Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, they were down 31-6 as the fourth quarter began. A lead that they surely couldn't overcome.

But, they never wavered.

Down 34-13 with six minutes left.

But still, they never wavered.

The University of Houston football team, my alma-mater, displayed a calm confidence during their gutsy, 25-point comeback on the afternoon of January 2nd in the Armed Forces Bowl.

To pull off the unthinkable, the Cougars had to recover back-to-back onside kicks--a feat that is almost never accomplished--and score multiple touchdowns in the closing minutes.

They capped off the comeback with a miraculous two-point conversion that gave them a one point victory.

Head Coach David Gibbs instilled in his team that day a will to fight to the end, no matter the odds, score, or deficit.

The Cougars pulled off the largest comeback of the college football season that day, and held true to the words of the late great Vince Lombardi, who said ``Winners never quit and quitters never win.''

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, the United States Congress has been sworn into office. We all took an oath to support and defend the United States Constitution.

The Constitution, however, is under attack by the policies of the administration. The administration has unconstitutionally, illegally, and unwisely issued a decree that, in essence, grants amnesty to about 5 million people.

The real issue is not an immigration issue because we need immigration reform, but it is a constitutional issue. The Constitution has been bruised by the improper act of the President.

All Members who support the Constitution and constitutional government, rather than a government run by one person, should oppose the illegal action memo of the administration.

Along with Representative Black of Tennessee, I have introduced the Separation of Powers Act. This bill will prohibit taxpayer funds to be used or appropriated for the recent illegal actions of the administration's granting amnesty.

The President also has been sworn to support the Constitution, and it is Congress' duty to make the laws, whether the administration likes it or not. The Constitution is not a mere suggestion. It is the law of the land.

And that is just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, there is no one like Texas Congressman Ralph Hall.

Congressman Ralph Hall is the oldest serving member of Congress, the oldest person to ever serve in the House of Representatives, the oldest person ever elected to a House term and the oldest House member ever to a cast a vote. Mr. Hall is also the last remaining Congressman who served our nation during World War II.

And for all of these accomplishments, I would like to thank and congratulate Ralph one more time for his service to the country and his leadership in the Texas Congressional Delegation.

Born in Fate, Texas on May 3, 1923, Hall did not know of his successful future which was ahead of him. At the age of 19, Hall enrolled into the U.S. Navy where he served as a lieutenant and combat aircraft carrier pilot from 1942 to 1945 during World War II.

After serving for three years, Hall then went on to finish college and received his LL.B. from Southern Methodist University in 1951. He was admitted to the Texas Bar, and practiced law in Rockwall.

Mr. Hall also participated in the business side of Rockwall where he took part in serving as President/CEO of Texas Aluminum Corp., General Counsel of Texas Extrusion Co., Chairman of Lakeside News, Inc., and was a founding member of Lakeside National Bank in Rockwall where he currently serves as Chairman of the Board.

Ralph had the calling to serve Texas in the political arena in Texas politics, a combat sport. So he began his public service from 1950 to 1962 when he served as County Judge of Rockwall County, Texas. Mr. Hall also served as President of the State Judges and Commissioners Association in 1958-1959.

From 1962 to 1972, Mr. Hall was elected and served as a Texas State Senator where he served as President Pro Tempore in 1968-1969.

Congressman Ralph Hall was first elected to serve the 4th District of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1980 and has been re- elected to each succeeding Congress.

On November 27, 2012, Congressman Hall became the oldest member in the U.S. House of Representatives to ever cast a vote. The following month, on December 25, 2012, he became the oldest-serving Member of the U.S. House of Representatives in recorded history.

Congressman Hall always ensured to serve his people and made sure their voice was heard on different issues throughout Congress.

A noteworthy quote Mr. Hall often said was ``I'd rather be respected at home than liked in Washington.'' Ralph is a hardcore Texan with the unique knowledge of understanding all people from the rich and famous to the infamous and downtrodden.

