Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the space shuttle Discovery flew through the blue sky over the Nation's capital on its way to its final resting place at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Virginia. The flyover was met by cheers from some but tears from others.

Space travel in America is history. Our government has chosen to abandon the space program as we know it. JFK, NASA, and America put the first man on the moon, but we have been the leader in the space race for years. Now the sun has set on American manned space travel. Now we are raising the white flag of surrender in space travel to the Russians. JFK might not approve.

Ironically, American astronauts will have to rely on an expensive ride from the Russians just to get to the Space Station.

Former Discovery astronaut Dr. Anna Fisher said it well when a bright young boy asked her how he could become an astronaut one day. She said, study Russian. That ought not to be.

But that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, it's party time at the General Services Administration. The good times rolled in Las Vegas, where the GSA spent over $800,000 of tax money on a conference for 300 people. Now we learn that back in 2010, the GSA employees escaped their marble palace in Washington, D.C., and jetted off to Sin City for a taxpayer- funded high-dollar boondoggle. This so-called ``conference'' included a $31,000 reception, fancy awards, food, wine, lavish suites with bubbling hot tubs, clowns, swanky parties, iPod giveaways, and even a mind reader. This kind of lavish spending is exactly why Americans don't trust the government with their money.

But what happened in Vegas just didn't stay in Vegas. A GSA whistleblower snitched off the bureaucrats-gone-wild bunch. Now, GSA officials are folding their cards, cashing in their chips, and resigning. The day of reckoning has come for those who played

poker with the people's money. Public servants should not be public serpents. These government bureaucrats should pay out of their own pockets the taxpayer money they squandered in Las Vegas.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, it's that time of year again; backyards and ballparks are back in full swing. There's nothing like a day, or night, at the ballpark. I remember going to the Houston Buffs games over on the Gulf Freeway, where Finger's is now, and to Colt Stadium to watch the Colt 45s. When the wind blew, the wooden bleachers at Colt Stadium would sway. It was a big deal back then to go to a game. Most of the time, we listened to the broadcast on a transistor radio. (Are there any of those left?) If you can't be there in-person, there's nothing really quite like listening to a game on the radio.

Then came the Astrodome. The first game was played there on April 9, 1965 against the New York Yankees. Governor John Connally threw out the first pitch, and President Lyndon B. Johnson and First Lady Lady Bird joined Astros President Roy Hofheinz in his suite. There were so many flashes going off that it was blinding. The Astrodome was a marvel to the world, the ushering in of indoor baseball. Even with the great home run kings Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris playing for Bronx Bombers, the Astros beat the Yankees 2 1 in 12 innings (those were the days).

There was nothing else like the Dome--the Eighth Wonder of the World. The players would stand in centerfield and hit balls straight up to see if they could hit the roof. And, who could forget the gun slinging cowboy on the scoreboard? As a parent, I brought my kids to the games. They wore Nolan Ryan's number 34 and cheered for players like Terry Puhl, Joe Niekro, Craig Reynolds, Alan Ashby, Billy Doran and Jose Cru- u-u-u-u-u-u-z. Last season, I watched alongside my grandkids as the train moves along the track, high above the new stadium--Minute Maid Park--whenever Biggio, Bagwell and Berkman (the Killer B's) hit homeruns. Two of my favorite players happen to be none other than Kingwood's own, Phil ``Scrap-Iron'' Garner (later coach of the Astros) and Craig Reynolds.

With all of the legends of the past, you may not know that we live amongst another baseball legend: Coach David Sitton. Coach Sitton started his baseball career as a pitcher for Humble High School. Lucky for us, he returned to his alma mater and never hung up his cleats. For 28 seasons, Coach Sitton has led his team and truth be told, the folks in Humble would be lost without Coach Sitton. Some say he bleeds purple, and I don't question it.

It is said that the measure of a man is the influence that he has on the lives of others. Coach Sitton has undoubtedly made a lasting impact on the many students and teachers he has worked with over his career. He has guided the Wildcats to 8 District Championships, 2 Regional Semi Finals, 2 Regional Finals, 17 playoff appearances and been named Coach of the Year 9 times. Throughout Coach Sitton's tenure, more than 80 players have gone on to play college baseball, and some went on to play professionally. And, on February 23rd, he led his team to another significant milestone: 500 career wins.

Our hometown hero Coach Sitton also has done great things off the field. He has volunteered many hours to numerous community activities and non-profit organizations. He created the Houston Area Baseball Coaches Association. This association raises money for scholarships and helps unsigned players find colleges to further their playing skills. But, his remarkable contributions to our town were almost taken away too soon. On January 12, 2009, Coach Sitton was involved in a near- fatal motorcycle accident, suffering multiple fractures, head trauma, a broken nose, bleeding in his brain, 2 cracked ribs and a broken pelvis. The community immediately acted to help Coach Sitton and his family. They set up an account so that friends and family could donate money to help pay for medical expenses and they cooked and delivered meals to the family during his recovery. The outpouring of support from the Humble/Kingwood community was in true fashion of Wildcat Pride.

