Floor Statements

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, the House, again, will vote to fund the government, not shut it down. And when we fund the government, we're going to do two things that are in fairness, that do not discriminate against folks:

One thing, we're going to let everybody get a postponement for a year. Why should big business be treated better than the individual citizen? It shouldn't, so let's postpone the whole plan for 1 year.

And also, why should special folks in Washington get exemptions, like the White House, the White House staff, Members of Congress, Members of Congress' staff, leadership staff, committee staff? We should all be under the rules of the law that is passed.

It's interesting, ObamaCare, and Obama is not under ObamaCare, neither is the White House, neither are the Cabinet Members, neither are the staff. Why not? Let's treat everybody alike, not discriminate.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, I posted on my Facebook page the question, How has ObamaCare affected you or will it affect you in the future? I received almost 400 responses. I will just read a few of those. I certainly won't read the ones that were volatile, Mr. Speaker, because a lot of people are just mad.

It is true that about 20 percent of those responses like ObamaCare and about 80 percent, not so much.

Leisa says:

My son was lowered to 29 hours last week for a new full-

time norm because owner doesn't want to pay ObamaCare.

Sharon says this:

My mother is diabetic and couldn't take insulin for 3 days

because she couldn't get her test strip prescription filled

due to a Medicare glitch because of ObamaCare.

Kristy:

My hardworking husband can only find temporary contract

work. No one wants to hire permanent positions, and those

that do have permanent positions are hard to even get an

interview with. I hope it doesn't last long. We have a baby

due in mid-October, and already have three children.

Joseph:

I expect my employer will not be able to afford future

raises due to the enormous expense he has to pay under

ObamaCare.

Victoria:

My husband has not been able to get a job because folks are

not hiring due to ObamaCare. They are actually laying people

off. My parents are elderly and they have three doctors who

have quit medicine because of ObamaCare. So no, Mr. Poe, it

is not the greatest thing ever.

April says this:

Since the implementation of ObamaCare, I have not been able

to find a job. No one wants to hire a permanent position.

Everything is part-time or temporary for all those jobs, and

they also tell me that I'm overqualified. I think the whole

ObamaCare thing needs to be done away with.

Genelle says:

My husband and I are in our seventies. Our copays for

prescriptions have doubled. Our doctor told us that he will

not be able to treat us with the same quality we now get when

ObamaCare goes into full steam.

Mary Lou probably said it the best. She said:

Ted, we pray even more fervently that we just don't get

sick.

Those are some responses of people out there who actually work for a living and are concerned about health care. They're not so sold on this.

So here we are, on this Saturday afternoon, and the President is spending time negotiating with the Iranians about things in Iran. He's spending time negotiating with the Russians about things that are going on in Syria. But he won't negotiate with Congress. I don't get that.

Why doesn't he come over here to the House? Let's sit down on an informal basis and just chat about the problems we have. Is it the idea that the people of Syria and Russia and Iran are more important to talk with than Members of Congress? I don't get it.

Like Mary Lou said, ``ObamaCare: we just don't want to get sick.''

And now, today, we're facing a debt ceiling problem, we're facing a continuing to fund the Federal Government problem, we have ObamaCare that gives special treatment for about 1,200 groups that got waivers. None of these people I mentioned got waivers. Let's talk about those things. Let's find out. And maybe we can work out something. But let's at least talk.

So, Mr. Speaker, you're in good with the President. Give him a phone call. Ask him to come over here and chat this afternoon with the House--the Democrats, the Republicans--and let's work something out about the continuing resolution, about the debt ceiling, but at least let's talk and negotiate and not refuse to talk to even Members of the House of Representatives.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, not all is well in the world. In the 21st century, there is still a fight that must be fought against those bent on killing innocent people. These people's crime? Simply wanting to be left alone and live how they please. In the early morning hours of September 1, Iraqi gunmen raided Camp Ashraf. Camp Ashraf is a camp out in the hinterlands of Iraq where members of an Iranian opposition group used to live after Iran started executing their Members. But 2 years ago most residents were forced to move to a new camp closer to Baghdad and out of over 3,000 people originally at Camp Ashraf, only about 100 remained in the camp on the morning of the attack. By the time the sun came up, they had killed fifty-two unarmed residents and kidnapped seven more. I have seen footage of the attack. Unarmed civilians are running around trying not to get shot while the evildoers systematically gun them down. The evildoers were not trying to talk. They were trying to kill. And they succeeded. A United Nations delegation conducted a visit to the camp the next day and verified that the 52 deceased had ``suffered gunshot wounds, the majority of them in the head and the upper body, and several with their hands tied.'' These people were executed when they had not done anything wrong. They had no weapons. They did not pose a threat to anyone. They were murdered in cold blood. To make matters worse, this isn't even the first time that something like this has happened. Despite repeated assurances by the Iraqi government that they will be safe and protected, since 2012 alone, 113 members have been killed in five separate attacks. It should be clear to all by now that the Iraqi government cannot be

trusted to keep these refugees safe. I have traveled to Iraq several times. On my last trip, I asked Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki to let me visit Camp Ashraf. He refused. It seemed like he had something to hide. Mr. Speaker, there were 7 hostages taken on September 1. All we know is that they are somewhere in Iraq still. If we don't find these hostages soon, it is almost certain that they will be killed in Iraq or taken to Iran and executed. Our government must do everything in its power to secure their release. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, the Affordable Care Act is here to stay, saith the President. But his legacy landmark law discriminates.

The President has arbitrarily granted extensions to Big Business, to some small businesses, and some State exchanges, but ordinary Americans--no extensions for them. I guess special interest groups just have more clout with the President than normal people do. Too bad. Everyone should be treated alike. Postpone ObamaCare for everybody for 1 year. Don't discriminate.

The second place the President's wonder law discriminates is who is subject to this law of the land. The President touts his law as good for America. But why has he granted over 1,200 waivers for special groups--waivers to labor unions, for example? That's not fair--waivers for some, but not for others.

So delay ObamaCare for at least a year for all Americans and either grant waivers for all Americans or put those 1,200 groups back into this bill. It's unconstitutional for the constitutional law professor to wave his wand of exemptions and delay for some but not for others. That's just not fair.

And that's just the way it is.

I thank the gentlewoman, and I thank your mother for being so kind. I appreciate the fact that you're bringing this to the attention of the American public and to Members of Congress again.

The Affordable Care Act, it's not affordable, and it has nothing to do with care. We cannot afford it, and it's the health care of the Nation now turned over to the government.

Are you kidding me?

That's why we are so persistent in trying to change a bad decision by Congress, the Affordable Care Act.

So this morning, I asked people that are on my Facebook to answer this question: How's ObamaCare affecting you and your business?

Share your story with me.

Well, I got a lot of them, and I can't give them all today.

Here's what Stan says:

I lost my job and had to take one with lower pay and no

insurance, as a result of ObamaCare.

Carolyn says:

My husband's insurance increased 162 percent.

The gentlelady from Minnesota knows these are real people. These aren't statistics out there in the fruited plain. These aren't theories by the President. These are real people who are affected by the President's signature legacy nightmare law.

Ray says:

My family didn't get a congressional exemption. Can you get

me one?

Ray, good point. Members of Congress ought to be under the same laws as everybody else in the country. Everybody ought to be under ObamaCare.

And he brings out a good point. I have here 729 exemptions of the over 1,200 that were granted by the President for waivers of ObamaCare. I would have had all 1,200 but the copy machine ran out of paper so I couldn't print them all.

But here are 729 special folks, special treatment, better deal, because they're not under ObamaCare. They get some kind of waiver for implementation of ObamaCare. And Ray is right: it's just not right. It discriminates against everybody else. This great law gets to apply to everybody except some special folks the President gives waivers to--at least 729.

After Ray's comment about a congressional exemption, I can't get you one, Ray. You need to call the President.

Michael says:

I have to postpone my graduation from the University of

Houston because I cannot take the courses I need due to

having to work to pay for mandatory health insurance.

Tonya says:

My family's insurance premiums have tripled since ObamaCare

was signed into law. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be

able to keep it.

Tonya's tripled.

Pam says:

The huge chemical company my husband works for has made

changes to his benefits package, which include higher

deductibles, copays, and loss of some prescription drug

benefits, all done in anticipation of this new law. Please

help.

URGENT: I want to hear from you. How has #Obamacare

affected your family or business? Share your story by

commenting on this post & #MakeDClisten

Stan: I lost my job and had to take one with lower pay and

no ins.

Carolyn: ``My husband's insurance increased 162%.''

Ray: ``My family didn't get a congressional exemption, can

you get me one?''

Michael: ``I am having to postpone my graduation from UH

because I cannot take the courses I need due to having to

work to pay for mandatory health insurance.''

Tonya: ``My families insurance premiums have tripled since

Obamacare was signed into law. I'm not sure how much longer I

will be able to keep my insurance.''

Pam: ``The HUGE chemical company my husband works for has

made changes to his benefits package, which include higher

deductibles, copays, and loss of some prescription drug

benefits. All done in anticipation of the implementation of

the health care act the Pres and Dems are forcing on us! He

works hard, I am a public school teacher, and we want to send

our daughter to her dream school upon graduation this year:

The University of Texas. More coming out of our pockets for

health ins, means less available for college! Please help''

Kristy: ``Family business has had a 47% increase in cost to

company since Obamacare was passed. Want to provide the same

benefits to employees, but the increase amounts to the annual

salary of employee. Will have to cut somewhere.''

David: ``I am a US/Texas citizen, living in Bahrain/

residence in Bahrain. My employer provides my insurance in

Bahrain. I am told I have to buy a US policy are pay a

penalty.''

Huckleberry: ``I expect my health insurance to double. The

provider has extended my renewal date till dec 1st as they

are waiting to see what congress is going to do.''

Teddy: ``My fiancee went from 40-plus hours a week to 27

hrs because her employer said they had to in order to avoid

penalties from obamacare. My sister has been told that her

test and some of medicines for her MS will not be covered

because obamacare mandates say she is no longer going to be a

`viable' person at the age of 50.''