He was a proud conservative democrat and personally knew the likes of LBJ, Speaker Sam Rayburn, Muhammad Ali, baseball great Mickey Mantle, war veteran Audie Murphy, Senator John F. Kennedy, Ted Williams, President Ronald Reagan, Texas Governor John Connally, Texas Governor William ``Bill'' P. Clements, Jr., Texas Governor Ann Richards, Texas Governor Rick Perry, Curtis Cokes, General Tommy Franks, Lieutenant General Tom Stafford, astronauts Gene Cernan, Buzz Aldrin, Neal Armstrong, U.S. Representative Ray Roberts, U.S. Senator Phil Gramm, famous aviator Claire Chennault, President George H.W. Bush, President George W. Bush, U.S. Senator John Cornyn, U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen, T. Boone Pickens, H. Ross Perot, Red Adair, Bo Derek, Chuck Norris, Ted Williams, Tom Hanks and The Ink Spots.

He works well with both Republicans and Democrats, but he ``got religion,'' in 2004, and became a Republican. Never forgetting his Democrat roots, he commented, ``Being a Democrat was more fun.''

Ralph Hall always has a story and a new, but often used joke. He runs 2 miles a day and certainly symbolizes the best of the Greatest Generation.

Ralph Hall's service and leadership has shaped him into an important role model that members of the Texas Delegation in Congress, on both sides of the aisle admire. His dedication and love for his public service illustrates how success is attainable when mixed with hard work and determination, along with a love of America and of course, Texas.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, you may not know it, but there is a group that, like the United States, thinks the Supreme Leader of Iran needs to go. They are a group of Iranians called the MEK. They want their countrymen to be free from the oppressive regime that has ruled with an iron fist since 1979. But the MEK is locked up in a prison-like camp in Iraq. 112 of its members have been killed.

How we came to this point is a story worth telling. After the Iranian revolution, the MEK opposed the Supreme Leader. So the newly installed Islamic regime systematically arrested and executed members of the MEK. The MEK fled and found refuge in Iraq. They built a home in the middle of the desert in a place called Camp Ashraf. In August 2002, the MEK disclosed two previously unknown nuclear facilities in Iran.

The Natanz enrichment facility and Arak heavy water facility triggered the IAEA inspection of Iranian sites for the first time.

After the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003, the MEK gave over all of its weapons to the U.S. Army 4th Infantry Division. In return, the U.S. promised to protect the MEK, labeling them ``protected persons'' under the Fourth Geneva Convention.

On January 1, 2009, U.S. forces handed control over to the Iraqi Security Forces. Then Prime Minister Maliki was beholden to Tehran so when the Supreme Leader asked him to crack down on the MEK, he obeyed. Maliki either allowed or facilitated two deadly attacks on the defenseless residents living in Camp Ashraf. In July 2009, 11 residents were killed and 500 more injured. Two years later, in April 2011, the Camp was attacked again.

Videos would show Humvees running over residents and snipers shooting at residents as they ran for their lives. The attackers were not trying to talk. They were trying to kill. And they succeeded. 36 residents were killed and 345 injured.

I and other Members of Congress met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in June 2011. The meeting that was supposed to last 20 minutes but went for 2 hours came to an abrupt halt when our delegation asked to see Camp Ashraf where the MEK members lived. Maliki's mood immediately changed and he said that there was no way we were going to see the Camp. Maliki did not allow us to go because he had something to hide.

After pressure from the Government of Iraq and the U.S. Government, the remaining residents agreed to be transferred to Camp Hurriya near Baghdad as the UN worked to resettle them in some other country besides Iraq or Iran. But a new camp would still not keep them safe--not while Maliki was under the thumb of an Iranian regime that wanted to decimate the MEK. On three more occasions in 2013, 65 more unarmed residents were killed and over 600 injured. The UN has now resettled 600 residents, but there are still 3,200 living in squalid conditions in Camp Hurriya. They are confined to the Camp, not allowed to leave.

Lawyers and family members cannot visit them. After a series of rocket attacks killed many of them, residents dug trenches and slept inside them because they had no other way to protect themselves. These conditions are worse than an American prison. This is no way to treat thousands of people who have risked their lives for three decades so that their countrymen may know the sweet taste of freedom. One day, I believe, we will not be talking about ensuring Iranian freedom fighters like the MEK have another country to live in. One day, the Supreme Leader will supremely fall.