We are grateful and blessed that he survived and, remarkably, is once again dedicating all of his time to our local community. The community is proud of Coach David Sitton for all of his accomplishments as a coach and a leader. His most recent victory was winning his 500th game as the head coach of the Humble Wildcats. We are lucky that he will continue to provide positive mentorship as a coach, husband, father, role model and educator. The Wildcats, and the entire city of Humble, are fortunate to call him one of our own.

Now, let's play ball.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, as the sun rose in the Hill Country shortly before 8 a.m., she breathed her first breath of life. She weighed 6 pounds, 12 ounces, and was 19\1/2\ inches long as she arrived in Round Rock, Texas, on April 12 of this year.

Presley Poe is the fourth child born to Suzy and Kurt Poe.

I call Presley #10 since I refer to each of our grandchildren not only by name but by their birth numbers as well.

Anyway, Presley, like all of us, did not choose her family or her place of birth, but she is blessed to be born to a God-fearing family and in a Nation like no other.

There is something about little girls that makes us smile. Maybe it's their happy spirit. Or is it that little glow of angelic quality with a speck of mischief? Or maybe it is we see in their eyes a hope for a better and gentler world. It's all of these, of course.

So, welcome to the world, Presley. As your grandfather, I hope you walk in the path of goodness, giving, and gratitude--and that you attend the University of Texas and not Texas A&M.

And that's just the way it is.

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, I visited Hargrave High School in Huffman, Texas. Students at this school come from hardworking, rural, lower-middle class families. I met with 400 seniors, and almost every one of them had a job. I was impressed by their intelligent questions about government and the state of this country.

One student, Karina Garduno, asked me this:

Why should those of us that work hard have to sacrifice our tax dollars for free handouts to potheads and others that are too lazy to work? This has nothing to do with being black, brown or white, because I'm Hispanic. They should be made to try harder to find work and submit to drug testing to qualify for this money.

Mr. Speaker, Karina and several other students remember the concept many people have forgotten--personal responsibility. The American Dream means that if you work hard, you can do anything in this country. And it's the individual, not the Federal Government, who controls our future. Young people must know that hard work still pays off because it is the American way.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, the white ribbon campaign's theme is ``No Excuse for Abuse.''

Crystal Harris was raped by her abusive husband, and it was not the first time he hurt her, abused her, or even threatened her. But this particular crime and rape was caught on tape. So, Shawn Harris was convicted and sent to prison for 6 years. It sounds like justice prevailed. The outlaw was put away. But that's not the rest of the story.

A judge ordered that once the sex offender husband gets out of jail for rape, the victim must pay him $1,000 a month in spousal support and, get this, she has to pay the legal bills for the divorce--his legal bills.

The victim has to pay the rapist. It should be the other way around. The criminal should be paying Crystal restitution because rape is never the fault of the victim, and a victim never owes the perpetrator anything.

No judge, no law should force victims to financially support convicted rapists because there is no excuse for abuse.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, Vietnamese citizen Binh Thai Luc was convicted of armed robbery of a Chinese restaurant in California in 1996. He received 10 years in prison. He was also ordered by an immigration judge to be deported back to Vietnam. But Vietnam has never taken back the lawfully deported criminal. U.S. law does not allow indefinite incarceration, so after an additional 180 days, Luc was released on American streets. Last weekend, Luc struck again. This time, he murdered five people in San Francisco.

Mr. Speaker, there should be consequences for countries like Vietnam who fail to take back their lawfully deported criminals. There are several thousand criminals ordered deported back to their native lands where their nations just don't ever get around to taking them back. So I have introduced the Deport Foreign Convicted Criminals Act to prohibit the issuance of diplomatic visas to nations who do not take back their outlaws in a timely matter.

The blood of those five murdered victims is not only the fault of Luc, but it's also on the hands of the Vietnamese Government.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, the Founders purposely defined the role of government in the U.S. Constitution to protect ``We the people'' from the chains of government.

Today, the United States Supreme Court began 3 days of oral arguments on the nationalized health care law. The issue: whether or not the Federal Government has the constitutional authority to force citizens to buy government-approved insurance.

But much more than that is at stake.

Mr. Speaker, if this law stands, it is the end of limited government as we know it and the beginning of unlimited government forced upon the people.

Citizens are frightened.

Our ancestors were forced to pay a tax on tea, so they threw the British tea in the sea. This nationalized health care law should be thrown into the sea of government oppression.

If the Supreme Court upholds this law, we will be on a path of return to the philosophy of the British Crown, where Americans were mere subjects of omnipotent, unlimited government. Then the constitutional days of limited government will drown in the abyss of the sea.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Chair, ObamaCare is unconstitutional and must be repealed in its entirety. That is why I voted for the full repeal of the President's nationalized healthcare bill, including the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). I have also introduced legislation to defund the individual mandate provision of ObamaCare. Although I fully support the repeal of IPAB and have cosponsored legislation to repeal it (H.R. 452), I cannot support final passage of H.R. 5 because the bill includes provisions that I believe violate States' rights and the 10th Amendment. As a strict constitutionalist and a fierce defender of States' rights, I cannot accept replacing one unconstitutional law with another.