Linda: ``I'm feeling the pain of Obamacare today. My

doctor's office told me this morning that my insurance

company will no longer cover a procedure for my knee. I will

now have to pay $1,080 out of pocket. Asked if this was a

result of Obamacare, she replied in the positive.''

24 Hour Fitness, Allied Building Inspectors IUOE Local 211

Welfare Fund, Alpha Omega Home Health, LLC, Andersen

Corporation, Bowman Sheet Metal Heating & Air-conditioning,

Bricklayers Insurance & Welfare Fund, Bridge, Structural,

Ornamental & Reinforcing Ironworkers Local Union No. 60*,

Carey Johnson Oil Co, Inc, Catholic Charities of the Diocese

of Albany*, Cement Masons' Local No. 502 Welfare Fund, City

of Bloomington VEBA Health Savings Plan*, City of

Burnsville*, City of Olathe*, Clausen Miller PC.

Crystal Run Village, Inc*, Delta Apparel, Discovery

Benefits*, Dr. Trailer Repair, Inc., Employer-Teamsters Local

Nos. 175 & 505 Health and Welfare Fund, Entrust, Fabri-Quilt,

GC Harvesting, Inc., Glen Curtis, Inc. #2143, Heritage

Christian Services, IBEW Local 3 NYC Electrical Division

Health & Welfare Fund, Indiana Area UFCW Union Locals and

Retail Food Employers' Health and Welfare Plan.

Ingham County, Innovative Driver Services Company,

Integrity Data*, Inter-County Hospitalization Plan, Inc.,

Jakov P. Dulcich & Sons, Jefferson Rehabilitation Center, JLG

Harvesting, Inc., Johnson Machine Works, Kent County,

Laborers' District Council of Virginia Health and Welfare

Trust Fund, Laborers National Health and Welfare Fund, Local

1245 Health Fund, Local 237 Teamsters Suffolk Regional Off-

Track Betting Corp. Health and Welfare Trust Fund.

Local 295 Welfare Fund, Local 381 Group Insurance Fund,

Local 805 Welfare Fund, Marble Industry Trust Fund, McGregor

Schools ISD #4*, MJ Soffe, MO-Kan Teamsters and Welfare Fund,

Mounds View Public Schools*, MVP, North State Bank, North

States Industries Inc*, Pathways Inc., Pavers and Road

Builders District Council Welfare Fund, Phoenix Children's

Academy, Roofers Local 8 Insurance & Trust Fund.

San Bernardino IHSS Public Authority, SCC Healthcare Group,

LLP, Schenectady ARC*, Schoharie County ARC*, Sieben Polk Law

Firm, Sitel, Inc., Southern Graphic Communication Health

Fund, Springbrook Standalone HRA*, St. Lawrence NYSARC*,

Sunview Vineyards of California, Inc., Tandem Eastern Inc. /

Consolidated Transport

Systems, Inc., Taylor Farms, Teamsters Union Local # 35, The

Day Care Council/Council of Supervisors and Administrators

Welfare Fund.

The Public Authority of San Luis Obispo County, The

University Financing Foundation, Inc., The Village of Newark

Non-Union Employee Plan*, Theatrical Stage Employees Local

One, Tuff Shed, Inc., U.A. Local 13 & Employers Group

Insurance Plan*, UFCW & Participating Food Industry Employers

Tri-State Health & Welfare Fund, UFCW Local 1500 Welfare

Fund, UFCW Local One Health Care Fund, Ulster Greene ARC*,

Westminster-Canterbury of Lynchburg, Wine and Liquor Salesmen

of NJ, A-1 Transport, AIDS Council of Northeastern New York,

Avon Central School District,

Azeros Health Plans, Inc.*, Benton County*, Bessey Tools,

Inc., Canandaigua City Schools*, City of Eagan*, City of

Shakopee Post-Employment Health Care Savings Account Plan *,

Community Work and Independence Inc., Continuing

Developmental Services, Crystal Cabinet Works, Inc.,

CU*Answers, Inc., Euromarket Designs, Inc., d/b/a Crate and

Barrel, First National Bank of Dietrerich, Franziska Racker

Centers*, Fridley Public Schools Health Savings Plan*, FSA/

SUNYAB-Campus Dining and Shops, Genesee County ARC*.

Genesee County Economic Development Corp Health

Reimbursement Account*, Grand Island Central School

District*, Hammondsport Central School District, Imperial

Wholesale, Inc., Learning Disabilities Association of Western

New York, Minnesota State Retirement System Post-Employment,

Health Care Savings Plan--City of Roseville*, Naples

Central School District, Naples Central School District

Support Staff, Newark Central School District, Niagara-

Wheatfield CSD Self Funded, Panama Central School District,

People 1st Health Strategies, Inc., Pipe Fitters' Welfare

Fund, Local 597*, Ron Clark Construction Health reimbursement

Arrangement*.

Sherman Central School District, Silver Creek Central

School District*, Sodus Central School District, Telco

Construction, Town of Albion, Town of Chenango, Town of

Lockport, Twin City Die Casting*, Western Area Volunteer

Emergency Services*, Westfield Academy*, Williamson Central

School District, American Radio Association Plan, Carpenters

Health and Security Trust of Western Washington, Communicare

Health Benefits Trust, District Council 1707 Local 389 Home

Care Employees Health & Welfare Fund.

Health and Welfare Plan of the Laundry, Dry Cleaning

Workers & Allied Industry Health Fund, Workers United,

Northern Illinois and Iowa Laborers Health and Welfare Fund,

Prell Services, United Food and Commercial Workers Retail

Employees and Employers Health and Welfare Plan, A-1 Realty*,

AABR*, ABCO Diecasters*, Alfred P. Sloan*, Alizio & Galfunt*,

All American Heating and AC*, Allied Pilots Association,

Amherst Central School District*, AristaCare at Meadow

Springs*, Arthur Sanderson & Sons*, Associated General

Contractors of ND Employees*, Autistic Service, Inc.*

Bartech Group, Basf Fuel Cell, Inc.*, Battery Park City

Authority*, Battery Park City Conservancy*, Benefit Analysis

Inc.*, Blaze SSI*, Blue Beacon, Board of Trustees for the

Operating Engineers Local 101, Health and Welfare Fund,

Business Wire*, Cargo Ventures*, Carnegie Corporation of NY*,

Carpenters Local No. 491 Health & Welfare Plan, Central

Laborers' Welfare Fund, Central States, Southeast and

Southwest Areas Health and Welfare Fund, City of Cottage

Grove*, City of Inver Grove Heights*, City Of Roseville MN*.

Clinton Management*, Cloquet Area Fire Department*, Cohen

Partners*, Community Bank of Bergen County*, Community

Mainstreaming*, Contract Cleaners Service Employees Benefit

Trust, Cornerstone Search Group*, D & D Ag Supply and

Construction, Inc.*, Dial Senior Management, Inc, Douglaston

Development*, Dr. Margaret Andrin, MD FACOG LLC*, Dynasil

Corporation*, Echo Molding*, Eighth District Electrical

Benefit Fund, Electrical Workers Health and Welfare Fund,

Enterprise Concrete Products, LLC Texas.

Epilepsy Foundation*, Epilepsy Foundation Northeastern New

York*, Evans Chemetics*, Excellus Health Plan, Fairport

Central School District*, Goodwill Industries of Central

Indiana, Gregory Packaging*, Gulf Coast Health Care,

Handcraft Manufacturing Corporation*, Haver Analytics Health

Waiver*, Health Care Employees Dental and Medical Trust,

Hiawatha Medical, Inc.*, Highfield Gardens Care Center*,

Hirsch International*, Hotel, Restaurant & Bar Employees

Health and Welfare Fund.

Hypex Inc.*, IBEW Local Union No. 126 Health and Welfare

Fund, International Union of Operating Engineers,

Supplemental Benefit Fund Local 409*, Interstate Connecting

Components*, Jacobson Family Investments*, J-B Wholesale Pet

Supplies*, JKL International*, Jump, Scutellaro, and Co.,

LLP*, KC International dba Ekman Recycling*, Kerwin

Communications*, Kingstown Capital Management*, Koellman Gear

Corporation*, Kramer Electronics*, Lakeview Subacute Care

Center*, Langan Engineering and Financial Services, Inc.*,

LBDD*, League of Minnesota Cities*, Leisure Properties LLC d/

b/a/ Crownline Boats*.

Liberty House Nursing Home*, Lifetime Assistance, Inc*,

Lincoln Hall*, Local 888 UFCW, Maharishi University of

Management, Mamiya America Corporation*, Mandt Reiss &

Associates PLLC, Margaret P. Muscarelle Child Dev. Center*,

Merrill Farms LLC, Micelli Motors, Inc.*, Midwest Asphalt

Corporation*, Midwest Teamsters, Monroe County*, Nassau

County Chapter, NYSARC, Inc*, NCHC, Inc.*, New York State

Assn. for Retarded Children Erie Co.

Chapter dba/Heritage Centers*, NJ Society of CPAs*, North

Greece Fire District*, Northern Minnesota-Wisconsin Area

Retail Food Health & Welfare Fund, Ogontz Avenue

Revitalization Corporation*, Parkview Care and Rehab*, PCB

Machining Solutions*, PCB Piezotronics*, Philadelphia

Macaroni Company*, Phoenix Partners Group, LP*, Privilege

Underwriters, Inc.*, Progressive AE*, Quadrant Capital

Advisors, Inc.*, Regency Management Group, LLC*, Rhoads

Industries*, Roofers Local #96 Health & Welfare Fund.