Democracy and freedom will once again flourish in Iran. And the freedom fighters, who have now been fighting for decades, can finally return home to join their families and their countrymen in building a new, peaceful Iran.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, over 72 years ago, the 2nd Battalion of the 131st Field Artillery Regiment (36th Division--Texas National Guard) gathered and met for the first time. The 2nd Battalion was predominately made up of a scrappy group of Northwest Texas farmhands who hailed from towns like Abilene, Wichita Falls and Lubbock. About a year after their initial encounter, the group was detached from its division in Texas and sent out west to the San Francisco Bay where they were told that they would soon be on route to PLUM, a code-name for a destination unknown to the boys from the prairie lands of Texas.

The 2nd Battalion arrived in Pearl Harbor a few days later on November 28, but immediately departed after being warned of a possible Japanese attack. The tragic prediction came true, and on December 7, 1941, the 2nd Battalion was informed that Pearl Harbor was indeed attacked by the Japanese and that the United States was now at war. After leaving Hawaii, the Battalion headed over to Brisbane, Australia, where they spent Christmas until boarding a Dutch ship and setting sail for Java, an island in the Dutch East Indies, shortly before New Year's Day. They arrived at Java on January 11 and stayed for nearly two months, sharing the island with troops from the Netherlands and Australia, among other allied countries.

After weeks of uncertainty, the boys started to grow restless as they pondered what their next assignment would be. Then, on February 28, their lives would change forever as they heard a quick succession of loud explosions. At this point explosions were sounding off faster than they could count and it became evident that the war's Pacific Theater was quickly encompassing their temporary island home of Java. As the melting pot of troops watched the horizon, they noticed something that appeared to be men swimming ashore. The dozens they first saw quickly turned into hundreds and the onshore troops soon learned that the men were all sailors aboard the USS Houston (a ship that was anchored nearby). The USS Houston was made up almost entirely of volunteers from the city of Houston, many of whom were just teenagers. That evening, Japanese forces surrounded and attacked the USS Houston, killing all but 368 of the 1,011 men aboard. The surviving sailors swam ashore, joined the 534 men of the 2nd Battalion, and would soon become known as the ``Lost Battalion.''

Though the allied troops on the beaches of Java held off for as long as they could, they finally succumbed to Japanese forces on March 8 after days of relentless, back-and-forth artillery fire. Within a matter of weeks, all of the remaining soldiers of the 2nd Battalion and the USS Houston were together at one camp as Japanese prisoners of war. This group of 902 men, nearly all of whom hailed from Texas, soon disappeared, not to be seen again for three and a half years. They would go on to be known as the ``Lost Battalion.''

For 42 months, these captured American sailors toiled away in different parts of Pacific Asia. Forced together through a tragic turn of events, these men banded together to overcome a set of truly awful circumstances. Physical beatings were daily and torture came to be expected. Hard labor and starvation were now part of their daily routines. But, perhaps the hardest part of it all was being separated from their families without any chance at communicating with them. Their wives, children, parents and siblings all believed they were dead. Though the Japanese camps attempted to make them wish for that fate, they never gave up hope. It was the memory of their families back in Texas that kept them going each day. Moving from island to island in the darkest, dampest bowels of the Japanese ships' smallest compartments, the men were treated like cattle. Then, once reaching their destinations they would be immediately forced into hard slave labor. Some built roads, some worked in Burmese jungles chopping down trees and some mined coal. One of the worst physical punishments was working on a railway that became known as ``The Railroad of Death.'' Working on this railroad amounted to constant torture. Over 70,000 allied soldiers died after being subjected to these horrible 20-plus hour work days. They were constantly starved, and when they did have the opportunity to eat, their food was rotten and full of insects. These men overcame slavery, torture,

malnutrition, beatings and diseases, and came out of the atrocity stronger than ever with a bond that would last a lifetime.

