Floor Statements

I thank the gentleman from Iowa for yielding some time. I want to address the House on a different issue tonight, but I do appreciate the time and letting me be off the subject that he was going to, and will, talk about momentarily.

Mr. Speaker, as you know, there are people in Boston--and really around the world, and in the United States especially--trying to recover from the terrorist attack that took place in Boston. The Richard family laid their 8-year-old boy to rest, as did other families. As a father of 4 and a grandfather of 10, no parent or grandparent ever wants to see a child die in their youth, especially being murdered the way this young lad was.

But meanwhile, in the halls of academia, Richard Falk, a professor and an official with the United Nations Human Rights Council, he blamed the terrorist attack on what he claims is American global domination-- and on the country of Israel, of all things. What an absurd comment for this so-called ``intellectual'' to make. The vile comments come only 2 years after he personally was reprimanded by the United Nations for promoting fantasy-like 9/11 conspiracy theories.

Mr. Speaker, why is Richard Falks still employed by the United Nations Human Rights Council?

Can someone please explain why the United States also continues to be the largest funder of the United Nations, which gives radical wingbats like Falk a platform to spew their hate and anti-American rhetoric? I don't think the United States should be bankrolling the United Nations Human Rights Council. Let them find somebody else to foot the bill for this international institute of ingratitude.

It's time for the elitist, uninformed like Mr. Falk to go, and it's certainly time for the United States to stop funding the Human Rights Council. We don't need to pay people like Professor Falk to hate America. People like him will do it for free.

Meanwhile, let's try the Boston terrorists for their crimes against America; hold them accountable for murder. And don't try to blame America for the murder of America's children. Blame the killers.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, last week Americans across the fruited plain filed their taxes with everyone's favorite government agency--the IRS, or the Internal Revenue Service, as it is called. But the IRS' job is just beginning. Now they will put their police hats on.

Recently, Mr. Speaker, I learned something disturbing that most Americans probably are unaware of. Let's say

the IRS decides to snoop around and secretly investigate a citizen named Joe and his taxes. Right now, the government can go to Joe's email provider, demand his email records, and check on his finances that are stored in the cloud, all without Joe's knowledge or consent.

Government agencies have the authority to snoop around through private emails and photos as long as they are 180 days old, no warrant required. How is this possible? Well, it's called the outdated Electronic Communications Privacy Act, ECPA. ECPA was passed back in 1986, the stone age of technology, when most Americans didn't even own a home computer, much less use email or store things in a cloud.

Today we have tweets, g-chats, texts, instagrams, emails and, yes, the cloud. The world of 1986 is gone, and it has been replaced by a world with free, instant, unlimited email storage, high-speed broadband, and cloud computing.

Americans keep many of their most personal possessions online indefinitely: family photographs, schoolwork, sensitive communications, financial records, business plans, personal calendars, and even weekend shopping lists.

In other words, Big Government can force a private company to turn over private information of a citizen, without their consent, without a warrant, and without that person's knowledge. This circumvents the Fourth Amendment's prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures of Americans' ``persons, houses, papers, and personal effects.''

Government should get a warrant if it has probable cause to believe a crime is being committed. Technology may have changed, but the Fourth Amendment still applies to the Internet.

The government can't tap our phones without a search warrant. It can't read our mail without a warrant or enter our homes or search our records that we keep in file cabinets. If a person stores information in a bank safety deposit box, the government must get a warrant to go through it.

But ECPA authorizes the government to read emails and social media messages or any property stored in the cloud, without a warrant and without evidence that someone is engaged in criminal activity.

Mr. Speaker, that's an invasion of privacy and an affront to the liberty of every American. Why should the law treat digital data stored in the cloud differently than papers stored in a file cabinet or property in a safety deposit box? It really is no different.

The law must be updated to protect every citizen's right of privacy from the government. Government's unrestricted authority to demand private information stored in the cloud will kill cloud computing by destroying confidence in U.S.-based services and driving businesses to other countries which actually have stronger privacy protections for people who use the cloud. That's what the CEO of Data Foundry, a Texas- based data services provider, has warned. Companies will take their business to other shores that protect personal privacy.

Mr. Speaker, this is the United States. We were founded on the ideals of universal liberty and the right of privacy. That's why Representative Zoe Lofgren and I have introduced bipartisan legislation to modernize the outdated ECPA. Our bill protects Internet users from intrusive and unwarranted Big Brother surveillance.

The bill requires the government to show probable cause and obtain a search warrant to access electronic communications, just as it would to tap somebody's phone or go through somebody's mail or look in their safety deposit box.

The government would need a warrant to compel service providers to produce documents stored in the cloud and to intercept or demand disclosure of personal location information generated by cell phones.

As technology continues to evolve and improve, Congress must ensure that the Fourth Amendment rights of citizens are protected, even today, with the Internet. The IRS and other government agencies should not be allowed to violate the Fourth Amendment right of privacy. Technology may change, but the Constitution does not.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, it was around 8 p.m. last night, as the sun was setting, when in the historically Czech community of West, Texas, families were finishing up supper and winding down the day. Suddenly the tiny town of 2,600 was shaken by a massive explosion at the nearby fertilizer plant, equivalent to 2.3 on the Richter scale. The fiery blast was so strong that it was described by West Mayor Tommy Muska ``like a nuclear bomb going off.''

