Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, Texans have shared with me their stories about the businesses that they have built without the help of the Federal Government.

Kelly from Crosby, Texas, wrote me this:

Congressman, you are correct that small business owners

carry the full load of government taxes.

On average, our small $3 million-a-year business pays 35

percent in Federal taxes, pays Social Security of 7.45

percent, Federal unemployment tax, State franchise tax,

school district and real estate property taxes, and I am

taxed on the computer used to send this email to you. And the

President says I didn't build it? I beg to differ. During the

first 3 years, my workweek was 80 hours a week. If the

Federal Government's debt of $16 trillion is not brought

under control, it will not matter how hard I work, because

the dollar's value will be worthless.

Federal Government, fix your spending problem, and put your

House in order because small business is watching and

thinking, If I ran my business like you run yours, the bank

would foreclose.

Mr. Speaker, Kelly is correct. Big Government hasn't built America. American small business owners have built it--on their own.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, years ago, a view of Earth from 238,900 miles away seemed impossible until Neil Armstrong became the first human to reach the unreachable. On July 20, 1969, Armstrong landed Apollo 11 running on fumes and set foot on the moon, where he left a foot imprint of a little less than an inch deep. ``Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed,'' were the words he radioed in the moment he achieved a national goal and changed the course of space exploration.

In the 2 hours and 19 minutes of the moonwalk, Armstrong became one of the most significant American heroes. His out-of-this-world accomplishment drew the attention of our ambitious nation and people worldwide. Six hundred million viewers watched and listened to his historical landing that day. As he said, ``That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.'' I watched live Armstrong's first steps on the moon on an old black and white T.V. in Texas.

Armstrong was described as a man who ``cherished his privacy and always appreciated the expressions of good will from people around the world and all walks of life.'' Two weeks ago, we lost this man who, in turn, made a national dream come true and inspired people around the world and all walks of life.

He was born August 5, 1939 in Wapakoneta, Ohio. When he was 6, he climbed into a plane for his first ride. His talent was born at a young age when he began crafting model airplanes and had impressively collected enough books for a well-stocked aviation library. His above- average intellect was noticeable in his performance in his high school math and science classes. After his graduation, he attended Purdue University but only stayed two years to go on and fly combat missions in the Korean War as a Navy Pilot. Eight years later, he went back to the university and graduated with a degree in aeronautical engineering. Then, he joined the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics, later becoming NASA, where he started his path to his historical leap into space. Armstrong made a name for himself during his seven years at a NACA high speed flight station at Edwards Airforce Base in California. His immeasurable accomplishments were rewarded in September of 1962, when NASA chose him to be an astronaut. Little did they know, they also selected the man who would later become the first human to set foot on the moon.

Armstrong thought of himself as a ``nerdy'' engineer. His family thought of him as a ``loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend.'' His colleagues thought of him as a ``daring, yet humble person'' and the world thinks of him as one of the greatest heroes of all time.

He left his mark in space and on earth. Whether or not ``someone goes up there and cleans up his footprints'' like he had hoped, he'll never be forgotten.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, on a cool September morning in Texas, I was driving my Jeep to the courthouse where I was a judge for a long time. I was listening to KILT radio, a country western station. Willie Nelson was singing ``Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.'' All of the sudden, Robert B. McEntire, the newscaster for KILT radio, comes on and interrupts the program. He said that an airplane had crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center, and that's about all we knew at that time. It was 8:46 a.m. eastern time, 7:46 a.m. in Texas.

Continuing my daily journey to the courthouse, a few minutes later he comes back on the radio and says that a second airplane had crashed into the second south tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. The world understood at that time this was serious. This was an attack on our Nation, on our country.

After I got to the courthouse, we learned that a third airplane flying over Washington, D.C., very close to the building we're in, the United States Capitol, went down the street less than a mile, and crashed into the Pentagon. That was at 9:37 eastern time. Then a fourth airplane we remember as Flight 93 was flying toward Washington, D.C., probably headed to the Capitol or the White House, where some good, right-thinking folks took control of the plane from hijackers, and they crashed in Pennsylvania in a field at 10:07 eastern standard time.