Liberation didn't come until the end of the war, and when it was all said and done, 163 of the 902 men had tragically lost their lives. Among these 163 were 89 from the 2nd Battalion of the 36th Division of the Texas National Guard and 74 sailors from the USS Houston. When the surviving men were finally liberated from their hell on earth, they headed back to Texas where a celebration in Wichita Falls was waiting for them. The boys from Texas had such a good time at the celebration that they decided to make it an annual get-together. They used this get-together to not only celebrate their families and lives, but to remember their 163 comrades who perished in Japanese war camps. Though they were now safe and back home with their families, many of them would go on to suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. However, their mental fortitude helped them overcome many of the adversities they faced as POW's and then as victims of PTSD.

The lesson the ``Lost Battalion'' taught us, and continues to teach us each day, goes further than just patriotism. Their resiliency, friendship, and faith in each other and in God are all important values that would benefit every American individual who chooses to observe them.

The ``Lost Battalion'' is yet another group of that rare breed we call the Greatest Generation.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, Pastor Duong Kim Khai, a prisoner held in Vietnam, has nurtured the spiritual lives of his parishioners and helped those of all faiths that have been victims of injustice in Ben Tre and Dong Thap. He has also served as an advocate for Vietnamese farmers whose land was confiscated by the government. If he is guilty of anything it is of living to serve others and stand up to an oppressive government. I call on the Vietnamese government to release him immediately.

During the 1990s, the Pastor was detained thirteen times, often for organizing prayer sessions. Soon after, he turned his home into a place of worship, as well as a community center where farmers could seek assistance in petitioning authorities. Because he did not have the government's permission to worship, his home was seized by the local government, and he was imprisoned for two years.

On August 16, 2010, he was arrested for supposedly trying to overthrow the Vietnamese government, a convenient charge from a government bent on silencing him. For the next two months, his place of detention and his condition of health were kept secret from his family.

Denied legal representation and with diplomats denied access to his trial, Pastor Duong Kim Khai was sentenced to 2-8 years in prison and 3-5 probation. Unfortunately, his wife, who was never able to visit her husband in prison, has since passed away.

Pastor Duong Kim Khai's trial was a sham and his imprisonment is unacceptable. Freedom to worship is a human right, and the Vietnamese government should immediately release him. Furthermore, I call on the State Department to finally recognize Vietnam as a Country of Particular Concern.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, the United States has our military all over the world, and we have for a good number of years. In fact, the United States has been at war for a long, long time.

This year, as we approach Christmas, families across America will gather around to enjoy homemade apple pie and turkey and each other's company, but our men and women in uniform, those volunteers, are still all over the world, protecting and representing the United States. These are America's best. It is the best we have in our country.

In 2005, I had the opportunity to go over to Iraq and see our military during the Christmas season. But before I left, I decided I would ask local schoolchildren and their teachers to help make some homemade Christmas cards and holiday cards to give to our troops when I arrived in Iraq.

So that year, after I landed, I took about 5,000 handmade Christmas cards--made primarily by schoolchildren--to our servicemen and -women in Iraq and also in Kosovo. Since that time, children in southeast Texas have been making handmade Christmas cards and holiday cards for our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and other parts of the world every year, and these cards are either taken overseas by me or they are shipped.

This year, the community in southeast Texas and the schools rallied, and the result is quite outstanding. I am proud to say that this holiday season we will be sending 96,000 handmade Christmas cards and holiday cards to our troops in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other parts of the world, primarily made by schoolkids in southeast Texas. Remember, Mr. Speaker, these are handmade cards. These are not store-bought cards.

These cards were received from various Texas residents. Just to name a few: Kingwood High School, Sterling Middle School, Timberwood Middle School, Goose Creek Memorial High School, Alamo Elementary, Horace Mann Junior High, the Hi Neighbor Club in Kingwood, Houston Methodist Hospital, Baytown Chamber of Commerce, the Baytown school district, the Baytown Housing Authority, Victory Hospital, and Boy Scout and Girl Scout clubs in southeast Texas.

Mr. Speaker, 80,000 of these came from the city of Baytown alone. So a big ``thank you'' to Rikki Wheeler, the executive vice president of the Baytown Chamber of Commerce, as well as to the Baytown schools, hospitals, and organizations for their remarkable contribution and organizing and managing the collection of these cards.

The patriotic spirit of those folks in southeast Texas to me is quite heartwarming, and the outpouring of support from Texans, primarily schoolchildren, is quite exceptional.