H.R. 5 imposes a Federal medical liability cap on the States. In effect, this allows the Federal Government to overrule the State governments that have decided to prohibit liability caps. Five States already have constitutional prohibitions on liability caps. I believe that H.R. 5 will supersede these State constitutions and override the will of those legislatures. I myself believe in medical liability caps, like we have in Texas; however, if another State's voters do not want such reform, that is their decision to make. And, their doctors are welcome to keep coming to Texas.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Madam Speaker, the nationalized health care bill will soon go before the Supreme Court.

The issue: Does the Federal Government have the constitutional authority to force Americans to buy government ordained and approved health insurance, or else? Or else face the wrath and punishment of government.

The government does not have the authority to force citizens to buy any product, whether it is health insurance, a car, or a box of doughnuts.

If the Supreme Court allows this government invasion of choice, what is next?

Is the government, under the guise of it knows best, going to force citizens to buy only government approved green cars, only government houses, only government food?

The health care individual mandate is a denial of liberty.

Yes, we need to fix health care, but does anyone really want to turn over the Nation's health care to the government? The government seldom does anything better.

If you like the compassion of the IRS, the efficiency of the post office, and the competency of FEMA, you will love the unconstitutional, nationalized health care bill.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, Monday morning I attended the funeral of Captain Thomas ``Bill'' Dillion of the Houston Fire Department. Captain Dillion was rushing into a house fire on March 14 when he apparently died of a heart attack. Captain Dillion has three children, was 49 years of age, and had spent 23 years with the Houston Fire Department. Bill's crew at Station 69 spoke about his courage and how his contagious happy mood was so infectious. He was a firemen's firefighter.

Mr. Speaker, the firefighters have a prayer to the Great Almighty about their public service, saving lives and saving property. Here is how the prayer reads:

When I am called to duty, God

Wherever flames may rage

Give me strength to save a life

Whatever be its age.

Let me embrace a little child

Before it is too late

Or save an older person from

The horror of that fate.

Enable me to be alert

And hear the weakest shout,

And quickly and efficiently

To put the fire out.

I want to fill my calling

To give the best in me,

To guard my friend and neighbor

And protect their property.

And, if, according to Your will,

I must answer death's call,

Please bless, with Your protecting hand,

My family one and all.

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, the gulf coast is known for its whip-whirling tropical storms, devastating hurricanes, wildfires, and floods; and whenever such storms hit, C 130 aircraft sweep in from Fort Worth, Texas, at a moment's notice. They bring lifesaving supplies and cargo to rescue civilians. The C 130s have carried out 423 gulf storm response missions, evacuated 300 storm victims, and transported over 900 tons of emergency supplies to the gulf region alone.

But, Madam Speaker, for some reason, the Air Force wants to remove the C 130s from Texas and send them to Montana. Madam Speaker, when is the last time you heard of a hurricane in Montana?

The expensive, unwise transfer of the C 130s would cost taxpayers $100 million.

The C 130s have come to the rescue in Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Ike, and Gustav. When I served in a C 130 unit at Houston's Ellington Field in the seventies, I came to know how efficient these aircraft are. That's why they are nicknamed the ``Hercules.''

Keep these lifesaving planes in the gulf where they are needed. Don't send them to Montana.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, as the bagpipes played in the background, the black cloth of sacrifice was draped over the badges of Houston first responders yesterday.

Senior Captain Thomas ``Bill'' Dillion of the Houston Fire Department was rushing into a house fire on March 14 when he apparently died of a heart attack. Captain Dillion was 49 years of age and had spent 23 years with the Houston Fire Department. He had three children.

With somber respect, hundreds of Texas firefighters, police officers, emergency medical technicians, and citizens attended his funeral. Mr. Speaker, 300 firefighters from other towns in Texas volunteered their time to fill in at Houston Fire Department stations so Houston firefighters could attend the funeral.

Firefighters are a family of dedicated, loyal public servants. Captain Dillion and other firefighters spend their lives rescuing people they do not know and protecting property they have never seen from fire. Most of us flee danger; firefighters rush to the smell of smoke and the heat of danger.

Bill's crew at Station 69 spoke yesterday about him, saying he was a devout Christian, had a contagious happy mood, loved to fish and, of course, liked country music.

Captain Dillion and his fellow firefighters are a remarkable breed, a rare breed, the American breed. We thank them, one and all.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, it seems the administration may open up the emergency strategic petroleum reserves under the economic theory that more supply will lower the price of oil and gasoline.

If the President's theory of supply is correct, then why not allow more oil shale leasing in the West? Why not say yes to more oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico? Why not say yes to the Keystone pipeline? Why not remove the slow permitting processes?

If it wasn't for more oil production on nongovernment lands, the situation of supply would be even worse.

The administration wants to save us from the high cost of gasoline by increasing supply. I agree. So I've introduced legislation that would require the administration to do all of the above before it can tap into the SPR.

Let's increase our energy supply and give Americans some relief at the pump. We don't need a temporary fix in supply. We need a long-term energy supply solution.

And that's just the way it is.