Rowe and Company, Inc.*, Rush-Henrietta Central School

District HRA*, Security Benefit Fund of the Uniformed

Firefighters Association of New York City, SEIU Health and

Welfare Fund, 2000 Seneca Cayuga ARC*, Service Employees 32BJ

North Health Benefit Fund*, Sierra Video Systems*, SMEG*,

Strategic Industries*, Superior Officers Council Health and

Welfare Fund, Teamsters Local Union 966 Health Fund, Techno

Source USA*, The Alternative Living Group, Inc.*, The Arc of

Otsego (Otsego County Chapter NYSARC, Inc.)*, The Arc of

Rensselaer County*, The City of Cloquet*, The Henry Luce

Foundation*, The Maritime Aquarium of Norwalk, Inc.*

The Pew Charitable Trusts*, The Rehabilitation Center*, The

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation*, Topco*, Totino Grace High

School*, Urstadt Biddle Properties*, W.H. Reaves & Co.,

Inc.*, Walder, Hayden & Brogan, PA*, Walters-Morgan

Construction, Inc., Wellspring Advisors*, West Bergen Mental

Healthcare*, Westchester ARC*, Westchester JCS*, Western

Beef*, Hollow Metal Trust Fund. Theatrical Teamsters Local

817 IBT Welfare Fund.

Vestal Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc., AccessAbility,

Inc., Ackerman Oil Employee Benefit Trust, Albany County

Chapter, NYSARC Inc., DBA New Visions of Albany*, American

Eagle Outfitters, Basin Disposal, Bengard Ranch, Inc.,

Bestway Rental, Inc, Big Lots, Inc., Byrd Harvest, Inc.,

Cardinal Hayes Home for Children HRA Plan*, CDS

Administrative Services, LLC, Center for Energy and

Environment*, City of Brooklyn Park*, D'Arrigo Bros. Co. of

California, Defender Services, Inc., DineEquity, Inc.

Green Leaf Distributors, Inc., IBEW Local Union No. 728

Family Healthcare Plan, Joseph Gallo Farms, Life Benefit

Plan, Luther Automotive Group HRA*, Metrics Inc., Nueces

County Appraisal District, Ocean Properties Ltd, P-R Farms,

Inc., SEIU Health & Welfare Fund, Sports Arena Employees'

Local 137 Welfare Fund, Staywell Saipan Basic Plan, Truck

Drivers and Helpers Local 355 Health and Welfare Fund,

Communications Workers of America, Local 1180 Security

Benefits Fund, Health and Welfare Fund of the Detectives'

Endowment Association, Inc. Police Department City of New

York.

Man-U Service Contract Health and Welfare Fund, Paschall

Truck Lines, Inc., SEIU Local 300, Civil Service Forum

Employees Welfare Fund, Electrical Welfare Trust Fund,

Highmark West Virginia Inc. d/b/a Mountain State Blue Cross

Blue Shield, Advocacy and Resource Center*, Amalgamated,

Industrial and Toy & Novelty Workers of America, Local 223

Sick Benefit Fund, Atlanta Plumbers & Steamfitters Fringe

Benefit Funds.

Aurora Consulting Group, Inc.*, Brock Enterprises, Inc.,

Central Texas Health and Benefit Trust Fund Locals 520, 60 &

72, Electricians Health, Welfare & Pension Plans I.B.E.W.

Local Union No. 995, Essex County Chapter NYSARC, Inc. dba

Mountain Lake Services*, Executive Management Services, Inc.

Florida Laborers Health Fund, Fulton County Chapter NYSARC,

Inc.*, General Parts, LLC*, Greystone Program, Inc*, Hacienda

Harvesting, Inc., IBEW Local No. 640 and Arizona Chapter NECA

Health & Welfare Trust Fund, Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie,

Louisiana Electrical Health Fund, Maverick, Inc. Employee

Health Care Benefits Plan, Memphis Construction Benefit Fund,

Mid-South Carpenters Regional Council Health and Welfare

Fund, Mountain Lake Services, NECA-IBEW Local 480 Health and

Welfare Plan, Plumbers and Pipefitters Welfare Fund of Local

Union No. 719.

Retiree Plan of the Central States, Southeast and Southwest

Areas Health and Welfare Fund, Richmond Community Services*,

Sheet Metal Workers Local No. 177 Health and Welfare, Pension

and Vacation Funds, Sheet Metal Workers' National Health

Fund, South Central Laborers' Health & Welfare Fund,

Southeastern Pipetrades Health & Welfare Fund, Telamon

Corporation Health Reimbursement Arrangement*, The ARC of

Delaware County*, UFCW Local 1262 and Employers Health &

Welfare Fund, United Cerebral Palsy of Ulster County, Inc*,

Vincent B Zaninovich & Sons, Inc., Wayne ARC Standalone HRA

Section 105 Plan*, Wildwood Program*, Allied Welfare Fund.

Becker County Post-Retirement Health Care Savings Plan*,

Becker County VEBA*, FIDUCIA*, Triple-S Salud, Inc., B. R.

Company, Britz Companies, ET AL, Century Health and Wellness

Benefit Plan and Trust, EBSA Foundation Encore Enterprises,

Faurecia USA Holdings, Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, Inc.,

Minnesota Cement Masons Health and Welfare Fund, Plumbers

Local

Union No. 690 of Philadelphia and Vicinity Health Plan,

Robert Heath Trucking Inc., Securitas Security Services USA,

Inc., Sunwest Fruit Company, Inc., The Louis Berger Group,

Inc.

United Food & Commercial Workers Unions and Employers

Midwest Health Benefits Fund, WD Young & Sons, Inc., Atlantis

Casino Resort Spa, United Food and Commercial Workers and

Employers Arizona, Act Trust Mini-Med Plan, Allen's Family

Food, Anderson Media Corporation, Blasters, Drillers & Miners

Union Local No. 29 Welfare Fund, Care Initiatives, Inc.,

Cement and Concrete Workers District Council Welfare Fund

Plan, COARC*, Construction Workers Local 147 Welfare Fund,

Crystal Run Healthcare, Diamondback Management Services, LTD,

Freeman Metal Products, Hardwick Clothes, Inc., Hronis, Inc.

International Union of Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers,

Isaacson Isaacson Seridan & Fountain, LLP, Katy Industries,

Inc., Landscape, Irrigation and Lawn Sprinkler Industry

Health and Welfare Plan and Trust, Local 298 Health Benefit

Fund Plan, Local 803 Health and Welfare Fund, Louisiana

Laborers Health and Welfare Fund, M.A. Mortenson, Maple Knoll

Communities, Marshall Durbin Food Corporation, Minnesota

Teamsters Construction Division, Name Brand, Inc., Oklahoma

Goodwill Industries, PepsiCo, Inc., Plumbers & Pipefitters

Local Union 823 Health & Welfare Fund, Plumbers &

Steamfitters Local No. 6 Health and Welfare Fund, Regent Care

Center, Rice Food Markets, Inc., Rice Food Markets, Inc.

Ricker Oil Company, Skilled Health Care, Southwestern

Teamsters Security Fund, Teamsters Local 445 Welfare Plan,

Teamsters Local 210 Affiliated Health and Insurance Fund,

Teamsters Welfare Fund of Northern New Jersey Local 1723, The

Durango Herald, The Talbots, Inc., Town of Frisco Medical

Plan, Tudor Ranch,

UNITE HERE Local 74 Welfare and Dental Trust, United

Employees Health Plans, United Food and Commercial Workers

Union Local 1000 and Kroger Dallas Health and Welfare Plan,

United Service Employees Union, Local 377, RWDSU, UFCW,

WageWorks, Inc.

IBEW Local 613 and Contributing Employers Family Health

Plan (Union), Advantage Benefits Company, LLC, Aerospace

Contractors' Trust**, AJFC Community Action Plan**,

Altisource Portfolio Solutions, American Heritage Life

Insurance Company, Americare Properties, Inc., AMN

Healthcare, Andrews Transport L.P.**, Anoka Hennepin Credit

Union* **, APWU Health Plan Conversion Plan, Aspen

Snowmass**, ATCO Rubber Products, Inc, Baylor County Hospital

District, Belk Farms**, Bricklayers Local 1 of MD, VA and DC,

Cardon & Associates, Inc**, Catholic Charities of the Diocese

of Ogdensburg.

Central Mills**, Civil Service Bar Association Security

Benefit Fund**, Cotton Belt Inc.**, CPC Logistics Health &

Welfare Plan**, Delmarva United Food and Commercial

Workers**, Dole Food Company**, EchoStar**, First Acceptance

Corporation, Fontanese Folts Aubrecht Ernst Architects, PC**,

Forest Products Inc. Group Health Plan**, Fruhauf Uniform

Direct Labor, Golden State Bulb Growers, Inc.**, Greater

Kansas City Laborers Welfare Fund**, Grower's Transport LLC,

Heartland Automotive**, Helfman Enterprises, Inc.**, Hoosier

Stamping and Manufacturing Corp., Horizon Bay Realty LLC**,

I.B.E.W. Local 1249 Insurance Fund**, Ingomar Packing

Company, LLC.

Integra Healthcare, Inc. (Integrity Home Care)**,

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers**,

International Brotherhood of Trade Unions Health and Welfare

Fund--Local 713, International Union of Operating Engineers

Local 295-295C Welfare Trust Fund**, International Union of

Operating Engineers, Local Union Number 137**, Iron Workers

Local Union #28 Health and Welfare Fund**, Lamanuzzi &

Pantaleo**, Living Resources**, Local 1102 Amalgamated

Welfare Fund, Local 1102 Health & Benefit Fund, Local 1102

Welfare Fund--Lerner Employees, Local 272 Welfare Fund**,

Local 338 Affiliated Benefit Funds, Madelia Community

Hospital**, Max Homes, Loc**, Medical Development

Corporation**, Mesa Air Group**, Mesa Packing** Michigan

Conference of Teamsters Welfare Fund**, Minnesota and North

Dakota Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers**.

Mission Linen Supply, NFI Industries, Operating Engineers

Local 835 Health and Welfare Fund, Opportunity Resources,

Inc. Health and Welfare Plan, Orange County AHRC* **,

Orscheln Industries, Pacific Risk Management**, Pearson Candy

Company, Pinnacle PRM**, Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 430

Health and Welfare Fund**, Progressive Logistics Services**,

Pure Air Filter Sales & Service**, Rancho Maria PRM**, Reiter

Affiliated Companies**, Retail, Wholesale & Dept. Store Union

Local 1034 Welfare Fund.

Rio Farms PRM**, Sensient Technologies Corp., Service

Employees International Union Local 1 Cleveland Welfare Fund,

SFN Group, Sheet Metal Workers Funds of Local Union 38**,

SMWIA 28**, Southeast OBGYN, PC* **, Southern CA Pipe Trades

Trust Fund, Southern Operators Health Fund**, Stonebridge

Hospitality Associates**, Sun Healthcare Group, Inc.,

Teamsters Local 522 Welfare Fund Roofers Division, Teamsters

Local Union 72 Welfare Fund**, Telesis Management

Corporation, Texas Carpenters and Millwrights Health and

Welfare Fund, The Mentor Network, The Wada Farms, Inc.