My daughter and her family were in church in Mexia, Texas, about 50 miles away, when they felt the shock. In fact, three firefighters from Mexia took off then and were headed straight for the town of West. Homes were set ablaze and flattened to the Earth. The senior citizens home has disappeared. Many citizens in the town were trapped in their homes. Others were stranded on the streets, covered with blood and no place to go.

When disaster struck, first responders, firefighters, EMS volunteers, and citizens traveled from all over Texas, headed to the town of West. For those of us in Texas, this is not a surprise. Texans always take care of Texans. In fact, so many firefighters came to West that officials said there were too many, and no more assistance was needed.

Mr. Speaker, hundreds of people are injured. Up to 70 are feared dead. Many are unaccounted for as the police go door to door looking for survivors. So as the misty rain settles on the town of West, our prayers go out to the people of this wonderful community.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, as we approach April 21 this year, that is a day of importance to those of us who are from Texas.

April 21, in Houston, when I was growing up, was a holiday. My mother, who was also born on April 21, used to tell me and my sister that we had a school holiday because it was her birthday. I didn't learn that that wasn't really correct until I got to seventh grade Texas history, when I learned that April 21 was to commemorate a battle that took place in Texas, which we now call San Jacinto Day.

Most Americans have never heard of that, but that event, April 21, 1836, is of historical significance, not only to Texans, but really to all Americans.

Texas was first controlled by the nation of France up until 1689. And then the Spanish Government, country, took over the control of what we now call Texas and controlled it for over 130 years until 1821--1690 to 1821.

The nation of Mexico revolted against Spanish oppression, and in 1821 became a republic of itself, and Texas belonged to Mexico until 1836. Texas declared independence on March 2, 1836. And then we had April 21, 1836, the day of the Battle of San Jacinto.

Well, let me back up a little bit and explain why Texas revolted against Mexico, how it became an independent country for 9 years and then later joined the United States.

Mr. Speaker, here is a map of what Mexico looked like in about 1821 after Mexico had revolted from Spain. It all happened because of the person who took charge of Mexico. His name was Santa Anna.

Santa Anna became President of Mexico in the 1820s and quickly made himself dictator of Mexico. He was supported by the military. He became the military dictator. He abolished the constitution of Mexico. He abolished the Congress of Mexico, and not all of the people in Mexico approved it. In fact, 11 different states in Mexico revolted against this dictatorship.

A lot of times in Mexican or world history, we don't talk about the other revolts in Mexico because of this dictator, because of this tyrant, but it did happen. Eleven states revolted. Those are on this map.

This map shows what Mexico looked like in 1821. The red portions are several of the states that revolted against the dictator, Santa Anna. They were: San Luis Potosi, Queretaro, Durango, Guanajuato, Michoacan, Yucatan, Jalisco, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, and Coahuila de Tejas, which also included Texas. These red areas revolted against Mexican rule.

Santa Anna, being President and Commander in Chief, quickly assembled his professional army and started putting down rebellions in Mexico. In fact, three of these areas claimed to be countries. There was the Republic of the Yucatan. Here is the Yucatan Peninsula, which we have all heard about. There was the Republic of the Rio Grande. And then, of course, there was the Republic of Texas, all claiming independence from the tyrant.

In fact, there was a portion of this revolution that almost succeeded in the interior of Mexico. The Zacatecas area had as good an army as Santa Anna, but their rebellion was put down quickly by Santa Anna. In fact, it was put down so brutally that other areas of the republic began to tremble. So, after these areas were put down in rebellion, Santa Anna moved his army north into what we now call Texas.

The events in Texas occurred simultaneously with all these independent revolts, but this is the event that triggered it. It happened in October of 1835--Texas, a part of Mexico. The small town of Gonzales, Texas, had a cannon that they used to protect themselves from the Apaches, the Karankawas, and other Indian tribes. The Mexican Government decided they would take the arms of the Texians, as they called themselves; they would take the cannon. So a Mexican militia showed up, or a Mexican army showed up at Gonzales demanding return of the cannon and a skirmish ensued. Guns were fired, and the Texas Revolution was on.

For your information, the Mexican Government was not successful in starting or taking that cannon.

It's interesting to note that the Texas Revolution started, the first battle started, because government tried to take away the arms of the citizens. Interesting enough, you go backwards to Lexington and Concord, if we remember our American history, the British marched to Lexington and Concord, started the battle in the American War of Independence, and the reason: the British Government tried to take the arms, the firearms, of the colonists. They were not successful. And the same event triggered the Texas Revolution. In fact, it was called the ``shot heard 'round the world.''

But, in any event, the battles and skirmishes occurred. It started in October of 1835 in this area of Texas, San Antonio area primarily.

A group of Texans--really, they were volunteers from all over the United States, almost every State in the United States, a half a dozen foreign countries--had assembled themselves, 187 of these individuals, along with 11 Tejanos. ``Tejano'' is a uniquely Texan name for Texans of Spanish descent. And those 187 volunteers found themselves in an old beat-up Spanish church that was 100 years old at the time, that we now call the Alamo.