I want to thank all of those who have taken the time to bring joy to our troops in lands that are far, far away, those troops who will be separated from their families this Christmas. It is because of the schools, the teachers, and the schoolchildren that this is all made possible every year.

This is a way that people in southeast Texas show appreciation to our troops who are separated from their families this time of the year. Remembering to thank them and send them special greetings is very important.

Many of these schoolchildren have family members overseas who are serving in the military, and this small gesture brings comfort and cheer to all of those involved. A piece of home will mean so much to those who are representing us overseas, and it is possible only because the community volunteers to do this each year.

The simple act of making a handmade card shows the connection between our warriors and our schoolchildren who are thinking about them this time of year. So this Christmas, as Americans celebrate, we remember to say a prayer for those who safeguard America's freedoms.

We thank our volunteers in uniform, and we thank our volunteers who made this season quite special for our military by making these cards.

And that is just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, at this point, I will also include for the Record a list of other groups who have made holiday cards for our troops.

Advanced Aromatics/GCM High/Chevron

Phillips

Aramark/Stuart Career Ctr.-Culinary Arts

Awards & Engraving/St. Joseph's/Byt

Draft'g/Staff'g

Bayer/Clark Elementary

Baytown GMC/Bowie Elem.

Baytown Sun/GCCISD Public Relations

Beacon FCU/Ashbel Smith Elem.

CenterPoint/Gentry Jr.

Chevron Phillips/Crockett Elem.

CRCU/Lamar Elem.

Community Toyota/Highlands Jr.

Crespo & Jirrels/Peter Hyland (ALP)

ExxonMobil/RE Lee High

ExxonMobil/Walker Elem.

ExxonMobil/Travis Elem.

ExxonMobil/San Jacinto Elem.

ExxonMobil/Baytown Jr.

ExxonMobil/Cedar Bayou Jr.

Highlands C of C/Hopper Primary

Highlands Rotary/Highlands Elementary

Houston Methodist San Jac Hosp/RS

Sterling High

Kiwanis Club/Alamo Elem.

LCY/Harlem Elem.

Legacy/Point Alternative

Rotary/DeZavala Elem.

Shine Dental/Impact Early College High School

SNC-GDS/Horace Mann Jr.

Solvay/Carver Elem.

Texas First/SF Austin Elem.

GCCISD Special Olympics

Stuart Career Ctr.

Woodforest/Banuelos Elem.

BCA 2nd Grade Class

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Affairs be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 2901) to strengthen implementation of the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 by improving the capacity of the United States Government to implement, leverage, and monitor and evaluate programs to provide first-time or improved access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene to the world's poorest on an equitable and sustainable basis, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, it was a bright Sunday morning in the islands of Hawaii. America was at peace and unprepared for war. Soon the rising Sun was darkened by hundreds of Japanese planes as they strafed and bombed Pearl Harbor. The American battleships were sunk. Over 2,400 United States military were killed. Most of the United States aircraft was destroyed while still sitting on the ground. It was December 7, 1941.

But in the chaos and confusion and still in his pajamas, Army Air Corps Second Lieutenant Philip Rasmussen and three other fighter pilots took off into the blazing sky. They met 11 Japanese planes head on. Rasmussen was flying an old outdated P-36 Hawk, and he shot down one Japanese plane while enemy fighters attacked him. They shot up his plane with over 500 bullet holes, but he was still able to continue the fight and eventually safely land. Rasmussen received the Silver Star for his defense of America that day and remained in the Air Force.

As we contemplate on Pearl Harbor and those that were killed, we should remember there were a few who gallantly took to the air to fight those invaders. From the beaches of Hawaii to the beaches of Normandy, those that died and those that survived were America's Greatest Generation. We thank the good Lord that such Americans ever lived.

And that is just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, ``We love death more than the Jews love life.'' This Hamas propaganda phrase says it all. International outsiders cry ``peace, peace,'' but there can be no peace as long as Hamas refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist. No matter how many times leaders shake hands or how many agreements are signed, peace cannot be achieved if peace is not desired. The only reason Israel exists is because the Jews persist in surviving.