The Wilks Group, Inc. dba Ashley Furniture Homestore, The

Wright Travel Agency**, Town of Grand Island* **, Trans-

System, Inc., True Leaf Farms**, UFCW Local 371 Amalgamated

Welfare Fund**, United Crafts Benefits Fund**, United Food &

Commercial Workers Unions and Employers Local No. 348 Health

& Welfare Fund**,

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1445 New

Hampshire, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1459 and

Contributing Employers Health and Welfare Fund**, United Food

and Commercial Workers Local 464a**, United Food and

Commercial Workers Local 911**, Varsity Contractors, Inc.,

Waffle House, Weckworth Manufacturing**, Western Express,

Inc., Western Harvesting PRM Health Plan**, WG Yates and Sons

Construction Company**, World Class Automotive**, Yukon-

Kuskokwim Health Corporation**, Alaska Pipe Trade U.A. Local

367 Health and Security Trust**, Amalgamated National Health

Fund.

American Farms, PRM Health Plan**, American Growers

Cooling, PRM Health Plan**, AUTO, LP, dba AutoInc. Health

Benefit Plan**, Better Way Partners, LLC**, Big Valley Labor,

PRM Health Plan**, CB Harvesting, PRM Health Plan**, City of

Rockwall**, Cocopah Nurseries, Inc., Express Harvesting, PRM

Health Plan**, Fallen Oak Packing, PRM Health Plan**,

FirstCarolinaCare Insurance Company on behalf of Longworth

Industries, Foot Locker, Inc.**, Fresh Express, G&H Farms,

PRM Health Plan**, Gill Ranch, PRM Health Plan**, Gill

Transport, PRM Health Plan**, Gills Onions, PRM Health

Plan**, Green Valley Farm Supply, PRM Health Plan**,

Greencroft Communities, Growers Express, PRM Health Plan**,

Hall Management Group, Inc.**, IH Services**, Independent

Group Home Living Program, Inc.

King City Nursery, PRM Health Plan**, Meijer Health

Benefits Plan/Primary Care Option, Mission Ranches, PRM

Health Plan**, Moore's Retread & Tire of the Ark-La-Tex,

Inc., NOITU Insurance Trust Fund**, Payroll Solutions,

Plumbers and Pipefitters Local No. 630 Welfare Fund, Seco

Packing, Transcorr, United Food and Commercial Workers Union

Local 1000, United Wire, Metal & Machine Health & Welfare

Fund**, Western Growers Assurance Trust, Wisconsin United

Food & Commercial Workers Unions and Employers Health Plan**,

1199SEIU Greater New York Benefit Fund, A. Duda & Sons, Inc.,

Adecco Group, Inc., Biomedic Corporation, Buffets, Inc.

Carington Health System, Cleveland Bakers Teamsters, Club

Chef LLC, Columbia Sussex Mgmt, LLC, CRST International Inc.,

Darr Equipment, Co., DC Cement Masons Welfare Fund, Deaconess

Long Term Care, Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc., ECOM

Atlantic, Inc., FW Walton, Inc., G4S Secure Solutions, GC

Services, L.P. & First Community Bancshares, Inc.,

Guardsmark, LLC, Indiana Teamsters Health Benefits Fund, Knox

County Association for Retarded Citizens, Laundry and Dry

Cleaning Workers Local No. 52, Mars Super Markets, Inc., MPS

Group, Inc.

Nexion Health, Noodles & Company, Pharmaca Integrative

Pharmacy, Quality Integrated Services, Inc., RE Rabalais

Constructors, LTD, RREMC LLC, Security Forces Inc., Shirkey

Nursing.

Social Service Employees Union Local 371, Spindle, Cooling,

& Warehouse, Strauss Discount Auto, Sunburst Hospitality,

Susser Holding Corp, Telescope Casual Furniture, Teletech

Holdings, Inc., The Brinkman Corporation, The LDF Companies,

United Food and Commercial Workers Union (Mount Laurel, NJ),

United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1459 Universal

Orlando, Valley Services, Inc.

United Food and Commercial Workers and Participating

Employers Interstate Health and Welfare Fund, Protocol

Marketing Group, Sasnak, Star Tek, Adventist Care Centers,

B.E.S.T of NY, Boskovich Farms, Inc, Cafe Enterprises, Inc.,

Capital District Physicians, FleetPride, Inc., Gallegos Corp,

Hensley Industries, Inc., Jeffords Steel and Engineering,

Laborers' International Union of North America Local Union

No. 616 Health and Welfare Plan, O.K. Industries, Service

Employees Benefit Fund, Sun Pacific Farming Coop, SunWorld

International, LLC.

UFCW Allied Trade Health & Welfare Trust, United Food and

Commercial Workers Union Local 1995, HCR Manor Care, IBEW No.

915, Integra BMS for Culp, Inc., New England Health Care

Employees Welfare Fund, Wiliamson-Dickie Manufacturing

Company, Aegis Security Insurance Company, Alliance One

Tobacco, Asbestos Workers Local 53 Welfare Fund, Assurant

Health (2nd Application), Captain Elliot's Party Boats,

Carlson Restaurants, CH Guenther & Son, CKM Industries dba

Miller Environmental, Caribbean Workers' Voluntary Employees'

Beneficiary Health and Welfare Plan, Darden Restaurants,

Duarte Nursery.

Employees Security Fund, Florida Trowel Trades, Ingles

Markets, Meijer, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Plumbers & Pipefitters

Local 123 Welfare Fund, Sun Belt, UFCW Local 227, Uncle

Julio's, United Group, US Imaging, Vino Farms, AdvantaStaff,

Inc., Agricare, Alaska Seafood, American Fidelity,

Convergys, Darensberries, Gowan Company, Greystar, Macayo

Restaurants, Periodical Services, UniFirst, Universal Forest

Products, UFCW Maximus Local 455, American Habilitation

Services, Inc., GuideStone Financial Resources, Local 25

SEIU, MAUSER Corp., Preferred Care, Inc.

Ruby Tuesday, The Dixie Group, Inc., UFCW Local 1262,

Whelan Security Company, AMF Bowling Worldwide, Assisted

Living Concepts, Case & Associates, GPM Investments, Grace

Living Centers, Mountaire

Corporation, Swift Spinning, Belmont Village, Caliber

Services, Cracker Barrel, DISH Network, Groendyke Transport,

Inc., Pocono Medical Center, Regis Corporation, The Pictsweet

Co.

Diversified Interiors, Local 802 Musicians Health Fund, MCS

Life Insurance Company, The Buccaneer, CIGNA, Greater

Metropolitan Hotel, Local 17 Hospitality Benefit Fund, GSC-

ILA, The Allied Industries Health Fund, Harden Healthcare,

Vernon Sheltered Workshop, Inc. Health and Welfare Plan #501,

I.U.P.A.T., Sanderson Plumbing Products, Inc.

Transport Workers, United Federation of Teachers Welfare

Fund, Aegis, Aetna, Allflex, Baptist Retirement, BCS

Insurance, Cryogenic, Fowler Packing Co., Guy C. Lee Mfg.,

HealthPort, Jack in the Box, Maritime Association, Maverick

County, Metropolitan D.C. Paving Industry Employees Health

and Welfare Fund, PMPS-ILA, PS-ILA, QK/DRD (Denny's),

Reliance Standard, Tri-Pak, United Agricultural Benefit

Trust.

I appreciate the gentleman yielding some time.

Earlier this morning, I was reading some emails and Facebook posts on my Facebook from people with the question that I asked: How does ObamaCare affect you? We ran out of time earlier this morning. Unlike the Senate, we can't talk until we're through talking, as you know.

I'm going to read a few more of those in the next few minutes from some of these folks that I received comments from in my district and people on Facebook this morning.

Tonya told me:

My family's insurance premiums have tripled since ObamaCare

was signed into law. I'm not sure how much longer I will be

able to keep it.

Pam says:

The huge chemical plant my husband works for has made

changes to his benefits package, which include higher

deductibles, co-pays, and loss of some prescription drug

benefits--all done in the anticipation and implementation of

the health care act. He works hard, I am a public school

teacher, and we want to send our daughter to her dream school

upon graduation this year: the University of Texas.

Mr. Gohmert and I may have a disagreement on that. Anyway, they want to send their daughter to the University of Texas, and she continues:

More coming out of our pockets for health insurance means

less available for college. Please help.

Shannon says that because of ObamaCare:

Premium doubled, all co-pays went up. So I had to change

employers because of the law.

Brandy:

I am the finance manager for a non-profit company with 16

employees. We may not be able to offer health insurance next

year.

Linda, who I went to high school with said:

I'm feeling the pain of ObamaCare today. My doctor's office

told me this morning that my insurance company will no

longer, they have in the past, cover a procedure for my knee.

I will now have to pay $1,080 out of pocket.

Asked if this was a result of ObamaCare, she replied in the positive.

Also, TRICARE won't cover it and my doctor dropped Medicare

coverage. Expensive.

Matthew says, I'm an outlaw now. I'm a subcontractor, and I just can't afford ObamaCare.

Kristin:

If I could afford insurance, I would already have it. This

forces me to buy something I can't afford.

Jenn says this:

Deductible went up, co-pay went up, I have thyroid problems

and have to have it tested one to two times a year. Insurance

always covered the test. No longer covers it. I'm still

trying to figure out the ``affordable'' part of the health

care when my costs keep getting higher.

Here's what Kristy says about her family business:

Family business has had a 47 percent increase in cost to

company since ObamaCare was passed. Will have to cut

somewhere.

David:

I am a U.S./Texas citizen living in Bahrain/residence in

Bahrain. My employer provides my insurance in Bahrain. I am

told I have to buy a U.S. policy or pay a penalty.

And Teddy, the last one, presents a rough situation for people he cares about:

My fiance went from 40-plus hours a week to 27 hours

because her employer said they had to in order to avoid

penalties from ObamaCare. My sister has been told that her

test and some of the medicines for her MS will not be covered

because ObamaCare mandates say she is no longer going to be a

``viable'' person at the age of 50.