They knew, of course, that Santa Anna had crossed into the United States, or into Texas, across the Rio Grande River and was headed straight for the Alamo. Those defenders, rather than leave, they decided to stay. They knew, of course, that they would not be able to defend and protect the Alamo very long, because Santa Anna's Army was several thousand strong versus 187 Texans.

They were led by one of my most famous or favorite persons in all of history, a 27-year-old lawyer from South Carolina named William Barret Travis. He was the commander of those volunteers at the Alamo. For 13 days they held off the Mexican army; and we've heard the story in the history of the Alamo, how they withstood the onslaught for 13 days.

Travis asked for help, for people to come to the Alamo. No one came to help him except 32 volunteers from, yes, the town of Gonzales. And while he was behind those Alamo walls, he wrote probably the most famous letter written by any military leader in our history. It was dated February 24, 1836. I have a copy of this letter on my wall, as do many Texans that represent Texas in the House of Representatives. I think it's a call to freedom and liberty in the spirit of our ancestors.

He said:

Fellow citizens, I am besieged by 1,000 or more of the

enemy under Santa Anna. I have sustained a continual

bombardment and cannon fire for over 24 hours, but I have not

lost

a man. The enemy has demanded surrender at its discretion;

otherwise, the fort will be put to the sword. I've answered

that demand with a cannon shot, and the flag still waves

proudly over the wall. I shall never surrender or retreat. I

call upon you in the name of liberty and patriotism and

everything dear to our character to come to my aid with all

dispatch. The enemy is receiving reenforcements daily and

will no doubt increase to 3,000 or 4,000 in a few days. If

this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself for

as long as possible and die like a soldier who never forgets

what is due his honor and that of his country.

Victory or death, William Barret Travis, Commander of the

Alamo.

A few days later, on March 6, 1836, after three assaults by Santa Anna's army, the walls were breached and every volunteer was put to the sword.

William Barret Travis in his last letter after this one said that victory will cost Santa Anna more than defeat. He was right. The losses were unbelievable against the Mexican Army, but still they were able to take the Alamo.

Meanwhile, at a place called Washington-on-the-Brazos, a group of volunteers were writing a declaration of independence and then a constitution. And on March 2, four days before the Alamo fell, under the leadership of Sam Houston and others, Texas declared independence from Mexico. The Alamo wall was breached, Santa Anna's army is moving through Texas, and Sam Houston is trying to form another army.

Remember, Santa Anna's army was no slouch. They were a professional bunch. They had defeated all of those other folks in Mexico that had sought independence and revolted against the dictatorship. They were well trained and had yet to lose a battle. In history, this is called a ``runaway scrape.'' For Texans who live between San Antonio and Louisiana, move toward the United States, the runaway scrape.

Sam Houston is trying to find an army and design an army. Meanwhile, Santa Anna is feeling undefeatable. So he approaches the area of what is now called ``the plains of San Jacinto.'' That's outside of Houston, on the eastern side of Houston, where the Buffalo River meets Harrisburg. And on a peninsula there in a marsh, Sam Houston had decided he was going to fight.

Yet to have fought a battle, the Mexican Army yet to be defeated, General Sam, as we call him, had an army of about 900 that he had assembled. Once again, volunteers, once again people from all over the United States, and once again Tejanos, Texans of Spanish descent, had assembled together to do battle really on April 22, 1836; however, Sam Houston assembled a war council. His commander said, ``We're not waiting until tomorrow.''

Battles usually take place in the morning when the sun comes up, but on an afternoon in the heat of the day, Sam Houston decided he was going to attack the Mexican forces of Santa Anna. Tradition primarily says that Sam Houston was busy and occupied by the Yellow Rose of Texas, Emily Morgan, who was of mixed race and was keeping Santa Anna occupied in an encounter and kept him from noticing the Texas Army being assembled.

That's legend, tradition, maybe based on a little historical fact. But we honor Emily Morgan in our history, and we've named a building for her because of what she accomplished in the Texas Revolution, the first Yellow Rose of Texas.

The Texans assembled on the high plains, and they marched in broad daylight. There were so few of them they had to make one column. They were led also by Captain Juan Seguin. Juan Seguin was a Tejano. He had a calvary regiment. It wasn't really a regiment. It was just a handful of Tejanos. And to make sure that Captain Seguin and his Tejanos weren't mistaken for Santa Anna's army, Sam Houston had Juan Seguin put playing cards in their hat bands so they would be recognized as loyalists to Texas and not to Santa Anna. In those days I understand the playing card was not small like we have today, but they were rather large playing cards.

And they stuck those in their hats, the headbands of their sombreros. The fight was on. The Texans come down the hill, catching the enemy by surprise. It was an overwhelming defeat to Santa Anna's army, his first defeat. In 18 minutes, half of the Mexican Army was killed and the other half was captured. There were more captured than in the Texas Army. There were about 900 Texans, about 1,800 Mexicans thereabouts; and they were captured.