Mr. Speaker, on September 11, 2001, this Nation was attacked. Three thousand people were killed that day. It's interesting that the attackers decided to attack the World Trade Center because people from 90 nationalities were in the World Trade Center buildings, the south and the north. So it was more than an attack on America; it was an attack on the people of the world, freedom-loving people, people who believed in living life and liberty.

The murder was done by 19 radicals who murdered in the name of religion. Of the 3,000 people that were killed, 411 of them were emergency workers and 341 were members of the New York Fire Department. There were also two fire department members of New York who were paramedics that were killed that day, 23 officers from NYPD, 37 Port Authority officers from New York and New Jersey, and eight emergency medical technicians and paramedics killed that day.

In the aftermath of that morning, first responders from all over the United States later that week went to New York to help in the recovery and help restore what had happened at Ground Zero. Many of those first responders still suffer from toxins that they acquired while working Ground Zero, as many members of first responders from New York and New Jersey are still suffering. But today we remember all of those people that were killed that day on September 11.

Later that evening, I, like most Americans, was watching television, and saw the horror on video of what had occurred. I, like you, Mr. Speaker, saw those thousands of people in New York. When those planes crashed into the World Trade Center buildings, they were fleeing as fast as they could from the terror that came from the sky.

There was another group of people. Like the fire horses of old that charged to the smell of smoke and the roar of fire, those individuals charged to that terror from the sky. There weren't very many. There were a handful, but yet they were there. Who were they? They were the first responders. They were the firefighters. They were the emergency medical technicians. They were the paramedics. They were the peace officers. And many of them died that day.

While it's important that we remember those that were killed, it's equally important that we remember those that got to live, Mr. Speaker, because those first responders charged to that terror from the sky. Many of them gave up their lives so others could live on that infamous day of September 11, 2001.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, Texans are growing more concerned about the rising cost of gasoline. One lady recently wrote me:

My husband drives a truck. As gas prices rise, so does the

cost of diesel. This affects the cost of every single thing

we buy. That includes food.

Gasoline prices are the one thing that people should not need to worry about. We have the resources, but Washington keeps them under lock and key. And we still import half our oil from unstable dictators like Chavez and the OPEC monopoly.

Americans can no longer afford to be beholden to the turmoil in the Middle East. So what about this idea?

United States, Mexico, and Canada are rich with God-given natural resources. So working together in a new strategic energy partnership, our three nations could become the world's new energy superpower alliance to compete with OPEC. Let's create an energy supply built to last with our North American allies and finally make OPEC and Middle Eastern dictators irrelevant.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, Team USA's Fierce Five became the

second American women's gymnastics team ever to win the gold medal. These teenagers will also be awarded $25,000 each for being the best in the Olympic world--but what they've earned they're not going to be able to keep because part of the medal and the prize will be confiscated by our government, so sayeth Uncle Sam.

That's right, Mr. Speaker. Each one of the Fierce Five has to pay a medal tax of up to $236. Then they also have to pay a prize tax on their cash award that could be up to $8,750. So that brings the total up to about $9,000 that they could owe the taxman. Leave it to our government to punish Team USA for their success on behalf of all Americans.

Yesterday, Senator Rubio introduced a bill to exempt Olympic medalists from paying taxes on their medals and their prizes. I am a cosponsor of a similar bill in this House. The long arm of the internal taxman reaches far across the seas to grab a piece of the gold from kids that it neither earned nor deserves.

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, ``The last thing you want to do is to raise taxes in the middle of a recession because that would take more demand out of the economy and put business in a further hole.''

That's what the President said in 2009, but that was then and this is now. If Congress doesn't act, Americans will face higher taxes when the clock strikes midnight on December 31 of this year. The President's solution is to raise taxes on some. That would eliminate 700,000 jobs in our country; 60,000 of those would be lost in my home State of Texas. The tax increase will cost the average American a year's worth of groceries--$4,000.

