national health issue. This is a public safety issue. And this is a criminal issue. This is an issue that must not go unnoticed by this House. We need to stand beside these victims that are battered, beaten, and bruised. The criminals will be held accountable for their actions. The protections in the Violence Against Women Act need to be reauthorized so women can truly enjoy living in the land of the free.

Mr. Speaker, love should not hurt.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

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

(Mr. POE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Chairman, I am offering this amendment to bring much- needed reform to the Crime Victims Fund. The Crime Victims Fund was created as a result of the Victims of Crime Act, called VOCA, that was signed into law during the 1980s.

The purpose of this fund is to make criminals pay for their crime by funding direct services and compensations to victims of crime. This fund is completely paid for by criminal fees and forfeiture. Taxpayer money is not used. As time progressed, Congress began tinkering with VOCA and funding priorities started to shift away from helping victims and toward funding Federal bureaucracies.

All the money collected by the Federal Government from criminal fees goes into the Crime Victims Fund; and each year, that money is distributed to several funding streams to help the victims of crime. The fund sends money to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the FBI, a Federal victim notification system, State victim compensation programs, and direct victim assistance service providers.

Since 2000, the Appropriations Committees have been limiting how much of these funds can be used each year. The U.S. Attorney's, FBI and other bureaucratic programs are paid first, which means that direct victim assistance funding gets whatever is left over. At times, this has resulted in cuts to these critical victims assistance programs. This money pays for the salaries of victim advocates and counselors, domestic violence shelters, children's assessment centers, hospital and attorney fees for underprivileged victims, and other services directly impacting victims.

The Poe amendment seeks to strike a reasonable balance between the needs of the victims' field for stable, assured funding and the realities of the appropriations and budget processes. It seeks to guarantee the original, primary purpose of the Crime Victims Fund--to support state and local victim services. At the very least, this amendment assures we give victims' assistance and compensation programs the same budgeting priority as the federal agencies and bureaucracy.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you for your leadership in giving victims a higher priority in Congress. Your leadership helped pass the Child Safety Act that provides greater protections for America's children from Child Predators. You also committed to protecting VOCA from the Administration's plan for rescinding all of the money in the Crime Victims Fund and placing it in the general Treasury--balancing the budget on the backs of crime victims. And I appreciate your willingness to work with me to better prioritize the Crime Victims Fund. It is my goal to bring about reforms to the Victims of Crime Act that restores the original spirit of the law and puts victims ahead of bureaucracy.

Mr. Chairman, I am withdrawing my amendment and look forward to working with you as this bill moves towards Conference.

I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin.

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

Mr. Speaker, William Murphy had everything going for him. He had a beautiful bride, three young children, and he was about to embark on a new chapter in his life. On June 16, 2005, all his dreams came to a crashing halt on a hot, humid, summer night in Dayton, Texas.

Mr. Murphy had spent the evening celebrating with his family. He was scheduled to graduate as a medical assistant from the Texas School of Business the next day. On his way home from his mother's house in Baytown, Texas 10 miles away, his car stalled on a darkened stretch of rural State highway 146. He and his sister pushed the car to the shoulder and turned on the flashers. His 9-month-old twin daughters, Mariah and Miranda, remained strapped in the car seats and his wife Amanda cared for the 19-month-old William, Jr. They then waited for assistance.

Soon after, Murphy saw a set of bright headlights heading toward the family. He was relieved because he assumed his mother, whom he had just called when the car stalled, was on her way. But this pickup truck barreling toward his family was not his mother and it was not stopping. Seconds before the impact he attempted to warn his family, but it was too late. He witnessed the destruction of his family that night. The truck never stopped, never slowed down, and crashed into the back of Murphy's vehicle.

Murphy's vehicle was pushed a quarter of a mile down the road. When he got to his vehicle, the trunk was smashed into the back seat. He struggled to get his twin daughters from the wreckage. He found his wife laying in the grass unconscious and his son's barely breathing body 5 feet away.

The driver of the truck stumbled out of the vehicle and it was clear he had been drinking. He failed a sobriety test and he was charged with three counts of intoxication manslaughter. Murphy's twin daughters were killed that night. So was his son. His wife and sister were badly injured. Mr. Murphy is still struggling with the assault on his family and the death of all of his children.

Unfortunately, this story is all too familiar to the many families that have been affected by drunk drivers. Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD as we know them, is working to prevent this sort of senseless crime. MADD's mission is to find effective solutions to drunk driving and underage drinking problems, while supporting and helping those who have been affected by the pain of these senseless crimes. Founded by a small group of California women in 1980 after a 13-year- old girl was killed by a hit-and-run repeat offender, MADD has saved more than 300,000 lives through their outreach and education programs.

Mr. Speaker, as founder of the Congressional Victims' Rights Caucus, I have worked closely with many members of MADD this year in the effort to protect the rights of crime victims and protect money in the Victims of Crime Act.