Santa Anna got away. He's later found to have changed his presidential commander-in-chief dictator outfit into a private. When he's captured, he looks like a private. He's brought into the campgrounds. His troops saw who he was, and they stood up and saluted him; and Sam Houston had captured the president and commander and dictator of the enemy, Santa Anna.

Texas declared its independence on March 2, 1836. It was realized on April 21, 1836. Texas claimed land--here's a map of what Texas looked like and claimed to be Texas in 1836 after the Battle of San Jacinto, all of what now is Texas. But there's more land. Part of New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, and part of Wyoming was claimed by Texas. In fact, Texas ceded this land to the United States after Texas became part of the United States because Texas was a country for 9 years. Sam Houston was its President. It had its own army. It had to fight off the Mexican Army again to invaders, and it remained a Republic for 9 years.

Then Texas decided to join the Union. It wasn't easy. It was not something that was popular to put Texas in the United States. In fact, it could not get in by a treaty. It takes two-thirds of a vote by the Senate for a treaty to be signed. So it was a joint resolution. Texas got into the United States by two votes when a Senator, as I understand it, from Louisiana changed his vote and voted for the admission of Texas.

Those of us from Texas, because of our history, because of the people who are there of all races, have a unique spirit, in my opinion. It is the spirit of freedom, but that's the spirit of America. You know, our history is not really based on what happened in the 13 colonies. Our history is based independent of that, but it's the same. It's a spirit of liberty and freedom from oppression, whether it's King George, III, or whether it's a dictator named Santa Anna.

On April 21, we celebrate San Jacinto Day. On Saturday there will be a reenactment of the Battle of San Jacinto. We have a monument called the San Jacinto Monument there on the marshes of San Jacinto. It looks very similar to the Washington Monument, except, of course, it's taller than the Washington Monument. The star on top of the monument makes it taller than the Washington Monument. And as a side note, the Texas State Capitol is taller than this Capitol right here by some 15 feet.

The point is, Mr. Speaker, that history is important. Our history is important. People who lived before us who fought for liberty--who volunteered to fight oppression even though the odds were overwhelming that many gave up their lives for that--they are as important and they are as much a part of our tradition as the young men and women we have now fighting for America's interests all over the world; and they, like those volunteers in the Texas War of Independence, are volunteers, raising their hands to stand between us and tyranny.

So we honor those folks who fought and made Texas a country for 9 years. We are proud of that, and it is important that all of us come to remember our history.

And that's just the way it is.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the newest Chairman of the Port of Houston Commission, the first woman ever appointed to the position, Janeice Longoria. In my role as the Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional PORTS Caucus, I have enjoyed working with the Port of Houston and was delighted to learn of Janeice's appointment back in January. Since she first joined the Port Commission in 2002, Janiece has been an effective advocate for the port. She has also been a strong voice for businesses along the ship channel and within port-related industries.

Just a few weeks ago, Chairman Longoria joined me and several Texas- based companies at a roundtable event that I hosted at the Port of Houston to help raise awareness about the need for Custom and Border Protection

agents to share certain identifying information regarding potential counterfeit goods with intellectual property rights-holders. The roundtable focused on economic impact that counterfeit goods have on the national and local economies, on U.S. jobs and on American ingenuity. Chairman Longoria's recognized the role that ports play in helping to limit counterfeit goods from entering the U.S. marketplace.

Chairman Longoria's Texas ties run deep and so does her Longhorn price. An honors graduate of the University of Texas for both her undergraduate and law degrees, she is also a former Vice Chairman of the University of Texas System Board of Regents and a Founder of both the Center for Women in Law and the Kay Bailey Hutchison Center for the Study of Latin American Law at the University of Texas School of Law. She is also on the Board of Directors of the University of Texas Law School Foundation.

In the Houston area, Chairman Longoria's contributions exceed far beyond the Port. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Texas Medical Center, MD Anderson Visitors Center, the Greater Houston Partnership, Center Point Energy, and the Galveston Bay Area Foundation. Her service to many great causes throughout the state earned her the Sandra Day O'Connor Award for Board Excellence in 2008.

Needless to say, her resume is impressive and her commitment to public service is admirable. I appreciate her dedication to the State of Texas and to the City of Houston and look forward to working with her to raise awareness of the importance of the Port of Houston to the entire nation. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, on January 31, Kaufman County, Texas, Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse had just pulled into work at the courthouse. He got out of his car and he started walking through the parking lot like he did every day, but Mark never made it to the courthouse to prosecute any other cases. He was ambushed, sprayed with bullets, and murdered in the parking lot. Officials are still uncertain of who murdered him.

Then on March 19, just after suppertime in Colorado, the top prison chief, Tom Clements, heard a knock at his door. When he opened the door, he was shot point blank; and he died in the doorway of his own home in his own blood. Clements' suspected killer, Evan Able, resurfaced in Texas weeks later and died in a shootout with law enforcement officers in north Texas because he promised that he would not ever return to prison.

Just 11 days later back in Kaufman County, Texas, District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, were sitting at home when their home was invaded by intruders. Mike was shot 20 times, and his wife, Cynthia, was also murdered. They were assassinated and murdered in their own home. District Attorney Mike McLelland had vowed to bring the scum to justice that had killed his assistant district attorney, Mark Hasse, but the assassins got all of them first: three fallen law enforcement officers and one family member.