Madam Speaker, almost half of Americans pay no Federal income tax at all. What we need are more taxpayers, not more taxes. We need to renew the so-called ``Kennedy-Reagan-Bush tax cuts.'' No tax increases on Americans. Because the power to tax is the power to destroy, and the last thing we should do is raise taxes in a recession.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise before you today to recognize Earl Campbell, one of the best football players to ever play the game and a visionary businessman who started from the bottom and worked his way to the top. The Tyler Rose is a living legend in the state of Texas, and it gives me pleasure to recognize him before Congress and this Nation.

Earl was born in Tyler, Texas, the ``Rose Capital of the World.'' In 5th grade he began playing football as a kicker, before realizing that he enjoyed delivering the hits. Earl became a star linebacker and led John Tyler High School to the Texas 4A State Championship in 1973. When coaches moved his strength and intensity to the offense, he became one of the most powerful running backs in history.

Naturally many colleges all wanted someone with the leadership abilities and strong work ethic that Earl possessed. He chose to stay close to home and play with legendary Coach Darrell Royal at the University of Texas in Austin. Earl had a celebrated career at Texas, winning the Heisman Trophy, college football's highest honor after his senior year in 1977. He was a two-time All-American choice and finished his career with 4,443 yards and 41 touchdowns. Earl restored the Longhorn dynasty to its rightful place among the top collegiate programs in the country.

The Houston Oilers made Earl the first overall draft pick in 1978, once again keeping him close to home in Texas. His punishing running style made an immediate impact on the team, leading them to a 10-6 record and a playoff appearance. They lost in a classic game against the Pittsburg Steelers now known as the ``Ice Bowl.'' Despite the loss, Earl finished the season with 1,450 yards and 13 touchdowns, earning the Rookie of the Year Award and the Offensive Player of the Year Award. Most importantly, he helped shepherd in the ``Luv Ya Blue'' era that had the Astrodome rocking and brought pride to the city of Houston.

For the 8 years that Earl played in the NFL, he was one of the most feared yet respected players. Opponents feared his tough, physical style of play. His 5'11'', 244-pound frame was described as a ``one man demolition team.'' Teammates respected his leadership and dedication. When they needed him, he was there, missing more than two games a season only once. He would finish his career with 9,407 yards, 74 touchdowns, 5 Pro Bowl appearances, 3 All Pro teams, and the Most Valuable Player Award in 1979. Earl is a member of both the College and Professional Football Hall of Fame and will be remembered as one of the greatest players to ever hit the gridiron.

The dedication to success that Earl displayed on the field translated off of it as well. In 1991, after hearing raves about his sausage recipes, he took $150,000 and started his own company, Earl Campbell Meat Products, Inc. The small business is the heart of the American economy, and Earl worked hard to make sure that his company stood out. He drove hundreds of thousands of miles, all over Texas and the south, to promote his products. Today, they are one of the largest sausage manufacturers in the country, selling over 11 million pounds a year.

While being one of the most famous Texans around, Earl has never lost the small town values that helped shape him. He married his high school sweetheart, Reuna, and they have two sons, Christian and Tyler. After Tyler was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, the family rallied together and became ambassadors for the National MS Society. They have helped raise thousands for research and remain committed to fighting the disease. He also helps mentor athletes at the University of Texas, preparing them for the life-altering changes they will soon experience. The State of Texas and our Nation is a better place because of people like Earl.

Earl Campbell is a shining example that the American Dream is possible for anyone. Through tireless effort and internal fortitude, he became a world-class athlete, respected businessman, and noted philanthropist. I am honored to recognize Earl, a true Texan, for his lifetime of inspiration and service to the community.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, we have heard a lot about fairness from the President lately. Perhaps his Chicago advisers think that if he distracts, divides, and creates envy all in the name of so-called ``fairness,'' Americans will ignore their thin wallets and stacked up bills. But the people are smarter than back-room government policycrats.