The National Conference of MADD is here in D.C. this week celebrating their silver anniversary and continuing their fight against drunk driving and their mission to hold drunk drivers accountable for their crimes. There are hundreds of MADD staff, volunteers, board members, and past presidents coming from all across the Nation and as far away as Guam to take part in this conference. These people coming to town are kids, mothers, daughters, fathers, victims, and survivors who have been affected by drunk driving.

I would like to commend them for their work on behalf of victims and their cause-driven efforts to stop drunk driving and the drunk driving epidemic. Thanks to the support of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, our roads and highways and children, friends, and family are safer today. Due to their efforts, alcohol-related traffic deaths have declined.

Mr. Speaker, in the 1950s, when I was a little kid, my grandfather worked for the Texas Highway Department. In the middle of the day while laying asphalt on what is now interstate 35 between Dallas and Austin, Texas, he was struck and killed by a drunk driver. The driver was never punished because he was some big shot from Dallas. My grandmother became a widow and never quite got over the loss of my grandfather. She spent the rest of her life supporting herself by working in a department store selling dresses until she was required to quit at the age of 75. My grandmother died only a couple of years ago in her robust 90s, but she often mentioned until her death how she missed my grandfather.

In those days there was no MADD organization. But thanks to MADD, the public attitude and the acceptance of drinking and driving has changed dramatically.

Mr. Speaker, there are few tragedies that bring as much pain to families and communities as these violent crimes caused by drunk drivers. This pain is made even worse when our community's young people are injured and involved. As a criminal court judge in Texas, I saw firsthand what the effects of drunk driving do to a family and to our communities. This is one of the

many reasons I support the efforts of MADD and I encourage MADD to continue their good fight. I admire the women who started MADD and those countless women who are still working.

It reminds me of one of the statements my grandmother made many years ago. She said, ``There is nothing more powerful than a woman who has made up her mind.'' Mr. Speaker, that is just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, due to preparations for Hurricane Rita in my district, I unfortunately missed the following votes on the House floor on Friday, September 22, 2005.

I ask that the Record reflect that had I been able to vote that day, I would have voted ``yea'' on Rollcall vote number 488 (Sauder Amendment to H.R. 2123), 489 (Stearns Amendment to H.R. 2123), 491 (Musgrave Amendment to H.R. 2123), 492 (Boehner Amendment to H.R. 2123), and Rollcall vote number 493 (Final Passage of H.R. 2123, School Readiness Act). I strongly support these amendments and the bill because they take important steps to prepare children for success in school.

I also ask that the Record reflect that had I been able to vote that day, I would have voted ``nay'' on Rollcall vote number 490 (Davis (D- IL) Amendment to H.R. 2123).

Mr. Speaker, the second lady of the gulf named Rita came across the shore of Texas and Louisiana, howling her winds and bringing her thundering rain this past weekend. Like her sister storm, Katrina, she took aim at the low-lying towns and the energy capital of the world that is located in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana.

Nine of the 26 refineries in Port Arthur, Texas, alone were shut down. These refineries in and around Port Arthur refine 27 percent of the Nation's gasoline. Sixty percent of the Nation's gasoline is refined from New Orleans to Corpus Christi, Texas. Offshore drilling rigs were also shut down, and the start-up time is still undetermined.

Being a target in the hurricane alley, these refineries and oil rigs are vulnerable to nature. That is one reason why the United States must explore opening up new oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Florida, off the coast of California.

This is a national security issue; and we must, with proper environmental safeguards, drill in these areas so that the energy does not cease because of the anger of the ladies of the gulf.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a native Texan and the most decorated United States soldier of World War II. Audie Leon Murphy was born into humble beginnings in northeast Texas near Kingston, Texas. He grew up in nearby Celeste, Texas. A sharecropper's son, he was the 6th of 12 children, only 9 of whom survived to see their 18th birthday. Murphy grew up in extreme poverty. By his ninth birthday, he had already become an impressive rifle shot due to the fact that he spent a good portion of his childhood hunting rabbits and squirrels for food for his family's table. He had no idea that his shooting skills would be needed later.

When he wasn't hunting, he took odd jobs around the community--on farms, gas stations and local grocery stores. When Audie was 12, his father left his mother and the children to fend for themselves. He never returned and Audie became the breadwinner for the family. At age 16, he was working at a radio repair shop and tragedy struck his life yet again. His mother died and he and his siblings were left orphans.

In desperate need of money to help support his siblings, he tried to join the military. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Audie tried to enlist but was rejected because he was too young. Eventually he was accepted into the U.S. Army after being turned down by the Navy, Marines and Army Paratroopers because he was too short at only 5 feet, 5 inches tall and 110 pounds. He signed the papers a few days after his 18th birthday and was sent to training at Fort Wolters, Texas. During one of his first training sessions, he fell flat on his face and was knocked out cold. The company commanders took this opportunity to encourage him to pursue other opportunities such as cook or bakers school but he would have nothing of it. He persisted and was resolute about becoming a fierce, fighting soldier.