In the morning hours of November 18, a group of Orthodox Jews gathered at a synagogue in Jerusalem to pray. In the middle of their prayers, at 7 a.m., two terrorists wielding guns, axes, and butcher knives attacked them. Odai Abu Jamal and his cousin, Ghassan Abu Jamal, killed 4 rabbis and one police officer and injured 8 others before they were shot by local police. Three of the four rabbis were American citizens.

The men were members of the terrorist group known as the Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). While the group itself did not claim responsibility, it was quick to support the attack. Hamas, another terrorist group bent on the destruction of Israel, not only commended the attacks but called for more. Terrorist groups supporting terrorist attacks does not surprise me. But Hamas is not your typical terrorist group. It governs the entire Gaza Strip as a result of the 1.8 million Palestinians there voting them into power. And the reaction from some of the people of Gaza to the attack shows that they share its terrorist government's feelings. In the town of Rafah, the people celebrated by handing out sweets, carrying axes, and holding up posters of the terrorists. The religious elites joined in the celebration as well: loudspeakers at mosques in Gaza called out congratulations. Palestinian radio reports described the attackers as ``martyrs''. Undoubtedly, the terrorists' family will receive compensation from the government's ``terrorist fund'', which pays stipends to the families of terrorists who are imprisoned or who died during their attacks.

When an elected government and the people it governs celebrate a brutal terrorist attack, it is a reminder of the challenges Israel faces as it works for peace in the region. For the last six years, this White House has pressured the Israeli government to make concession after concession for peace. The reaction of the people in Gaza to this latest attack should wake the White House up to the unfortunate reality that, no matter how many concessions Israel makes, many Palestinians do not want peace if it means Israel continues to exist. Palestinian acts of terrorism are not just a problem of a couple of lone rats or individual terrorist groups, but they are supported by an entire infrastructure throughout the Palestinian territories that has close ties to the senior Palestinian leadership. Instead of repeatedly twisting Israel's arm to make peace when peace can't be made, the United States should stand strong with our democratic ally against terrorists. The same attackers that want to destroy Israel also call the United States the Great Satan. They want to kill Americans too, as this latest attack that killed three Americans showed. Our first step should be to cut the funding we give to the Palestinian Authority (PA) until they take specific, verifiable, and significant acts to go after those who commit acts of terrorism. At the very least, the PA needs to stop paying reward money to the families of terrorists. Second, we should make sure that our funding to Israel is strong and robust, focused on ensuring Israel can beat back these terrorists. Finally, we need to stop publicly and privately insulting Israel. Israel is the only liberal democracy in the Middle East and one of our strongest allies in the world.

The right response to a terrorist act is not words of condemnation followed by continued pressure on the victims of terrorism. The right response is recognizing the evil for what it is and countering it with swift justice against the perpetrators and strong support for the victims.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, when Dr. Guy ``Mojo'' Lewis walks into a room, everyone knows it. With his larger-than-life stature and the mystic of Texas legend Sam Houston, his commanding presence captures attention. People can't help but smile when they see him, his presence is contagious.

As a personal friend and fellow Abilene Christian University Alum, I would like to congratulate this outstanding Texan for celebrating his 30th anniversary of practicing dentistry.

Dr. Lewis knew from early on that he wanted to be a dentist, never wavering in his decision to make people smile. After graduating from Abilene Christian University ('80), Dr. Lewis earned his Doctorate of Dentistry from Baylor College of Dentistry.

In 1984, he became a founding member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD), at a time when cosmetic dentistry was beginning to emerge. He became the youngest cosmetic dentist to be accredited by the AACD. Additionally, he is also a member of the Texas Dental Association and the American Dental Association. He received a fellowship in the International Academy for Dental Facial Esthetics.

Dr. Lewis continues to give back to the community and takes time to guide aspiring dentists as well. Recognizing the important of education, Dr. Lewis is an adjunct professor of dentistry at Baylor College.

The legend that is Dr. Lewis is known far and wide. His extensive knowledge of cosmetic dentistry and his incredible work ethic quickly gained him respect from his colleagues in the dental profession. Over his career, Dr. Lewis was routinely recognized for his expertise and contributions to the dental community.