These are real people who have contacted me today about the effects of ObamaCare. Contrary to what the folks on the other side have said for the last hour, it's not all great for a lot of Americans. It's a tough piece of legislation. It affects people's health. It affects them financially. This law turns over America's health to the Federal Government. There's got to be a better way.

I appreciate the gentleman from Tyler yielding me some time.

Mr. Speaker, the President says he will negotiate with Syria over chemical weapons. He is negotiating with the Russians about negotiating with the Syrians over nuclear weapons. He has offered to talk and compromise with Iran over nuclear weapons--but the President it seems says, I will not negotiate with those in the House of Representatives. No compromise on the debt. I will not negotiate with America.

Too bad the President is more interested with negotiation and compromise with Russia, Syria, Iran, and now the United Nations than he is in working with Members of the House of Representatives and the American people to keep the government from shutting down.

It has been mentioned today of this philosophy of ``my way or the highway.'' Well, that's the President's philosophy. It's my way, says the President, or it's the highway.

He won't talk to us about it because he is out campaigning about how ObamaCare is really good for the Nation. He is driving the train wreck of stubbornness which will lead, and has led, to chaos in America.

Come home, Mr. President. Let's sit down and talk and negotiate about what we are going to do over the debt limit and the continuing resolution.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Ms. Sinema from the State of Arizona for her holding the last Special Order, bipartisan, to talk about this terrible plight that has happened to our veterans. Twenty-two veterans a day, Americans, commit suicide. So I thank the gentlewoman for bringing that to the attention of the House and to the American public. That's an issue that we will continue to work on in a bipartisan way to help our veterans.

I would like to, Mr. Speaker, at this time, yield to the gentlewoman from the great State of Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen).

Reclaiming my time, I want to spend some time talking about what I think and believe has become a scourge--a scourge not only in America, but in other parts of the world.

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to be in the Ukraine. I was there on some energy issues, and I came in contact with that scourge that I will talk about today.

The Ukraine, because of its location, because of its former Soviet connections, and because of its high poverty, has a problem that a lot of countries do--and that's human trafficking. I'm not talking about people going from one country to another legally or even illegally. I'm talking about people

being trafficked to other locations for sex slavery. The Ukraine is just one of many countries where this seems to be occurring.

One scenario is that young Ukranian women looking for jobs--and people from foreign countries come to the Ukraine--they promise them a job in another country and that they will be paid a lot of money if they will go to this country and work doing whatever. They buy into that. They go to that other country, and they are forced into sex slavery. There, they are in a situation that is awful. Many of them never get out of it. The only way to get out, for some of them, is to get someone else convinced to replace them in this scourge.

The Ukraine is not the only country. It's not even one of the primary countries. But it's just one.

And so I learned about that, and I learned about the situation and what they were doing in the country of Ukraine in trying to educate young girls about this issue and how this was a trap that they could get themselves involved in.

Recently, I had the chance to be in Central America for several reasons. One was about terrorism, narcotics trafficking, drugs, et cetera. But I also came upon a situation in Central America in the nation of Costa Rica that's a little different, but not really that different than what's taking place in Europe and in North Africa, and that is the plight, once again, of sex slavery, sex trafficking.

In all of Costa Rica, there is one shelter for minor sex trafficking victims. It is called Salvando Corazones. If my Spanish is correct, that means ``saving hearts.'' It's run by an American lady who went down to Costa Rica for other purposes, found this problem, and just decided to stay. Maria is doing, I think, a tremendous job saving hearts. I call her the Mother Teresa of Central America. Her story is unbelievable--what she is doing to rescue young girls out of this sex slavery, sex trafficking that is taking place domestically in Costa Rica.

So I and Congresswoman Janice Hahn, a Democrat from California, spent a Sunday afternoon--it was supposed to be about an hour--talking to these folks at this shelter. We spent the whole afternoon talking to these girls about their plight, what had happened to them, and what Salvando Corazones and Maria are trying to do to treat them and help them get back into a life. Because many of them had no life.

Let me explain it further.

Prostitution in Costa Rica is legal for adults. Minor prostitution is illegal. Prostitution, generally, is legal in Costa Rica. And they attract a lot of foreigners to that country, for a lot of reasons, but this is one reason: for sex tourism. People from other countries and people in Costa Rica take advantage of the legal prostitution system. And that's a debate for Americans to have at another time.

But what occurs is that once that phenomenon starts, it's an easy move for a pimp to sell a child into prostitution. Even though they're working with legal prostitution, which is also sometimes sex slavery, it's easy to move into using children.

And I asked as many people as I could--the people in the government, the people at the shelter--to tell me who these foreigners are that come to this nation for sex tourism. And they all really just told me the same thing: it's Americans. It's primarily Americans--Europeans and other countries as well--for the legal prostitution.

But then you have these young girls that get caught in this system that are sold into trafficking by everybody that comes in contact with them. Sometimes it's their own family members. And so this shelter run by Maria tries to rescue these young girls and salvage their lives and, as the saying goes, save their hearts.

I have a lot of examples. Time doesn't permit for me to go but only an hour. We can't have filibusters in the House of Representatives. But during this hour I just want to mention some of the situations and try to focus on how sex trafficking, human trafficking of children, affects Americans and what may be some things that we need to be aware of. And I have changed all the names of these girls because I respect their privacy.

Abigail was born in Miami. Her father was a Costa Rican. Her mother was from New York. At the age of 5, Mr. Speaker, her father began sexually assaulting her. At 8, she had her first injection of heroin to keep her quiet during sex. She was removed from public school and kept out of school because teachers were getting suspicious.

Then, at the age of 11, she was sent by her father to Costa Rica so he could have her shared with other people. Generally, the family members. She got pregnant twice and decided that if all she was good for was sex and the people who really loved her treated her this way, she might as well turn to prostitution. So she did.

She started when she was 11. She was eventually found at a bus stop, apparently strung out on drugs, barely hanging onto life. She was rescued by this organization and treated with the dignity that she deserved. And the process now is a success story. After she was home- schooled by Maria, she began the healing process. And now she's older, she's sober, and she's married, and a child is on the way. That's a success story of someone that was put into international sex trafficking.

At the age of 5--another 5-year-old--Diana was sold by her mother for a cell phone in Costa Rica. She was sold every week, for over a year, until somebody saw the problem and complained to the government. She was actually raised thinking this was a normal lifestyle for a 5-year- old. The staff at Salvando Corazones rescued her, and they're working with her today. I had the chance to meet her. A remarkable person.

Felicia was raped by her stepfather, gave birth at 13 to her brother's child, and is now pregnant again at 16. She was sold by her stepfather to someone who wanted to put her to work on the streets. Her stepfather thought, this is easy money for me to sell my stepdaughter on the streets of Costa Rica. She recently was rescued and is at this safe house.

Of course, we need to understand that these girls are tough. They're tough victims to work with. If you talk to anybody, including the numerous groups in the United States working especially with these young women, they're hard victims. They're mad at the world. They have a lot of hate and anger. Of course they do. Who wouldn't, being treated this way from a mere infant?

And so I just want to make it clear to Americans that these victims are hard to work with. Understandably, we can see why they are in the situation that they are in.

Why have they become victims? The reason, Mr. Speaker, boils down to one word: demand. There is the demand to abuse these young girls for money. And the demand being money--the pimp sells the girl so he can get money--and the demand being the customer.

There's three people in this scenario. There is the trafficker that goes around trafficking these young women either domestically or internationally. On the other end is the victim. And she is a victim. She is not a criminal. She is not a prostitute. She's forced into this conduct.

But in the center is the person who demands that service and is willing to pay for it. I'm going to spend the rest of my time mentioning the demand and what needs to be done about that.

Beatriz, she was just 14 and was brought to Costa Rica from Nicaragua, an internationally trafficked child, to work in a home, similar to the young lady that I mentioned in the Ukraine--promised a job in another country. She's going to help her family, good person, but she's trapped once she gets into that foreign country and that is not what she's going to get as a job. But that's what she was promised, that you could get a job in Costa Rica. You're from Nicaragua, you're poor, you don't have any money; I've got a job waiting for you in Costa Rica.

So she goes, had the thought of helping her family out, and instead she was trapped into sex trafficking and forced into prostitution. She was sold in hotels, brothels, and luxury condos, and she had to have sex with men up to 17 times a day for money. She was gang-raped by foreigners, she was tortured into compliance by her pimp, and she was drugged so that she would comply. That is slavery, Mr. Speaker, forced slavery in the name of money.

There was a young mother from Mexico named Alma. She came to the

United States to work in 2009. She, like many others who come here looking for a better opportunity, wanted to help her family. She paid a coyote to help her cross the border into my home State of Texas. Her ultimate destination was South Carolina, but the coyote wanted to stop in Houston for some other business. Alma arrived at what she thought was a safe house in my congressional district, in an area of what is called Spring Branch. She later discovered that this wasn't a safe house at all. She said it was a living hell--the home of the leader of a human trafficking ring in Houston, Texas.

Alma and some others that had been trafficked were all told that they had to give the trafficker information, because the information they gave was about their families so the trafficker could hold them for ransom because they were kidnapped. The trafficker made the ransom calls to the families demanding money. The problem was, with Alma, her family had no money. She was held in that safe house as a hostage, in that prison--living hell--and she was sexually assaulted numerous times.

The family, like I said, could not afford to pay any money, and so the trafficker used her as a sex slave. She was sold to customers who had the demand for that activity. Eventually, though, she was arrested, and she was glad she was arrested. Law enforcement did a good job--went after the trafficker, got him, got Alma and rescued her. She believed that she would have been killed or certainly further abused had she not been rescued by the police. Other than the name, it's a real person, real victim, trafficked internationally into the United States.

Unfortunately, many victims are not rescued. Some certainly are not rescued very quickly at all, and they face the daily abuse of being a slave.

Who are the individuals that traffic these victims? Well, they cover a lot of individuals. You have the drug cartels, for example, and the criminal gangs. They traffic young women, and they do it for money as well.