After 13 weeks of Basic Training, he was sent to Fort Meade, MD for advanced infantry training. Upon finishing training, he was sent to Morocco and eventually he was appointed to a Second Lieutenant in 1944 where he served in North Africa and in all European theaters.

In World War II, Murphy made a name for himself and on one fated day he earned the Congressional Medal of Honor and went down in history. On January 26, 1945, Murphy is credited with holding off two reinforced rifle companies singlehandedly for hours. On that day, Murphy's platoon was attacked by 6 enemy tanks and waves of infantry. To keep his men safe, Murphy ordered his men to withdraw, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him, a U.S. tank destroyer received a direct hit. With the enemy tanks abreast of his precarious position, Second Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and engaged his .50 caliber machinegun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from 3 sides, but his determination and deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry to waver. The enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an additional hour the Germans tried any and all of their weapons to eliminate Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad that was attempting to sneak up unnoticed. Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be mowed down by his fierce fire. Wounded in one leg, Murphy continued the single- handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. His directing of artillery fire killed or wounded about 50 enemy combatants.

Second Lt. Murphy's unconquerable courage and his refusal to give up saved his company from destruction, and enabled it to protect and hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective. He was a legendary and heroic American. In the end, he was credited with killing more than 240 German soldiers. Because of his valor in combat and action above and beyond the call of duty, he received the Congressional Medal of Honor and every other medal that the Army awards. He earned the Silver Star twice in three days, three Purple Hearts, and the Distinguished Service Cross. He even received 5 decorations that were presented to him by Belgium and France. When he was discharged, his face was on the front page of Life magazine and when he finally made it home, he was still not even 21 years old yet.

He finished WWII as a liaison officer, and returned to Texas after the war.

Upon return, Audie became famous not only for his heroic war actions but he also hit the big screen and made the move to Hollywood. He starred in more than 40 Western films and even played the part of himself when his autobiography, ``To Hell and Back Again'' was made into a movie. He also wrote more than 17 country and western songs.

Sixty years ago today, Audie was released from the Army as an active member and reassigned to inactive status. His final rank was Major in the Texas National Guard.

After all that he went through, Audie still maintained that his medals belonged to his entire company and that he was just, ``another man.'' He never really cared about the medals or glory, just the men of his unit and those he left buried and missing across Europe. His son Terry even said that he was always embarrassed to be called a hero. He always said that the real heroes where those ``who didn't come back.'' He once said, ``I believe in all the men who stood up against the enemy, taking their beatings without whimper and their triumphs without boasting. The men who went and would go again to hell and back to preserve what our country thinks right and decent. My Country, America!''

Audie was killed in a plane crash, on May 30, 1971. He left behind his wife of 20 years, 2 sons, a wealth of family and friends and a legacy that will live on forever.

Madam Speaker, as the skies have cleared in the aftermath of Katrina, and the howling winds and rain of Rita develop in the gulf and head for Texas, we have learned that giving away American money in the form of emergency debit cards should be reevaluated.

There are reports in Houston of evacuees using their taxpayer debit cards to buy expensive jewelry, $800 Louis Vuitton purses. $2,000 cards are exchanged on the black market for cash in order to buy drugs, alcohol, and as they say, street entertainment.

There are reports of individuals using multiple stolen identifications to get numerous cards. At the Astrodome there are reports of dice games with the pot being debit cards.

Madam Speaker, we are also hearing the topless clubs are doing a booming business thanks to the evacuees. A local bartender has reported that the debit cards are used at his topless club to gain admission and purchase lap dances. Maybe these are emergency lap dances for the displaced and distressed evacuees.

Madam Speaker, when American money is given away in the name of compassion without adequate control, we see the above abuse. Those who take advantage of this disaster should be held accountable.

As the saying goes, Madam Speaker, no good deed goes unpunished. This ought not to be.

Madam Speaker, in San Jacinto County in east Texas last Thursday, two men died trying to save another's life. Denny ``Bo'' Galloway, deputy constable, 34, died when he ran into the rough Trinity River trying to save Bernardo Vasquez, a 21-year-old Marine on leave from Iraq.

Vasquez had disappeared in the fast-moving river trying to save his uncle, who had gotten trapped in the current. Vasquez was to return to Active Duty today. His mother's only desire was that he return from Iraq alive. But Vasquez died saving another. Bo Galloway was a tough, rural cop who had spent the previous night rescuing people from a train wreck.

When hearing the 911 call about Vasquez, Galloway rushed to the scene and went directly into the river. Galloway died and left a wife and three sons behind. Both men were warriors. One fought the war on crime, one fought the war on terror. Both died responding to the first duty of all American warriors, saving those in trouble. We share in the grief of the two families and once again thank our people who wear the uniform of the soldier and of the peace officer.