Mr. Speaker, today is Patriot's Day in Boston. To commemorate Boston's fierce spirit of independence, Bostonians host a worldwide marathon.

Today, as runners approached the finish line of the marathon, terror erupted: two explosions, 14 seconds apart. Two other bombs were also found by law enforcement. The scene was described as a war zone.

Amidst the chaos and blood-filled streets, there was a group of people who ran towards the danger, as they always do. They were America's first responders. They were there within moments. They disregarded their own safety to assist the wounded and secure the area.

Fellow marathon runners from all different States and countries also rescued strangers and the wounded. They helped treat their wounds and carried others to safety. Offers of help are coming from all over the United States.

There are two confirmed dead and over 100 injured.

The person of interest in custody is reportedly a 20-year-old Saudi national. Those responsible for this attack of death and terror must be brought to justice because, Mr. Speaker, justice is what we do in this country.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, four-year-old Jaylen in Houston, Texas wants to be a teacher when he grows up. It isn't every day that you meet a youngster with aspirations as big as Jaylen's. It takes a special role model, advocate, and teacher to spark the dreams in kids as young as him. The best news for these kids is that the world is their oyster; they have a world of opportunities awaiting them. Teaching our kids about the opportunities that are available is exactly what Collaborative for Children works to do each day. In Houston, Collaborative for Children is an admirable organization that promotes and builds strong educational foundations in the lives of kids for a brighter future.

For over 25 years, Collaborative for Children has partnered with families, teachers, care providers, and community-based groups to provide Houston area youth with the best possible educational foundation. Collaborative for Children's commitment to education for kids, ages zero through six, ranges from helping parents find good child care, providing parental guidance, and providing parents and teachers with necessary educational resources, all the way to strengthening early childhood education systems through policy changes. Every day, the non-profit organization does everything it can for the role models in the lives of the kids so that they can continue leading them toward their dreams.

The impressive Collaborative for Children services are possible because of its strong team. The organization is run by a board of directors made up of diverse citizens from all different fields in the community. Dedicated volunteers help guide the organization and

shape our children's lives every day, with the support of generous local businesses that help fund it. It takes quite a band of leaders to run an organization that goes ``above and beyond'' for our kids on a daily basis.

Today, I would like to recognize Collaborative for Children for their dedication to improving the quality of education in the lives of our children, America's future. For some kids, you have given them a chance that they may not have had without your help. Thank you for your valuable contributions to our community, our state and our nation. Coming from a family with several teachers--and having taught school myself long ago--I understand what an impact a good education and role model can have on a child. It truly makes a world of a difference. Thank you for being that difference.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, WWII veteran Elbert Wood, 93 years old, returned home from a doctor visit only to find that his home had been broken into and vandalized. A couple of teenagers had nothing better to do than to spray paint and burglarize the home that Elbert built himself more than 55 years ago. I didn't have the chance to see the damage in-person, but from what I saw in videos, everything in his home was covered in graffiti, including the walls, windows, the TV, even the furniture. Of course, when Elbert saw the damage, devastation set in, but not for too long. Soon, Elbert was reminded that in times of trouble, he could always count on his family. And by family, I mean the ones that share the forever military bond.

A band of Marines quickly made their way to Elbert's home when they heard what had happened. They wanted to let him know that they were there for him in times of need. On that day and the days to follow, the Marines lent their helping hands and cleaned up the vandalism and made necessary repairs. They were determined to recreate the same image that Elbert envisioned when he thought of ``home'' before the incident.

The support Elbert received during that time was not limited to that of the Marines. Members of the community stepped up to help him, too. One furniture store even donated a new living room set. This is what I call a tight community. As for the suspects, they were caught red- handed, literally, just down the street from Elbert's home. Two teenagers were caught with red paint residue all over their hands and with stolen items from Elbert's home. I hope they have a lot of time to think about their crime in the do-right hotel.

Battlegrounds aren't the only places Marines or members of the military look out for each other, Mr. Speaker. The brotherhood and sisterhood of the military extends beyond the battlegrounds and into everyday life. Today, I would like to recognize these fellow Marines that so generously helped their brother out in a time of trouble. America is a better and safer place because of people like them, including Elbert.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, it's that time of year again--April 15. You know what they say: the only things certain in life are death and more taxes.

The day April 15th brings fear and trepidation into the hearts and souls of Americans across the fruited plain. The taxacrats have created a language that Americans really can't understand.

When the Tax Code was created, it was about 400 pages. Today, it's over 70,000 pages long. And get this: each year it takes Americans 6 billion hours to prepare their income tax, and American taxpayers spend $168 billion just to file their taxes every year.

Just this week, President Obama unveiled his 2-month-late budget that includes, of course, $1.2 trillion in new taxes. Mr. Speaker, almost half of Americans pay no Federal income tax at all. What we need are more taxpayers, not more taxes.

We should eliminate the burdensome, unfair income Tax Code and go to the fair tax--the national sales tax concept--or the flat tax, because everyone should pay their fair share to live in America.