The thing about using a sex slave, there's more money involved in sex slavery than there is bringing drugs into the United States. I mean, you bring drugs into the United States, it's a one-time deal. You get the money. As the bad guy, you're gone, you're captured, you go to prison. I used to be a judge. I sent a lot of them to prison. But with sex slavery, the trafficker has the ability to use the slave more than once, and there's a lot of money. And the risk of what punishment may happen to the trafficker is really less than in selling drugs.

So you have the drug cartels. You have criminal gangs, like the one I mentioned with Alma. You have individuals doing this. You have family members doing this, either trafficking these kids in their own country or moving them to foreign countries.

And it's happening worldwide, Mr. Speaker. It's not just happening in a handful of countries. I don't know the estimate of the number of people human trafficked throughout the world, but the numbers are staggering from what I do hear.

I'd like to mention one other person from Texas. Cheryl grew up in an abusive home. She was sexually and physically abused by her father. Her mother left when Cheryl was young to escape the abuse by this abusive male. So at the age of 12, Cheryl ran away. Some of these victims turn out to start as runaways from home. She began hitchhiking with truck drivers and anyone else that would take her. This led her to end up being with a motorcycle group, a biker club, and she was taken advantage of by those individuals.

One of those individuals became a trafficker. So what happened to her, after she left home at 12, she was forced to dance at a strip club by day, and then at night she was sold on the streets. She was in this world of human trafficking. She was not a criminal; she was a victim. We need to make sure that's understood. She had no idea how to get any help because of the abuse that the trafficker would instill on her if she tried to leave.

It actually happened that she was performing at a strip club and one of the patrons figured out she was not an adult. She was 15 by then, after all these 3 years of abuse. One of the patrons helped her escape.

There's a long road to recovery and restoration, but Cheryl's a survivor, and she has personally founded the Mission at Serenity Ranch to help other victims of human trafficking.

So those are some examples, Mr. Speaker, of some real individuals.

When Ms. Hahn and myself were visiting those young girls in Costa Rica, their shelter, like I said, is the only one in the country. It's up in the mountains. It's hard to get to. We complained a little bit--I did--about the rough road, the dirt road going up into the mountain to visit this shelter. After visiting with those girls, we didn't complain anymore about the rain, the roads. When we left, we just thought about those girls. I call them girls because they were girls; they're minors. I believe the youngest one that I talked to that day was 10 and the oldest was 13.

When we left, all we could talk about--we didn't really talk much at all--was about the plight of how here we are in the year 2013, how humanity maybe has progressed in some areas, but in the area of slavery, sex slavery, it's maybe getting worse. It has become a scourge.

So, does it just happen in other places? No, sir, it does not. I've already mentioned Houston. Houston, because of its location, is one of the hubs in the United States for sex trafficking. It's close to the Mexican border, the Gulf of Mexico. It's an international city. Young girls are brought there, and adult women, and trafficked to other parts of the United States.

So what happens? Well, the police will raid a prostitution ring, let's say. They will arrest the trafficker, the pimp. They will arrest the victim, even though, in many cases, she was forced into prostitution. They put the victim in the criminal justice system-- usually the juvenile justice system, but it's still the criminal justice system. They go to jail.

And here's one of the reasons why--and I'm not faulting the police, because I know a lot of police officers and a lot of them that work in this area; tough assignment. But, Mr. Speaker, there's no place to put them. There's no place where that police officer can take that 12-year- old trafficked victim that has been forced into prostitution, either domestically or internationally. There is no place to put them at all.

I understand from SPCA that there are about 5,000 animal shelters in the United States. That's great. I have dalmatians. I've gotten dalmatians from Operation Rescue, from a shelter, from the SPCA, so I think that's a good thing that we've got those shelters for animals.

But in the United States, for minor sex trafficking victims, there are 226 beds. That's it. That's all there is. So the police officer often doesn't have a place to take this victim, a minor sex trafficked victim, except put them in jail for their safety and for other purposes.

You can see a lot of problems with putting them in jail. First, they have a criminal record even though they are not a criminal at all. They're forced into this. So that doesn't make them a criminal. That makes them a victim. They have a criminal record. They're put in the criminal justice system. Once they're in the criminal justice system, they stay in the criminal justice system because there's no place to put them.

I will put into the Record the statistics I have obtained of the 226 beds for minor sex trafficked victims, where it comes from, different organizations, Shared Hope, et cetera.

Shelters for Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Victims in the U.S.

According to a provider survey conducted by Shared Hope

International, ECPAT-USA, and the Protection Project in

conjunction with Children at Risk as part of their 2012

National Colloquium on shelters and services, there are 226

beds for domestic minor sex trafficking victims in the U.S.

According to a survey conducted by Polaris Project from

January-June 2012, there are 348 beds in the U.S. designated

specifically for sex trafficking victims.

There are about 5,000 community animal shelters nationwide

according to the ASPCA.

So that is a problem we need to work on--finding places to put them when they are rescued--and having a mindset changed in this country that we as Americans see this situation in three parts:

We see the trafficker;

We see the demand, the customer--I'll get back to that person again in a minute;

But we see this third person as a prostitute, no, but a victim, yes, and treat them as a victim, and we can go a long way helping stop this problem of the scourge of human trafficking.

So I've introduced legislation, bipartisan legislation, with Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat. Carolyn Maloney has been working on this trafficking issue before I was ever in Congress. But we've introduced the End Sex Trafficking Act, along with Kay Granger from Texas, Rick Nolan, and Kristi Noem in the House. On the Senate side, it's bipartisan as well. Senator John Cornyn and Senator Amy Klobuchar have the same bill in the Senate.

What does it do? Well, let me mention this. The United States spent about $25 million in 2010 on domestic antitrafficking. The United States spent $85 million on international efforts to stop human trafficking. Yes, there is more for international trafficking issues, helping those, than there is in the United States, $25 million.

That is a number, but in the big scheme of things, what is $25 million? Well, I understand a Predator costs $25 million. The United States spent $25 million teaching pottery classes in Morocco. About $25 million was given to Pakistan for their schools. I'm just saying how much $25 million is. It's not a lot of money, but that's how much money was spent in the United States in 2010 on this issue.

So what we want to do is to expand that amount of money. I'll show you how we are going to do it without raising taxpayer money. But specifically talking about the End Sex Trafficking Act that we've introduced.

Here's what the Federal law does. If the trafficker, a bona fide human trafficker gets caught, Federal law is tough. These Federal judges, God bless them, they are really nailing these traffickers, as they should. I mean, they are the scum of the Earth, these people that sell little girls--and boys too--for sex slavery.

On the other end, of course, we are not doing a whole lot to find homes, shelters, for the young girls. But the person that escapes, really, prosecution is the person in the middle--the customer. So what we have done in this bill, the End Sex Trafficking Act, we are going after the customer, the demand, because as I mentioned earlier, that is the root of all this evil, is that there is the demand for it. All we do is we apply the same Federal laws to the trafficker to the customer--sure there has got to be a Federal nexus. Interstate commerce has got to be involved. We are talking about only Federal cases, we are not talking about State cases--so that the demand is decreased by punishment because, as we all know, we've seen the reports of when a prosecution ring is busted somewhere, not involved in trafficking necessarily, you find out the name of the pimp and how careful we go out of our way to protect the identity of the person that's the customer. Well, those days are going to end if we get this legislation because those customers are going to be able to be punished under the law for buying sex, giving that money to a trafficker to have sex with minor children in the United States. So that's what we do in this bill. The days of ``boys being boys,'' they're gone, hopefully. We can make sure that they are gone by making sure that they're held accountable for the actions that they chose to voluntarily do.

As I mentioned, I used to be a criminal court judge in Texas. If I had my way and I was writing the law the way I thought it would be best to stop the demand, these people who are convicted, they would not only go to jail--you talk about having photographs on the Internet--we would have the photograph of the customer, the person that abused the child that had been sold into sex slavery. That would slow that down. It would slow the demand down if we started publicizing who those people were if they were convicted. If there was no demand, there would be less supply. The demand is the answer, I think, Mr. Speaker, into going in after stopping the scourge on the United States and other countries.

There are over 100 organizations that support this bipartisan legislation. I would like to put the names of these 100 organizations into the Congressional Record.

That's the first step: hold a person who buys this girl--this crime-- accountable for their conduct.

But let's go back to the victims of the crime. The victims of the crime need help as well. In fact, that should be our first priority, rescuing those victims. I told you about how many shelters there are in the United States, or beds, less than 300 beds for minor sex trafficking victims exclusively. We need places to take these young women primarily and help them regain some life because life had been stolen from them.

How do we do that? I mentioned to you we spend $25 million a year on domestic sex trafficking victims, about $85 million a year, foreign countries receive that. We are introducing soon the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act. Once again, Carolyn Maloney from New York-- bipartisan--is the cosponsor in the House. I mention ``bipartisan'' for a lot of reasons. This is a bipartisan issue. But Carolyn Maloney, she and I don't see a lot alike on a lot of issues. I mean, we disagree on a lot of things. We don't even speak the same language. I mean, she's from New York, I'm from Texas. We need an interpreter when we talk to each other.

But this issue it is an American issue. I appreciate the work she's done, and others on both sides, on focusing in on trying to solve this problem. And once again, John Cornyn in the Senate is leading the efforts over there.

So what we are going to do on this legislation is try to fix current law, a law that was first originated, I think, by Chris Smith from New Jersey years ago.

Let me explain to you the problem with this. When a victim from another country is trafficked into the United States--and let's use a girl, a young girl--because she is from a foreign country, and she is trafficked internationally into the United States--and if she is rescued she is able to receive certain services from Health and Human Services--she can be certified as a human trafficking victim. Once she receives that certification that she is actually a trafficking victim, there are certain services available to her, but only to international victims.

So this law will say, look, we are going to treat international victims, yes, help them, but if it's a domestic victim they're going to be able to receive those same services, and shelters will be able to receive those same services as an international trafficking victim. So once they can obtain certification that they are a trafficking victim, then they can apply and receive those same services as well.

But also we want to be able to have funding for the shelters that we need throughout the country. Mr. Speaker, I'm not going to talk to you about raising taxes--that's not the issue--or even taxpayer money.