If the President is reelected in January, he will have inherited a weak economy from his predecessor--himself. Then who will he blame? The President was elected to solve problems, not place blame and make excuses for failure.

Like most Americans, I want the administration to succeed, but the evidence is not on the administration's side. With unemployment higher than 8 percent for 41 months--even higher for recent college graduates at above 50 percent--and our deficit above $15 trillion, there isn't much of a record to stand on.

So we are involved in a new Madison Avenue campaign diversion called ``Remake America'' to make America ``fair.'' Of course, fairness is in the eyes of the beholder, and it means different things to different folks; but it certainly sounds good at first glance.

Mr. Speaker, let's look at this idea. The politics of ``fairness'' are used when politicians want you to ignore their record and then claim that some people just haven't been treated fairly. This is a mere diversion from failed policy, failed ideas. When you look at the record, you'll see that this administration's definition of ``fairness'' really means ``favoritism.''

There is no fairness in crony capitalism. That is favoritism. There is no fairness in a perpetual bailout culture where the omnipotent government deems some too big to fail and others too small to succeed. That is favoritism. There is no fairness in forcing Americans to fork over money to pay for failed pet endeavors like Solyndra. That is favoritism. There is no fairness in an unaccountable government that constantly takes money from the working people and squanders it in a failed stimulus--or two. That is favoritism. And there is no fairness in enforcing some laws while proudly ignoring other laws. That is favoritism.

What this ``fairness'' debate--or the politics of favoritism-- achieves is a systematic desire by government to create animosity-- animosity towards those who have or are just trying to achieve some success. It also creates animosity toward government from those who built it on their own without being a member of the government's favored class.

This debate degrades the American Dream because it removes the equality of opportunity and creates a class of favorites--the class of government ``friends.''

There is no equality or fairness in forced equal outcomes. Since some people are more successful than others, to paraphrase Lincoln, the government, which cannot make everyone rich, is trying to accomplish what it can do--make everyone poor and dependent on the government for success. This is fairness? I think not.

Instead of encouraging individuals to succeed on their own, this administration tells citizens that they need the government. In fact, according to The Wall Street Journal, almost 50 percent of the population lives in a household where at least one member receives a government benefit.

Bad policies have forced more Americans to grow dependent on government. The President wants to, in his own words, remake America. Remake it into what? A Nation where the government is running roughshod over our lives and our liberty? A country where no one is allowed to succeed unless the government gives permission? No thanks. I thought we threw that idea away when we left the regime of King George III.

America doesn't need to be remade into a Third World country totally oppressed by a government that wants America to be another European nanny state where special favoritism is given to government's special friends.

We need to return to what our country was founded on: the pursuit of opportunity or, as Jefferson said it, the right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The American Dream--a dream that can come true with individualism and hard work and without a government that punishes ambition, creativity, and success while rewarding failure--all in the name of fairness.

The politics of favoritism, under the guise of ``fairness,'' is not the America we need. Mr. Speaker, the America I know doesn't need to be remade into the politics of favoritism.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, the draft of the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty called ATT 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 the covered items 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 their destruction. The language is vague so that the treaty could be interpreted to restrict the ability of the U.S. to help arm its allies, like Taiwan and Israel.

The treaty presents a clear and present danger to the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. It allows the U.N. to steal our liberty. It is unbelievable that this administration is even considering signing this document. The Senate should never approve it if the President signs onto it. The President should ignore the treaty because he took an oath to the U.S. Constitution, not to the U.N. charter.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, last month I had the honor and the privilege to be among our community's proudest at the Kingwood Fallen Heroes Memorial Golf Tournament. Folks teed off to honor three of our local fallen heroes from the Kingwood community: Sergeant William Meeuwsen, Lance Corporal Luke Yepsen and Sergeant Brandon Bury. The money raised at the tournament goes back to veterans through the local Houston Area Chapter of the Blue Star Moms as well as several other military related organizations. This was the first year friends and family organized a golf tournament and they were able to raise $80,000; donating $30,000 to our local Blue Star moms. What a way to give back to those who have sacrificed so much--including the Blue Star mom.