His list of credentials could fill a sports arena, literally. He is the dentist of Olympic gold medal athletes, the Houston Astros, the Houston Rockets and many more.

He was named a ``Top Doc'' for 7 consecutive years by H Texas Magazine and was listed as a ``Super Dentist'' by Texas Monthly Magazine for multiple years. In addition, Dr. Lewis was elected by a group of his peers to be in the book Best Dentists in America.

In addition to his notable recognition for his work within the dental community, Dr. Lewis has continued to serve on advisory boards of many non-profit organizations and on the boards of several schools. I served alongside him on the Abilene Christian University Board.

Our community has benefited greatly from the decades of service that Dr. Lewis has devoted. Dr. Lewis and his staff continue to be involved with Cypress-Woodlands Junior Forum, Be an Angel Fund, and Give Back a Smile.

The list of this model citizen's accomplishments is impressive and well-deserved, and it's no surprise that he's a Texan.

Dr. Lewis's service to his city, state and nation as well as his faith will have an enduring positive impact.

A dedicated family man, Dr. Lewis has been married to his wife, Holly for 33 years. Together, they are the proud parents of five children. Firm believers in Christian education, Dr. Lewis sent his children to Northland Christian School, the same school that my children attended, and where we both served on the Board of Trustees.

His success can be attributed to his faith, happy attitude about life and his career, and his genuine compassion and care for his patients. Dr. Lewis, thank you for your 30 years of service to our community and the State of Texas.

Another great, Texas legend we are proud to have among our neighbors. To 30 more years of making people smile, thank you Dr. Guy ``Mojo'' Lewis.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, the Federal food police are whipping up their latest batch of distasteful government regulations. With a government fist around an iron spatula, the Federal Government has become the new Mr. Bumble from the book ``Oliver Twist.''

The food police have placed unhealthy and illogical regulations on menus for government school lunches across the fruited plain. This is just more unneeded, unnecessary, and unwarranted Federal Government invasion of what school kids eat. The Federal Government now is trying to raise America's children.

In an effort to control, dictate, and give children a nanny state society, school lunches have gotten watered down to a skimpy new low. After strict portion control and outlandish so-called nutrition standards, school lunches have become as exciting as detention. The food is unappealing and lacking in nutrition.

So what have students done? They have taken their frustrations to Twitter, taking photos of government-dictated school lunches. An Oklahoma school student tweeted a picture of a few chicken nuggets, a half an apple, and a piece of bread, complaining, ``Thanks for the fulfilling lunch.'' More and more students are catching on, saying sarcastically, ``I will be full for days,'' and ``Thanks for the delicious lunch, sure was filling.''

A parent eating lunch with their child at school was stunned after seeing the lunch portions. And here she took a photograph of the lunch. Here it is. And she said correctly, ``This is sad.'' Here you have a little condiment package. Here you have a bun with a something in between, and then you have a half a fruit over on the other side. Isn't this a lovely lunch? If a parent had anything to do with this, the Federal Government would probably accuse them of child neglect.

There is a 350-calorie limit in place for entrees. So that means taking two packets of ketchup or mayonnaise would put the student over the allowed limit. Kids find themselves in an ``Oliver Twist'' situation with the workhouse headmaster, Mr. Bumble, and having to fearfully ask, ``More please, sir?'' And of course just like in the book, the answer is a loud ``No.''

Kids need the energy to learn, to pay attention, and to focus. That energy comes from food. The cafeteria takeover by the Federal Government is leaving students--believe it or not--hungry.

How can we expect children operating on a lunch of no more than 350 calories to make it through the day? What about athletes and afterschool programs? Whether the student plays football or plays an instrument in the marching band, a dinky lunch just won't cut it.

Meghan Hellrood, a student at D.C. Everest High School in Wisconsin, is protesting the required ``healthy'' lunches by promising other students unlimited condiments that she herself will bring to school. Now, I wonder if the Federal Government will charge her with smuggling the forbidden condiments. Who knows?

Students all over the United States have started to speak out. Pictures of a lunch with two pieces of cauliflower, some ham, and a piece of cheese have surfaced, or three cherry tomatoes, skim milk, and some cheesy bread. This sounds more like the tasteless gruel Oliver Twist was served in the book ``Oliver Twist.''