How are we going to come up with some money for grants for these nonprofits throughout the country that are really doing as good a job as they can but are short on money? Well, let's go back to the courthouse. We have got people that are coming down to the courthouse that are being convicted of being involved in human trafficking. We get the customers involved in punishment, as well as the trafficker.

This legislation would require that these criminals pay rent on the courthouse. They'll pay for the crime that they have committed, the system they have created. Not just with going off to the penitentiary, the Do Right Hotel, but they are going to pay into a fund--$5,000 will go into a fund. This fund then will be money that will be open for grants, going through the grant process of the Federal Government, for nonprofit organizations and other organizations, other government entities, to receive for funding to help the victims.

The money is needed. We are spending $25 million. Let's get some more. Let's punish those criminals, make them pay for it, go to prison, hold them accountable, pay the fine. And, of course, the fine would come after restitution. There will be restitution to the victim. Federal judges know how to do all of those things. Then the money would go into the fund that would go to trafficking victims, similar to the VOCA fund concept that was used or began several years ago where criminals generally in Federal Court pay into a crime victims compensation fund. That money then goes to crime victims. But this would be a special

fund that those people convicted of those dastardly crimes would be required to pay into.

That's the basis of the bill. Let's try to get a grip on this issue-- hold people accountable, hold the trafficker accountable, hold the person that is the customer accountable, and then rescue the victim and treat her with the dignity that she deserves as a human being and get them out of that slavery that they have been trapped into. We will soon introduce that legislation in the House and in the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, this conduct that I have talked about I would hope would concern Americans. As I mentioned, I spent a lot of time at the courthouse in Houston, first as a prosecutor, 22 years as a criminal court judge, saw a lot of victims of crime, a lot of children, a lot of those cases, many of these cases, were crimes that were sexual assault.

Sexual assault cases are a unique type of case, Mr. Speaker. Sexual assault cases against minors have a dramatic impact on the minor. Sexual assault against minors that have been trafficked into slavery, I don't know of anything worse because of the repetition of the crime that is committed against that child.

These traffickers, when they commit these crimes, these assaults, on young women primarily, boys as well, or older adults who are still forced into prostitution, that is a sexual assault, it is a crime. When a person commits the crime of sexual assault against another, it is more than a physical crime. It is a crime where the perpetrator tries to steal the soul, the very life, the very heart of the victim, and sometimes, Mr. Speaker, they are successful.

That is why sexual assault is such a horrific crime, because it goes after the inner being of the victim. That's why it ought to bother us that that occurs. It ought to bother us that what's taking place in other parts of the world--whether it's in Europe, central South America, and in the United States--against children, it ought to make us mad so that we can do something about it and hold people accountable.

Congressman Jim Costa and myself--a Democrat from California and I-- started the Victims' Rights Caucus several years ago in 2005, bipartisan, to try to help victims of crime. We have a lot of Members on it--almost 100. We are focusing on this issue of minor sex trafficking victims in the United States, and in other countries, to try to get them rescued--to take them to shelters like Mario runs in Central America, the same type.

When Ms. Hahn and I were there at this shelter talking to these girls they were happy to see us--really happy to see Ms. Hahn. She just has that personality. You know, I'm kind of a grumpy old guy from Texas. They were pleased that somebody actually cared about them, and they made us things. I have a bracelet that a young girl made for me--Ms. Hahn has one too. They tied it on our wrist. I get a lot of things. I have 10 grandkids. They make me things. I wear this bracelet for a lot of reasons. One, because a child gave it to me that had just horrible things happen to her in her life.

It is important for us--with all of the issues we've got to deal with here in Congress in the United States--that we get back to some basics about how other people in this country are treated. When they are not treated right we need to be upset about it. In this case, we need to hold people accountable for doing things to kids.

We can do that. We can make things better--treat victims like they're victims, hold criminals accountable, stop the demand for minor sex trafficking by putting those folks in jail, making them pay into a fund that goes to grants that will end up in the hands of shelters that try to help these kids, and some other things.

Awareness is very important. It has been said by a lot of people over the years that when we are judged, either as a Nation, Congress, country, we are not judged by the way we treat important folks, we are not going to be judged by the way we treat the rich, the famous, the powerful.

We are going to be judged by the way we treat the poor, the unfortunate, the elderly, children, and victims of human suffering.

I hope we are judged well.

I hope we see the American conscience raised to a level of: this is important. Children are important in this country, and those who have had bad things happen to them, we're going to be concerned about it and not just walk over, as the Good Book says, on the other side of the road and pass them by.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

American Association of University Women (AAUW), American

Bar Association (ABA), Americans Overseas Domestic Violence

Crisis Center, Araminta Freedom Initiative, Attorney General

of Texas Greg Abbott, Aware, Inc., Breaking Free, Coalition

Against Trafficking in Women Child Justice, Inc., Child

Welfare League of America, Children's Advocacy Institute-

Sacramento, Children's Assessment Center-Houston, Children's

Defense Fund, Children at Risk, Council on Church Financial

Integrity.

County Welfare Directors Association of California,

Courtney's House, Covenant House International, Crittenton

Services for Children and Families, Division of Indian Work,

Erik L. Bauer, Attorney at Law, WA, Empire State Coalition of

Youth and Family Services, End Child Prostitution and

Trafficking-USA Equality4Women, Equality Now, Florida

Coalition Against Trafficking, Foster Family-based Treatment,

Association Fraternal Order of Police, Futures Without

Violence, Georgia Women For a Change, Inc., Girls for Gender

Equity.

Give Way to Freedom, Harris County, TX Sheriff Adrian

Garcia, Heartland Girls Ranch, Human Rights Project for

Girls, Illinois Victims.org, Innocents at Risk, International

Association of Chiefs of Police, International Initiative to

End Child Labor, Jesse Duplantis Ministries, Jewish Women

International, Junior League of Seattle, Lakewood Church,

Lauren's Kids, Lutheran Social Services of New England

MaleSurvivor.

Maryland Human Trafficking Taskforce, Men Can Stop Rape,

Minnesota Alliance on Crime, Minnesota Indian Women's

Resource Center, Minnesota Indian Women's Sexual Assault

Coalition, Multnomah County, OR Department of Community

Justice, Nancy O'Malley, District Attorney, Alameda County,

CA, National Alliance to End Sexual Violence (NAESV),

National Association for Children's Behavioral Health,

National Association of Council for Children, National

Association of County Human Services Administrators, National

Association of Police Organizations, Inc., National CASA

Association, National Center for Housing and Child Welfare.

National Children's Alliance, National Coalition Against

Domestic Violence, National Council of Juvenile and Family

Court Judges, National District Attorneys Association,

National Domestic Violence Hotline, National Network to End

Domestic Violence (NNEDV), National Network for Youth (NN4Y),

National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA), National

Organization of Women, National Task Force to End Sexual and

Domestic Violence, New Media Company, New York State Anti-

Trafficking Coalition NOMI Network, PACE Center for Girls.

People Against Violent Crime, Perhaps Kids Meeting Kids Can

Make a Difference, Pierce County, WA Coalition Against

Trafficking, PROTECT, Sanctuary for Families, Saving

Innocence, Sensibilities Prevention Services, Sex Trafficking

Survivors United, Shared Hope International, Sheriff Marlin

Gusman, Sheriff of New Orleans Sheriff Thomas Dart, Cook

County Illinois Sheriff Southeast King County, WA Coalition

Against Trafficking, State Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles,

Washington District 36.

State Senator Sandra L. Pappas, Minnesota District 48 and

President of Senate, Street Grace, Susan D. Reed, District

Attorney, Bexar County, TX, Texas Association Against Sexual

Assault (TAASA), Texas CASA, The Advocates for Human Rights,

The Center for Children & Youth Justice The Demand Project,

The Family Partnership, The Freedom Center of New Orleans,

The National Crittenton Foundation, The NYC Association of

Runaway, Homeless, and Street-Involved Youth Organizations.

The Protection Project, The Women's Center of Tarrant

County, The Women's Foundation of Minnesota, To Love Children

Educational Foundation International, Inc., Washington

Engage, Witness Justice, World Hope International, World

Vision International, YouthCare youthSpark/A Future. Not A

Past.

Mr. Speaker, the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty signed by this administration today is an attempt by Third World countries to control guns worldwide, including personal firearms in the United States.

Under the section of ``scope,'' the treaty indicates that covered weapons include small arms and light weapons. The language is so broad that nations are expected to track all weapons movements from the time they are manufactured until the time they are destroyed.

The language is vague so that the treaty could be interpreted to restrict the ability of the United States to help its allies, like Israel.

The U.N. treaty allows government regulations to be imposed to collect data on gun owners. The treaty presents a clear and present danger to the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution.

This is another attempt by this administration to control firearms of individual Americans. The constitutional professor is letting the U.N. override the Second Amendment and destroy individual liberty.

The President took an oath to the United States Constitution, not the U.N. Charter.

And that's just the way it is.

I thank the gentleman.

Madam Speaker, a single mother in Houston, Texas, wrote me this letter:

The Affordable Care Act is affecting my family. I am a

single mother. I have raised five boys on my own. I currently

work two jobs to keep up with my monthly mortgage and utility

bills. This is because my primary employer would not hire me

to work more than 29 hours per week thanks to ObamaCare. Now

I have to work 7 days a week at two jobs to make ends meet.

While I am thankful I have these jobs, I am unable to

provide supervision and guidance I feel my son needs and

deserves to be successful. I had to make a tough decision

that I did not want to make. My son is now living with

relatives in another city. I am depressed that ObamaCare has

begun to tear my family apart and also has put an unhealthy

burden on me.

Madam Speaker, real person, real tragedy. It's time to free Americans from the shackles of ObamaCare. Defund ObamaCare and tell the Senate to do the same.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, it was 2010 when Australian John Naismith traveled to Vietnam, a country rich with history, to teach English. During his fascinating time there, Naismith explored an old abandoned airstrip where the Battle of Khe Sanh took place in 1968. It was one of the bloodiest, most violent, and longest (January-July) battles of the Vietnam War between the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the Americans--primarily U.S. Marines, Soldiers, and Airmen and South Vietnamese soldiers. In this mountainous, rainy, hot region of the former South Vietnam, Naismith discovered an old discolored aluminum dog tag shining lightly underneath the dirt. He picked it up. He held the dog tag in his hand, looked curiously at it, and wondered about the history of it.