And that's just the way it is.

The regulators continue their reign of regulation terror on businesses across America.

Jerry McKinney, from Crosby, Texas, wrote me this:

I work in the industrial chemical business and I see the

result of government regulations like those from the EPA.

These cost my company good money, with no positive effects.

Larry, a doctor from Kingwood, Texas, said this to me:

Small businesses need relief from the ridiculous OSHA

standards. Our veterinary practice is having to spend hours

and money trying to decipher all the regulations some

bureaucrat has dreamed up to justify his job.

Madam Speaker, the fourth branch of government meddles in every aspect of our lives. In the name of saving us from ourselves, the regulators regulate, regulate, and when they're through, they regulate some more, without regard to the consequences of these expensive government mandates. Sometimes they put businesses out of business because of their regulations.

Dana, from southeast Texas, writes me this:

I owned a business--bought a bowling center, my dream job,

in 2007. Was totally unprepared for the amount of regulation

and fees and taxes. I employed 32 people. I went bankrupt in

October of 2012 because of this. I have the drive and desire

and a great business plan for a new business that would

employ 20 to 30 people, but I'm not sure I want to dive back

into all this.

Michael, from Houston, said:

Where should I begin? Real estate market is flooded with,

yes, new regulations. It seems that banks are prevented from

foreclosing on homeowners who are basically living in the

house for free for several years.

Susan, a small business owner in Texas, says this:

Our small business has operated on a shoestring for several

years, and we started way back in 1978, but I fear we are at

an end. We manufacture 400 products, all made from the same

materials. But the new product safety regulations require we

certify every product to the tune of about $500 per product,

even though they're all made from the same materials. Do the

math: $175,000 or more just to get these same products that

we've been making since 1978 certified by the Federal

Government. Add on the health care fines and the rising cost

of gasoline and the rising property and sales taxes and

income taxes--well, you know the rest of the story.

Madam Speaker, this ought not to be--regulators putting businesses out of business by dreaming up new, sometimes silly rules that don't solve any problem. The regulators dream up new rules to add to their 100,000 commandments every day.

Regulators regulate. That's what they do. That's what they like to do. But their addiction to power and to new, unnecessary rules must stop. Burdensome, expensive Federal regulations cost $2 trillion a year. What does that mean? That's the same amount of money all American citizens and corporations paid in income tax in 2008--$2 trillion. A lot of money.

Regulators have no concept of the cost of running a business. They don't even understand the rules and business costs that can put some American businesses out of business. So Congress should approve any regulation that reaches a certain cost threshold or has a significant economic impact. That's why I'm an original cosponsor of the REINS Act. The REINS Act requires Congress, the elected, to approve the expensive rules of the unelected or the rules will not take effect. If a new rule affects the economy in the United States over $100 million throughout the country, Congress must approve this new rule or it does not take effect by the rulemakers.

We should make new rules for the rulemakers. That's what our responsibility is. So it's time for Congress to rein in the out-of- control government and start regulating regulators.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, let's say I take one of my 10 grandkids, Barrett Houston, to a basketball game he is playing in. He gets hit in the face with a basketball, so we go to the doctor to see if his nose is broken. The doctor asks Barrett Houston this question: Is this the first time you've been hit in the face with a basketball, the second time, or do you have a habit of being hit in the face by a basketball? Barrett says, I don't know. Doctor says, I've got to know because, you see, I've got this codebook here, and the law requires that I make sure I put in the codebook the way you were hurt by the basketball and how many times because there are five codes for being hit in the face by a basketball. And let's say he doesn't know. Well, the doctor has to be accurate in how he diagnoses being hit in the face by the basketball or the doctor's in trouble.

Let's say I take another one of my grandsons, Jackson, to go hunting, but he happens to get assaulted by a wild turkey. We go to the doctor, and the doctor says, Hey, I've got to know exactly how you were hurt by that turkey because there is a code for being assaulted by a turkey for the first time. There is a code for being assaulted by the turkey a second time. There is a different code for being pecked by a turkey rather than being bitten by a turkey. There are nine codes. The doctor must get the right code or he is in violation of the law about being assaulted by that turkey. It seems nine codes for a turkey assault is a bit silly.

Right now, Mr. Speaker, there are 18,000 of these codes. Doctors must be accurate when they fill out the diagnosis of a patient who comes and sees them.

Stay with me, Mr. Speaker.

Soon, there will be 140,000 of these medical codes that doctors must get right or they're in trouble by the Federal Government. The new code system is called ICD-10. For example, you're injured at a chicken coop; that's code number Y9272. You are injured at an art gallery, you fall down; that's Y92250. There are even three new codes for being injured when you walk into a lamppost. You walk into a lamppost for the first time, that's one code; you walk into a lamppost for the second time, that's a different code; you walk into a lamppost habitually, that is even a different code. And the doctor must get it right, because he's in violation of Federal regulators if he doesn't get it right.

The doctors I've talked to say this is an expensive distraction from treating patients. Well, no kidding. It's red tape, it's bureaucracy, and this is what happens when clueless Big Government here in Washington starts telling people out in the workplace--doctors and patients--what they must do. And when the government intrudes into our lives with more regulations, the government continues to make things more complicated. It finds problems in every solution.