Kids who buy their lunch but opt out of the side of fruits or vegetables are still charged for the whole meal, resulting in wasted food. There has been an 84 percent increase in wasted school lunches that are just thrown in the trash.

These regulations just aren't working. So what is next? Is the government going to force-feed kids who don't eat the government food lunches? The level of Federal Government intrusion is foolish, and it seems to be arrogant.

The time is now to protect schools from Mr. Bumble bureaucrats. Interestingly enough, some of the bureaucrats in Washington making the rules for government schools send their kids to private schools, which are not under the same absurd food regulations.

Mere calorie counting is not a viable healthy option. More physical activities in schools may be needed. In any event, it is the duty and responsibility of parents and local schools to decide what their kids eat in school, not the nanny, Mr. Bumble, and the bureaucrats in Washington.

Parents should raise their kids, not the Federal Government. Federal food police don't belong in a local school cafeteria.

And that is just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 545, H.R. 647, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, my vote was not recorded on rollcall No. 545 on H.R. 647--ABLE Act of 2014. I was present for the vote but not recorded due to a mechanical problem with my voting card. I am a cosponsor of this legislation and I intended to vote ``aye.''

I thank the gentleman from New Mexico.

Mr. Speaker, it was called the ``War to End All Wars.'' It began 100 years ago, and after 3 years, World War I was a bloody stalemate.

Then the American doughboys entered the bloody trenches of Europe, and the tenacious teenagers went over there to a land they had never seen fighting for people they did not know. But soon after, the war turned in the favor of the Allies, and the war was over.

Allied victory was declared in 1918. Millions and millions of people throughout the world had died. 116,000 Americans died. Many more thousands died when they came back to America from the Spanish flu that they got while they were overseas.

The last surviving World War I veteran was Frank Buckles. This is a photograph of him shortly before his death. I got to know Frank Buckles before he died at the age of 110. Like I said, he was the last surviving World War I veteran from America.

He lied to get into the United States Army. He was probably 15. He convinced some Army recruiter that he was 21, and they signed him up. He served in World War I.

After World War I was over with, World War II started, and he found himself in the Philippines. He was captured by the Japanese and put in a prisoner-of-war camp until World War II was over.

But he came to the United States Capitol and met with many Members of the House and Senate for the sole purpose of making sure that those doughboys he fought with and who died were remembered by the United States Congress. His dying wish was that those he served with would be honored by the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The proceeds from the sale of the coins will be used for the World War I Commission to help commemorate the sacrifices of those warriors. I was privileged to be appointed as an original member of the World War I Commission and still serve on the World War I Foundation.

I want to thank Congressman Cleaver from Missouri for all the work he has done to remember those doughboys, not only in this specific bill of getting this coin act passed but the original commission that he worked on to make sure that we, as an American Nation, remembered them.

I appreciate the work that the gentleman does in Kansas City with the first-class memorial that we have to honor those World War I veterans.

Mr. Speaker, all those that served, every one of them that served in World War I, they are all gone. There are none left. Frank Buckles was the last one.

But the United States World War I Commission will make sure we Americans remember and honor them, for the

worst casualty of war is to be forgotten.

And that is just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, he said, ``I'm the President. I'm not king. I can't do these things by myself.''

That was President Obama in 2010. That was then; this is now. The lawless administration continues to ignore Congress in order to go it alone and implement his own authoritarian agenda. The latest illegal kingly edict is that he will disregard immigration law, orally change the rules, grant legal status, and give work permits to millions of foreign undocumented nationals.

These actions show the administration is more interested in jobs for illegal foreign nationals in America than Americans in America. That is why Congresswoman Black and I have introduced the Separation of Powers Act.

This legislation would prohibit the use of funds for granting deferred action, green cards, work permits, or other immigration relief to people not lawfully present in the U.S.

Most importantly, it would allow Congress to exercise its check on the out-of-control White House that treats the Constitution as a mere suggestion instead of the law. The President says he is not the emperor of the United States, but his actions show otherwise. America doesn't need a king; otherwise, we would have kept King George.

And that is just the way it is.