The Blue Star Mothers Organization began as a Veteran Service Organization to provide care packages to military serving overseas and offer assistance to their families here at home. In 1960, the United States Congress chartered the Blue Star Mothers of America as a Veterans Service Organization and they have dutifully kept this organization going strong by supporting families awaiting their child's safe return or consoling those whose sons or daughters who gave their lives for our freedom.

All mothers have that special sparkle about them when they talk about their children, but there is something different in the twinkle when you talk to a mother whose child has gone off to war. One of the toughest parts of being your Congressman is to talk to moms and dads that have lost a child in action. It is a grief I cannot fully relate to and one we all pray we never know. But their courage and their understanding of their child's sacrifice is powerful and inspiring. Every Blue Star mother knows that in a split second their lives can change forever and their Blue Star banner can turn to Gold.

During World War I, if a son had gone off to war in the War to End All Wars, as it was called, a banner was hung in front of the home in the window for each son in the military. This banner had a blue star in the center of it. If the son was killed, a gold star was superimposed over the blue one.

This concept was created by Grace Seibold on Christmas Eve 1918 upon learning that her aviator son was killed in aerial combat in France. Ms. Seibold directed her grief and sorrow to helping the wounded in local D.C. hospitals and formed the Gold Star Mothers to give support for other such moms.

During World War II, my Grandmother Poe hung such a banner with a blue star in the front window of her home in the country. My dad went off to war when he was just 18. When my grandmother died, it was one of the few items she had saved. That banner never had to have a gold star placed on it because my dad returned safely. These banners have been carried throughout all of America's wars since World War I.

As a father of four, I can think of nothing worse than to lose one of my children. No parent wants their son or daughter killed in unknown foreign lands. No parent wants their child to predecease them and no parent wants their child to die in their youth. But it happens, and the grief can only be understood by other such parents.

Mothers are special, particularly the mothers of those who wear the American uniform. It seems to me the strongest bond in all of creation is the bond between a mother and her child. The good Lord made it that way on purpose, and when that bond is broken by the loss of a child, that wound just never heals.

One out of every ten people in the military is from the State of Texas. Roughly 10 percent of the total killed in Iraq and Afghanistan has been Texans. Yet sons and daughters throughout America, and especially Texas, continue to join our military knowing that they will no doubt go into the desert of the sun and the valley of the gun, and they leave behind their parents, their mothers.

So as we show honor and respect to America's children who serve, let us show American compassion and ultimate gratitude for the mothers of those troops who display the Blue and Gold Star sacrifice from their windows. And the next time we pass a house with one of these stars maybe we should stop and say a prayer and say ``thank you'' because of that special mother who gave that child for the rest of us.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, Natasha's life changed because she was the prey of a sexual predator.

Here's the beginning of her dramatic story:

In 1993, I was violently raped, sodomized and robbed at

gunpoint by an unknown assailant. When I escaped and

thankfully found myself in my apartment, my roommate insisted

that I go to the hospital.

I agreed to wait for an ambulance, even though my first

instinct was to take a shower. I'm so grateful today that I

made that choice to go to that hospital.

Mr. Speaker, Natasha is one of many victims of this barbaric and dastardly crime. According to information released by the Centers for Disease Control, nearly one in five women in America has been raped at some point in their lives. As both a former prosecutor and a judge in Texas, I was involved with the criminal trials of rape cases for 30 years.

I learned firsthand the devastation that sexual assault victims experience, and I understand and learned that sexual assault does not just physically harm the victim; it harms their entire being both physically, emotionally, and mentally; and the pain sometimes lasts forever. Mr. Speaker, rapists try to steal the soul from their victims, and they try to destroy the self-worth of victims, and sometimes they do.