The war had ended long ago; life started all over again for many. The area of the battle had changed. A museum had been built where the battle was once fought. But a dog tag remained where it was left behind--for 43 years--presumably belonging to an American Marine, likely a casualty of the Vietnam war.

It represented someone's past. It wasn't something that Naismith could put down. He carried it with him in hopes of putting together an image of a young American warrior who had worn the dog tag into the battle of Khe Sanh. Thus the search for history of the dog tag began.

The U.S. entered into the Vietnam War to prevent Communist North Vietnam from taking over South Vietnam. However, the number of U.S. casualties grew significantly during the war. Some Americans never returned home. Some returned with the wounds of war. Those wounds were both physical and mental. Until the war in Afghanistan, Vietnam was the longest war in U.S. history.

American bodies of the fallen and wounded were sometimes difficult to identify, so every member of the military wore, as their fathers had done in previous wars, dog tags. In Vietnam, one tag was put around the neck and the other laced onto the boot. The dog tags listed the American's initials, last name, blood type, serial number, gas mask size, and religion--everything anyone would need to know in order to identify the individual who fell in battle.

But this dog tag found 43 years later . . . to whom did it belong? Was the warrior dead or alive? Naismith was determined to find out. His first source was the United States Government, but after months of looking, it could provide no clues where the owner of the tag was or if he was alive or dead. Naismith poured through casualty lists and could find no record of the individual who owned the dog tag. He had hit a wall.

The Government continued to search its own records. Meanwhile, Naismith left Australia and traveled to the U.S., where he found others interested in finding out what had happened to the U.S. Marine. Naismith met up with his friend Charlie Fagan, owner of Good Time Charlie's Motorcycle Shop, in California. Motorcycle shops like Charlie's were aware of numerous motorcycle groups made up of old ``war horses'' from the Vietnam War. Naismith told Charlie the story of the dog tag and his two-year quest to find the dog tag's owner. Charlie knew of Tanna Toney-Ferris, a woman who worked intensely with Vietnam vets on numerous issues, including locating them. So, using social media, Tanna told the story of the dog tag. The dog tag saga spread rapidly across several online social networks and websites. Finally, in June 2013, ``Sparky'' in Florida posted the following message to an online Marine network: ``[H]elp me locate the owner of the USMC Vietnam Veteran's dog tag. [ . . . It was] found in Khe Sanh Vietnam 2 years ago by an Australian teacher. The name is L.P. Martinson. His name is NOT on the WALL, so he made it out of Vietnam.''

Finally, half way around the world in Afghanistan, Marine Staff Sergeant Joshua Laudermilk, on active duty, saw the post, called Information, and obtained Martinson's phone number. He then contacted Martinson by phone. The Marine had finally been located.

U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Lanny P. Martinson, from Minnesota, was a part of the Khe Sanh Battle of South Vietnam. On June 4, 1968 his leg was blown away during the fighting. The 23-year-old Marine was carried off the battlefield and immediately taken to surgery. When he woke up, he did not realize neither of his dog tags were with him. Time passed and Lanny Martinson dealt with his war wounds best he could. He became successful in construction management in Minnesota. He worked until the VA granted him

100% disability in 1998 and he took up art and portrait painting. Four years ago, he and his wife Delphine moved to Texas.

When his daughter Bobby was 16 in 1998, she asked Martinson for his dog tags. She admired her warrior father and wanted the tags to wear to show he was part of the rare breed of Vietnam fighters. Martinson looked in his ``war chest'' and was surprised that they were not there. He surmised that the dog tag on the boot had been destroyed and the other tag was left behind on the battlefield. His guess had been right. It remained on that same battlefield for 43 years, until Naismith found it.

On August 20, 2013, Naismith and some of the other searchers got on motorcycles, left California and headed east--to Sugarland Texas. They took L.P. Martinson's dog tag with them. Three days later--45 years after Martinson was wounded in battle--Martinson and Naismith met for the first time at Martinson's home. The day after they met, a special ceremony was held in Missouri City, Texas, in honor of Sergeant Lanny P. Martinson, United States Marine Corps. More than 100 people attended the event, including motorcycle club members, Vietnam vets, citizens, and City Councilmember Danny Ngyuen--who was a young child living in South Vietnam during the war. Naismith presented Martinson the dog tag that had been left behind.

The Australian teacher and the U.S. Marine--now friends--plan to travel to Vietnam together. They will visit the battlefield of Khe Sanh where Martinson and his buddies valiantly fought, where he was wounded, and where a dog tag . . . was left behind.

Lanny Martinson intends to bequeath his dog tag to his daughter.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, in developing countries, access to clean water isn't as easy as walking over to the kitchen faucet.

Communities suffer and die from diseases they contract from bad water. And in their search for life's basic need, they put themselves in harm's way.

In Third World countries, women walk miles to wells to find clean water; but some wells are controlled by criminals who brutally assault these innocent women right in front of their own kids. And then they must then buy the water.

We have the ability to help these countries that don't have access to clean water. We can help them dig wells, for example. That's why Congressman Earl Blumenauer and I have introduced the Water for the World Act. This bill uses existing taxpayer money more effectively by making water available and a priority in Third World countries.

I'd like to thank Congressman Blumenauer for his relentless efforts, and the groups who advocate for Water for the World.

No one on Earth should be assaulted just to obtain clean water on a daily basis.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, it seems the administration has finally made up its mind and will arm the Syrian rebels. Never mind Syria is in the messy midst of a civil war. That involvement is not in the national security interest of the United States.

The other rebel groups include foreign mercenaries, criminals, and, in my opinion, half are al Qaeda operatives. That includes al Qaeda from the state of Iraq and al-Nusra, an al Qaeda terrorist group. The last I heard, Mr. Speaker, the United States is at war with al Qaeda.

There is no way our government can prevent the guns sent to Syria from getting into the hands of al Qaeda rebels. The administration constantly and conveniently goes out of its way to keep Americans from possessing firearms, but it seems to be enthusiastically delighting in running guns into other countries--to groups like drug cartels in Mexico, rebel groups in Libya and al Qaeda in Syria.

Odd gun policy, don't you think, Mr. Speaker?

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, the United States is considering sending missiles into Syria. Also, CIA-funded weapons have begun flowing to Syrian rebels.

The rebels are made up of the Free Syrian Army, al Qaeda, and others. It seems the Free Syrian Army is liberating areas, and al Qaeda comes in behind and imposes strict Islamic shari'a law in those territories. Al Qaeda is a terrorist group that is at war with the United States.

Richard Engel, with NBC, interviewed Abu Abdul Rahman, one of the thousands of al Qaeda fighters in Syria. In the interview, Engel asked Rahman this question:

The United States is considering launching military strikes

against Syria. Would that help you?

Rahman replied:

We have a prayer: ``Allah, please annihilate our enemies by

other enemies.'' Assad is an enemy and America is an enemy.

Let them fight.

Madam Speaker, in this civil war, why would we ever consider getting involved by launching missiles into Syria or arming the rebels, which include our enemy, al Qaeda?

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker:

In Libya, al Qaeda cousins, as I call them, the Ansar al-

Sharia, claims responsibility for the murder of our U.S.

Ambassador and three others. It's no coincidence that these

two attacks occurred nearly at the same time, and they both

occurred on September 11.

In the past, the United States has always held and went

after those that were responsible for this type of conduct.

In 1998, when the Kenyan Embassy was attacked and Americans

were killed, we responded. Of course, we responded on

September 11. We responded after the first World Trade Center

bombing. Then, in 1996, when 19 American soldiers were

murdered in Saudi Arabia, we responded.

Madam Speaker, the United States must always respond to

terrorists, and we must let them be reminded again and again

we will respond in an appropriate manner, as we did on

September 11. We must respond today, and we must respond

tomorrow. I am encouraged that the President will soon

address the Nation on what our response will be.

We must hold those responsible personally accountable

because we must let people understand that they need to leave

us alone. That is what the message needs to be. We must have

justice in these terrorist attacks by these individuals

against Americans because, Madam Speaker, justice is what we

do.

Mr. Speaker, that was the speech I gave on this House floor 1 year ago. September 12, 2013, was when it was given. But it has been 1 year since the attack in Benghazi, Libya; and we still have no answers.

Today, as we remember those who were murdered 12 years ago on September 11, 2001, in New York, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon, young and old, from countries all over the world, we should also remember those four Americans murdered 1 year ago in Benghazi, Libya. We went after those first 9/11 killers--as we should. America had resolve, as it usually has had in our history. But the Benghazi killers run free today.

Mr. Speaker, it is ironic that the greatest power that has ever existed, with all our vast resources of military, CIA intelligence, the NSA intelligence, the FBI, we can't capture some killers who killed Americans in Benghazi, Libya. When the media can go and talk to them and have them on television, we can't even find them, capture them, and bring them back to justice. It's been a year. What does that tell the families, what does it tell Americans, when we haven't been able to accomplish this capture of terrorists? We know that Ansar al-Sharia was involved. I said that the day after this murder occurred last year on this House floor.

So today, I filed the Ansar al-Sharia Terrorist Designation Act of 2013. It says, ``Ansar al-Sharia is a terrorist organization, and we must use all resources available to go after these killers.'' We must label them as terrorists and deal with them appropriately.

We're not sure about United States policy today in the Middle East. We don't know what the current U.S. policy is about Americans killed overseas. All we get is a lot of words. Even the White House Press Secretary said, ``Well, Benghazi was a long time ago.'' It seems like more is said than done in the Benghazi episode.

Our enemies continue to test us because they no longer fear us, Mr. Speaker. The world no longer knows where America stands when we are attacked, either at home or abroad, not our allies, not our enemies, and not American citizens.

The President is concerned about Syrians being killed by Syrians. I wish he was just as concerned about Americans being murdered by terrorists in Benghazi, Libya. The administration needs to go after these terrorists by any means necessary and bring them to justice and restore our credibility with the American people, because justice is what we do in this country.

And that's just the way it is.