Doctors are really in the business of helping the sick and the injured and saving lives. Do they really have the time and money to translate a complicated 140,000-codebook when they diagnose everything that happens? But they don't have a choice. If they miscode, they do not get paid. Even more so, they face the threat of being fined by the Federal Government.

There's more. To set up this new 140,000-code philosophy, it's going to cost an average single practitioner doctor $80,000. Now, isn't that lovely? If it's a practice of 5 to 10 people, that's going to cost that practice $250,000 to comply with Federal regulations, the new codebook.

In my opinion, Mr. Speaker, when regulators go to work every day down the street in one of these big office buildings, they sit around a big oak table, they pull out their lattes and their iPads and they ask the question to each other: ``Who shall we regulate today?'' They type out a few regulations and send it out to the fruited plain and the masses. They don't care about the cost or the effect or whether the regulations make any sense; they just do it anyway. And we have to deal with it.

These new codes are not going to make one sick person well, but yet doctors must comply with these new codes or the code police are going to punish them. Doctors want to take care of patients, but the Federal Government is forcing 140,000 complicated, unreasonable new codes on all of us that are hard to decipher. Maybe we should sequester these new codes. Where are those World War II code breakers when we need them most?

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, Michael Riley, an American patriot, exemplifies that through dedication and determination, one can achieve great things in our country. Faced with adversity from a young age, Michael was no stranger to obstacles. He wasn't brought up by the most encouraging family. Instead of being surrounded by love and support, he was laughed at and ridiculed by his family members for wanting to serve and represent his country.

Michael was always small in stature, in comparison to others his age, and he was told he would fail at his dream for that very reason. Despite these hardships, he was determined to succeed. Michael had his eyes set on his goal, and there was no turning back for him. On his own, he enlisted himself in the Marines just one week after turning 18. He chose the Marines, the toughest branch, because he wanted to prove wrong everybody that tried to tell him he couldn't do it. Before long, Michael surpassed everyone's expectations, or lack thereof. It didn't take much time for Michael to impress his superiors with his work ethic and determination, eventually earning the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 4, a remarkable achievement.

Every day, Michael was out there serving his country in full force. He recalled the days that he experienced conflicts many others hadn't at his age. One day, his squad was ambushed and surrounded by their enemy. Adrenaline was pumping, but you could still smell some fear in the air. In the attack, his squad leader became wounded, and his lieutenant was killed. It wasn't the outcome they had hoped for, but the fight had to go on. When he was only 19, Michael led a squad of Marines in combat, a task that not many would be able to accomplish at such a young age.

Throughout his service, Michael served in several conflicts, including Vietnam, Cuba, and Iraq. But despite his service overseas, he says he is most proud of his service securing our nation's borders. When his service in the Marines was over, Michael joined the United States Coast Guard. During the devastating aftermath of September 11, 2001, he was appointed Task Force Leader to design and implement the Sea Marshal Program, a security measure that, to this day, has provided safety and security for the Port of Houston. The program, which Michael oversaw from start until finished, was launched to prevent terrorism in a given port. Michael and his armed protection teams boarded ships and guarded them for their voyage through the Houston Ship Channel.

For his involvement in the Sea Marshal Program, Michael Riley was awarded the 9/11 medal by the United States Department of Transportation. This is a very highly regarded honor that recognizes civilians or military men and women who made significant and heroic accomplishments after the September 11, 2011, terrorist attacks on our country. Overall, Michael has received 20 medals and ribbons throughout his illustrious career, the highest one being the 9/11 medal.

Michael exemplifies a true American patriot who never let anyone or anything stand in his way. I've met Michael several times. He's never been someone to boast about his prestigious accomplishments being the humble person he is. However, today, I would like to thank him and recognize him for his dedication to keeping America the ``land of the free and the home of the brave.'' Despite the hardships, he faced when he was young, and everyone that told him he couldn't do it, he served our country and he served it well. It takes a very special kind of person to accomplish everything that Michael did throughout his service to America.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, it was June 1950 when the North Koreans decided they would invade their neighbors to the south, South Korea. The war had started--even though the world community called it a ``police action''--but it was a war, and of course South Korea was in trouble. They called 911, and as it has been in history, when you call 911, the United States answers. The Americans went to South Korea to protect our ally South Korea.

In August of the same year, some Americans were occupying Hill 303. Most Americans have never heard of Hill 303. Let me tell you about it.

Hill 303 was being occupied by the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division of the United States Army. It was a small group because America didn't have a lot of troops in South Korea. We weren't ready for this war. The North Koreans, with the aid of the Communist Chinese later, overran the hill--and the Americans, some stayed, some withdrew. One of the individuals who stayed on that hill was a friend of mine by the name of Donald Foisie.

Donald Foisie and his other comrades refused to give ground. The hill was overrun. The North Koreans took the hill. Donald Foisie and one of his friends hid in a rice paddy. They used bamboo canes to get air, and they stayed there for a long time. Unbeknownst to him, 45 other American soldiers had been captured by the North Koreans. And after they were captured, they were lined up in front of a ditch, with their hands tied behind their backs, and they were machine-gunned down in that gully. Later, the Americans retook the hill. They found Donald Foisie and found his murdered comrades.