One of the most critical pieces of evidence for rape trials is the rape kit, a tool that gathers forensic evidence, including DNA evidence, to link the rapist to the crime. But, unfortunately, rape kits often languish in evidence rooms across the United States, some untested for years, some discarded before ever being tested, and some gather dust so long that the statute of limitations on the crime of rape has expired and the criminal can never be prosecuted. This ought not to be.

Mr. Speaker, Natasha's story did not end in that cold hospital examination room. She says further:

Ten years later, in 2003, I received a call from the New

York City District Attorney's office. My rape kit, which

unbeknownst to me had been sitting on a shelf for almost 10

years, had at last been finally processed. I had long since

reconciled the fact that my perpetrator would never be held

accountable for his actions. But now there was hope.

After a long trial, Victor Rondon was tried before a jury

of his peers in 2008 and was found guilty on all eight counts

of violent assault against me. He's in jail now for a long

time. The best part for me is that he can never hurt anyone

else.

My rape kit sat on a shelf for many years. It was not just

a number in a police department. My rape kit was me--a human

being. Every rape kit that sits on the shelf somewhere is a

human being.

Mr. Speaker, Natasha's story humanizes rape kits ignored in evidence rooms throughout the country. Victims of sexual assault deserve justice, and their perpetrators deserve to be punished by courts and juries in America.

Stories like Natasha's compelled Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney from New York and me to introduce the Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Registry Act, the SAFER Act, in the House, and Senators Cornyn and Bennet to introduce the same bill in the Senate. This bill would allow existing funds to be used to provide grants to States and localities to audit their rape kit backlog and also would call upon the Attorney General to create an Internet-based rape kit registry for sexual assault evidence testing. Estimates of untested rape kits are as high as 400,000 in America according to Human Rights Watch.

According to the DOJ's National Institute of Justice, 43 percent of the Nation's law enforcement agencies don't even have a computerized system to track forensic evidence, either in their inventory or after it is sent to a crime lab. The SAFER Act would allow criminal evidence to be prosecuted and processed, and these do-bads to be held accountable for their dastardly deeds.

Mr. Speaker, the insensitive say there's no money for these exams, these rape kit tests. Well, Congress needs to find the money. Maybe, instead of sending money to foreign countries to help them, keep some of that money in America to help American rape victims like Natasha. Help them get justice. Because, Mr. Speaker, justice is what we do in America.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, educators know that preparing students for future challenges is an integral part of the job. Today, I am proud to honor retiring Sabine Pass ISD Superintendent Malcolm ``Mac'' Nash for putting the entire community on his shoulders and helping to rebuild after Hurricane Ike.

Mac was born in Silsbee, Texas, and spent his early years working the oil fields inherent to Southeast Texas. A decision to change careers into education seemed like a natural choice. He always enjoyed helping others. Mac was Superintendent of West Sabine ISD in Liberty, Texas, before being named to the same position in 2006 at Sabine Pass ISD, a small rural town about three miles from the Gulf of Mexico.

One year earlier, Hurricane Rita made landfall almost directly over Sabine Pass, causing widespread damage across the area. One building endured the brunt of the storm better than any other in the community and that was the Sabine Pass School, the PreK-12 campus opened in 2002. Even though it sustained millions of dollars in damages, the School survived and gave the community a place to come together.

Mac came on board as the repairs from Rita were nearing completion. Hurricanes Humberto in 2007 and Gustav in August 2008, while not causing much damage, kept the community on its toes ready for anything. They did not have to wait long, as Hurricane Ike formed in early September 2008 before making landfall over Galveston, causing millions of dollars worth of damage to Sabine Pass and billions across the entire Gulf Coast region.

One building stood out among the mud and debris, and that was once again the Sabine Pass School. Mac knew that he had control of the only building in town that could survive almost anything and he made sure that it was used to its fullest capabilities. It was a meeting place, shelter, staging area, and most importantly, the lighthouse in front of the school served as the ``Beacon of Hope'' to all citizens, a reminder of the fortitude necessary to weather any storm.

Nash knew that the community needed some stability and a feeling of normalcy, so

under his leadership, the staff worked tirelessly to prepare the school for a return. The Sabine Pass School reopened in early October, missing only 17 days of instruction. 92 perfect of the students were back on the first day. They were not just passing time, either. The School would receive exemplary status from the Texas Education Agency that year.

After a 6-year tenure as Superintendent of the Sabine Pass ISD, Malcolm Nash is stepping down. Because of his courageous leadership, he was named the Region 5 Superintendent of the Year for 2011-12 and is also in the running for the statewide title. Thanks to Mac's leadership, Sabine Pass is a stronger, better place to live.

The Sabine Pass School gets the name of the ``Beacon of Hope,'' but the citizens will never forget the light that Malcolm Nash shined on the entire community.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, for years, the United States has used drones to track terrorists overseas, catch outlaws along the border and other lawful purposes--but now, thousands of drones are heading to the homeland. The FAA plans to allow the expanded use of drones to operate nationwide by the year 2015. It is estimated, by 2020, 30,000 of them will be flying in American skies.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, the drones are coming.

Who will operate these drones, and what will be their mission? Could it be a suspicious government agent who thinks someone looks kind of funny? The EPA bureaucrat to monitor somebody's farm and watch Bessie the cow graze in the pasture? Or a nosy neighbor who wants to make sure someone's shutters are pretty and the flowers don't violate the homeowners' association rules? Or could it be a legitimate and lawful and legal purpose of drones that doesn't violate the right of privacy?

These are the kinds of situations Americans face as we enter this uncharted and unprecedented world of drone technology.

Congress has the legal obligation to ensure that the Fourth Amendment rights of private citizens are protected in this new ``drone world.'' You see, Mr. Speaker, the Fourth Amendment says this:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons,

houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and

seizures shall not be violated. No warrants shall issue but

upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and

particularly describing the place to be searched and the

persons or things to be seized.

The Fourth Amendment limits government intrusion into our lives. The Constitution limits eavesdropping, snooping, and spying on American citizens. While there are some legitimate uses for drones domestically, such as monitoring forest fires and floods and hurricanes, tracking an escaped bank robber, and other law enforcement uses, it is up to Congress to limit their use so that the Fourth Amendment and the right of privacy are protected.

That is why I am introducing the Preserving American Privacy Act.

Now is the time for Congress to act, not in 2015. With the increased technology of surveillance, Congress has to be proactive in controlling drone use to law enforcement and also in protecting civilians from the private use of drones. This bill will ensure the privacy of private citizens is protected by establishing guidelines about when and for what purposes law enforcement agencies, private citizens, and businesses can use drones.

I repeat: This bill will ensure the privacy of private citizens, that it is protected by establishing guidelines about when and for what purposes law enforcement agencies, private citizens, and businesses can use drones.

First, it would prevent the FAA from issuing a permit for the use of a drone to fly in United States airspace for law enforcement purposes unless it is pursuant to a warrant and in the investigation of a felony. This would apply to State, Federal, and local jurisdictions. The warrant exceptions and exigent circumstances rules that are already the law of the land would be the same as those that are applicable in the State, Federal, or local jurisdiction where that surveillance occurs.

It would also prevent the FAA from issuing a permit to any private individual for the use of a drone for the surveillance of a U.S. citizen or the property of a U.S. citizen unless that person under surveillance has consented or the owner of the property has consented. There may be some other lawful exceptions as well.

Lastly, this bill would ensure that no evidence obtained from the use of a drone may be used at an administrative hearing.

Americans expect their constitutional rights will be protected at any time in our history or our future, so Congress must decide when drones can and cannot be used in order to ensure constitutional safeguards. This decision cannot be left up to government agencies, special interest groups, or others. Mr. Speaker, technology may change with time, but the Constitution does not.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, last week I met with Dr. Loretta Williams, an oncology nurse from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. For 30 years, Dr. Williams has provided care to cancer patients, whether they have battled the disease for years or they are just beginning that fight. I was impressed by her compassion and her dedication.