That was in August of 1950. Things haven't changed much in the Koreas. The North Koreans still have sights on South Korea, but that's another story.

Sergeant Donald Foisie was wounded several times, and received the Purple Heart that day. He stayed in the United States Army until 1962. He came back to Atascocita, Texas--down the street from me--and he had several businesses. He worked for a corporation in Houston. That corporation was an international corporation, and from time to time they would fly the flag of the country that they were hosting that day. When Donald Foisie saw that one of those flags, on one day that he was working, was the Red Chinese--as he called them--Communist flag, he refused to go to work. He didn't believe that the Chinese flag ought to fly on American soil. That's the kind of guy he was.

He spent the rest of his life letting Americans know about the Korean war. Last year, he was at Creekwood Middle School in Kingwood, Texas where the Creekwood Middle School kids honored the veterans of Hill 303--those who were murdered--and had a memorial. He was there, along with many South Koreans, and Ambassador Park from South Korea and myself were there.

Last year, he also attended the Memorial Day service at the veterans cemetery in Houston, and this is where that photograph was taken. He was saluting a crowd of several thousand who had given him a standing ovation after his story was told. You see, he looks pretty good. He's 81 in this photograph. This week, Donald Foisie, United States Army, 1st Cavalry Division--he's still wearing his hat--died. He will be buried this Friday at this same cemetery that he was standing in and honoring on Memorial Day.

He was quite a guy. He was married to Rita for 60 years. He had three kids--Donna, Daniel, and David. He wrote several books. He was in the air-conditioning business, and he worked as a security guard when his knees got bad. But he spent most of his life letting America know about his buddies in Korea in 1950--``the forgotten war,'' as he called it. He wants us to remember what occurred many years ago when young Americans--kids--went over to lands they'd never seen and fought for people they had never known, all in the name of securing liberty and America's interest.

So, today, we honor Sergeant Foisie and his family for his service in the United States Army, for being a true patriot, a true American, a great Texan, and a person who never gave ground.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, when out-of-towners (especially those from up North) land in Houston in the month of March, the traditional Texas stereotype comes to life. Many Texans sport their Cowboy hats and boots year round, but even more so this month, because this is the time that we celebrate Texas history. March 2nd is Texas Independence Day and on March 6th, we remember the Alamo. March is also the month of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. There is something special about all the pomp and circumstance that takes place on the streets of downtown Houston. It starts out with the trail

riders and parade through downtown Houston. This year was a little different than years past and did not take place on Texas Avenue, but to me the old route will always symbolize the rich history of the rodeo. Texas Avenue is wider than other streets downtown. This was to accommodate the early longhorn cattle drives coming into town headed to the rail station.

There's a long history behind the Houston rodeo. It started in 1931 when a handful of men had an idea to get together and have a ``Fat Stock Show.'' Each year after, the show got a little bit bigger. While the show was originally held in the modest confines of the Sam Houston Coliseum, it has since had several distinguished homes. I remember the first year it moved to the ``Eighth Wonder of the World,'' the Astrodome before finding home at Reliant Park, and when the king of country music, George Strait, thanked the Astrodome for hosting so many amazing years of Houston Rodeo by singing a ``Cowboy Rides Away.'' It is amazing to think that in 1931, a few men just wanted to show off their livestock and help educate people about agriculture in Texas. Today, their simple idea has turned into the world's largest livestock exhibition, the world's largest regular-season rodeo, top musical performers, and one of Houston's most popular and profitable events. As a kid, I remember seeing Roy Rogers and Elvis at the Rodeo Spectacular.

The Houston Livestock Show provides an impressive economic boost. Last year, over 2 million people came to the Houston Rodeo. Aside from having a great time at the show, this pilgrimage to the rodeo draws people to our great city and boosts the Houston economy. The show alone brings in over $320 million and create over 7,000 full time jobs. That is something to be proud of.

The Houston Rodeo's ``founding fathers'' in 1931 also wanted to establish a charitable event that provided for the educational and scientific advancement of Texas agriculture. They succeeded. Today, over its history, the Rodeo has given $330 million to Texas' youth through scholarships, research, endowments, calf scramble participants, junior show exhibitors, school art participants and other educational youth programs. All the work behind the scenes is done by hundreds of volunteers.

A Texas-sized thank you to all of those who make the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo what it is today. The Show is the world's largest livestock exhibition, world's largest barbecue cook-off, world's richest regular-season rodeo and the entertainment lineup is nothing to sneeze at either. This year, some music greats like Tim McGraw, Toby Keith and Dierks Bentley just to name a few, performed. Whether one is a volunteer, local Go Texan member, youth livestock participant, employee, organizer, sponsor or attendee--those contributions go well beyond the three weeks of the Rodeo. It's a Western celebration for us in Houston, Texas. It's almost like our Mardi Gras, just with boots and cowboy hats. The rodeo is truly something for everyone. After all, it's our cultural duty ``to Rodeo Texas.'' For there is no place like Texas. And that's just the way it is.