People like Dr. Williams are why MD Anderson is the greatest cancer center in the world, named the top hospital

for cancer care for the 6th year in a row. While its innovative cancer research is most impressive, dedicated and knowledgeable staff are the reasons why it remains the number one center for cancer care.

It all starts at the top with Dr. Ronald DePinho. Dr. DePinho is an impressive individual. His main motivation is to provide the best care possible to patients while conducting creative research to dramatically reduce the number of deaths from cancer.

This year, MD Anderson will see its one-millionth patient since its doors opened in 1944. Each day lives are forever changed by the staff and the volunteers who are tenaciously determined to stop cancer.

And that's just the way it is.

I thank the gentlelady from New York for yielding time.

Mr. Speaker, it was the Vietnam war. It was March 1967--45 years ago.

Army First Sergeant David McNerney's company was sent to recover a missing American Army reconnaissance team. As his company approached that reconnaissance team, they walked into heavy fire from the Vietnamese Army. McNerney was soon wounded by a grenade, and the commander was killed, but Sergeant McNerney took control of the situation.

Injury could not deter this patriot.

He climbed a tree, exposing his position to heavy enemy fire, and called in close artillery fire. After that occurred, he personally destroyed an enemy machine gun. And always thinking of others, he personally pulled wounded soldiers to safety and secured a landing zone for medical helicopters that were approaching.

He had the chance to evacuate that evening, but he refused and remained with his troops overnight on the battlefield until a new commander arrived the next day. His actions stopped the enemy advance and saved many of his own men's lives. These actions of heroism earned David McNerney the Congressional Medal of Honor presented to him by Lyndon Baines Johnson in 1968.

Mr. Speaker, this is a fairly recent photograph of First Sergeant David McNerney. He kind of looks like Clint Eastwood to me and he's just as tough, because I knew him for a good number of years until he died in 2010.

This was not where Sergeant McNerney's service to America would end on that battlefield in Vietnam. He started really serving the United States when he joined the United States Navy right out of St. Thomas High School in Houston, Texas. He did two tours of duty in the Korean War.

After leaving the Navy in 1953, he joined the United States Army, and was one of the first 500 so-called ``advisers'' sent to Vietnam by President Kennedy in 1962. The acts that earned McNerney the Medal of Honor came on his third tour of duty in Vietnam. After he received the Congressional Medal of Honor, First Sergeant David McNerney from Crosby, Texas, volunteered for another tour of duty in Vietnam.

Mr. Speaker, those were amazing men that served America in the Vietnam War. First Sergeant McNerney served with thousands of other Vietnam troops and generally were not appreciated by America when they returned back home after doing what their country asked them to do.

After he retired from the Army in 1969, he worked in the Customs Service at the Port of Houston until 1995. He served his country for 46 years in the United States Navy, United States Army, and the Customs Service.

After all of his work and service, he worked in the community in Crosby. He led by example, with his involvement in the Crosby High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps and the Crosby American Legion Post 658.

First Sergeant McNerney died in Texas on October 10, 2010, at the age of 79, still a patriot. He called his hometown Crosby, and they called him their hero. Crosby American Legion Post 658 is named for him.

Mr. Speaker, Crosby, Texas, like many of the towns mentioned in the last few resolutions and bills, is a small town in America. It's an old-fashioned, flag-waving patriotic town that honors our returning veterans from Iraq and from Afghanistan.

First Sergeant McNerney's bravery and commitment to our country and community is well worth the acknowledgement by naming a post office after him, at 133 Hare Road in Crosby, Texas, the Army First Sergeant David McNerney Post Office.

Mr. Speaker, men like Army First Sergeant David McNerney are the reason our country has always had the best military in history.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.