Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, this is a photograph of Frank Buckles. It was taken when he was about 16 years of age. He may have been 15; he may have been 17.

You see, Frank Buckles Jr. joined the United States Army in the great World War I, and he lied to get into the Army so he could serve America in France. They called them doughboys when they went to Europe. He drove an ambulance so he could rescue other doughboys who had been wounded and killed on the battlefield in Flanders and other places in Belgium and France.

After the great World War I was over with, he came back home to the United States, while 114,000 doughboys did not return alive.

Many of them died from flu that they had contracted in France and died in the United States. Four million served, 114,000 died, and Frank Buckles Jr. got to come home. After the war was over with, when the great World War II started, he was in the Philippines.

He was captured by the Japanese and held as a prisoner of war for 3\1/2\ years. And shortly before he was to be executed by the Japanese, he was rescued as other prisoners of war, Americans, Filipinos, were rescued.

He spent the remainder of his years in the United States. He drove a tractor in West Virginia until he was 107. And then last year, at the age of 110, Frank Buckles died. Frank Buckles had a mission before he died. It was to see that all who lived and died and served in the great World War I were remembered by this country. You see, he was the last doughboy. He was the last American who died from the great World War I.

This second photograph is a more recent photograph taken when Frank Buckles and I and others were at the

D.C. Memorial for World War I veterans. Frank Buckles and others, including myself, Members of the Senate and Members of this House, wanted to see that the D.C. Memorial, which was exclusively to remember the veterans from D.C., great Americans who lived, fought, and died representing our country in the great World War I, to see that this D.C. Memorial was expanded to not only honor the D.C. veterans who served, but all Americans who served in World War I. After all, it is on The National Mall where we have three other great memorials to the four important wars of the last century. You see, America built the Vietnam Memorial, then built the Korean Memorial, and then built the World War II Memorial. But there is no memorial on The National Mall for all Americans who served in the great World War I. And it is time that we do that, that we honor all that served, not just the few, but all of them.

So I've introduced legislation along with my friend from Missouri, Emanuel Cleaver, to have legislation that will do three things:

First of all, it will take this memorial that you see in the back of this photograph, the World War I D.C. Memorial. At the time this photograph was taken, it was in a state of disrepair. It has since been repaired by the National Park Service which oversees the memorial. Take this memorial, honor the D.C. vets and expand it to include and make it the District of Columbia and National World War I Memorial, maybe even give more recognition to the people of D.C. who built the memorial, the schoolchildren who collected money so it could be built many years ago, but make it a memorial for all who served in World War I.

The second thing it would do is also designate the Liberty Memorial in Kansas City as the World War I Museum, which would be in Kansas City, Missouri. You see, it is the museum in the United States that honors and recognizes the history of World War I.

And the third thing that this bill would do is set up a commission so America can commemorate World War I. You see, it's almost been 100 years since that war started. Not much is being said about World War I. I asked a person not too long ago what he remembers about World War I from history books, and he said, Isn't that the war where Snoopy fought the Red Baron?

Unfortunately, too many Americans know nothing about our history, and it's time we do something. And so we're going to have a commission to honor World War I and all who served. This commission is not going to be paid for by the taxpayers. There's no taxpayer money involved in any of this, but it'll be set up to make sure that America remembers the 100th anniversary, and that anniversary is coming up on us.

Mr. Speaker, it's one thing to die for your country. It's another thing, and the worst casualty of war, to be forgotten by your country.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, ``Texas fight, Texas fight and it's goodbye to A&M.'' The words of the Texas fight song rang loud for the last time this year at the annual duel between the University of Texas and Texas A&M.

The last match-up between the two Texas football powerhouses was a bittersweet ending to a 117-year rivalry. Now, the eyes of Texas are upon the Aggies as they abandon the Big 12 for the alluring SEC. With that decision, ends one, if not the greatest football rivalries of all time.

The annual Turkey Day battle between the burnt orange and the maroon is not just a game played once a year; it's not just another team on the schedule. This game makes or breaks the season. It's a rivalry in every sense of the word; a chance for bragging rights for a whole year among family and friends. Neighborhood kids that grow up playing with each other become gridiron gladiators, fighting for the ultimate goal of beating the other. This football game divides households, friendships, and the state of Texas.

This past Thanksgiving, a historic battle between two Texas universities ran deep in the pulse of Texans who have watched year after year as these two waged war. With their final game, it's happy trails to a Texas tradition that I have grown up with, that my kids have grown up with and one that I would love my grandkids to grow up with.

The Longhorns walked out of Kyle field with a 27-25 victory and the bragging rights for at least another 10 years (or until a non- conference game becomes available). As the Aggies left their Austin counter-parts for what they believe are bigger and better fields in the SEC, they ended a 117-year relationship with the sudden divorce. Maybe the Aggies were tired of playing in the shadow of BEVO. After all, Texas holds a 2-1 lead in overall wins.

Not all people are glad about the end of this era. Even some Texas citizens with no ties to either school have suggested the legislature pass a law requiring the two state schools to play each other every year in football.

The rivalry between UT and Texas A&M is beyond a Saturday football game. Here at home, college football has become somewhat of a religion to many people--a deep-rooted passion between rival mascots and school colors clashing into hard-hitting victories. It's the Junction Boys, the Tyler Rose, the last-minute touchdown run by Vince Young in the Rose Bowl for the National Championship.

This is beyond college football; it's Texas football. Nowhere is it exemplified better than between the two schools.

It all started in the 19th century. Grover Cleveland was president when on Friday, Oct. 19, 1894, the University of Texas and Texas A&M University began their on-field feud. Texas A&M was a military academy until the mid-60s. The Aggies' record against the burnt orange suffered because of this, but this game was a must win among both schools. The Aggies hired legendary coach Bear Bryant as head coach and athletic director, but Bryant only defeated the University of Texas one time in the four years he commanded before moving on to Alabama.

As A&M transitioned out of being solely a military academy, their traditions against the Longhorns were passed down from generation to generation. The two universities fed off of each other's student camaraderie by trying to out-do the other with war hymns, anthems, school pride, pep rallies and hand signs. Both schools even denounce the other in their school songs.

Legend has it that the UT mascot BEVO established his name after Aggies branded the steer with a 13-0 score from the 1915 season. After the branding, Texas officials tuned the 13 into the letter B and added the E and V into the middle, creating the name BEVO--one of the most recognized mascots in college football. Modern Texas revisionists claim this is all bunk. Who knows.

Even today, A&M has their hand in the well-being of the beloved mascot. When BEVO becomes ill, Texas officials have to quietly transport him to the College Station campus--to A&M's top ranked veterinarian program. They see it as a top secret mission so as to not invoke the students to ``defame'' the legendary steer.

Today, the rivalry between the students of each school is still alive. But there is no more football between the schools. The last game has been played; the teams have left the field; and the clock has ticked down to 0:00. In their losing effort this year, the Aggie faithful sang the `` Aggie War Hymn'' for the last time at the UT-A&M game. ``So it is goodbye to Texas University, so long to the orange and the white. . . .'' This may be so, but it ought not to be. The people of State of Texas deserve to see these two great universities do their annual Thanksgiving battle with the pigskin. There is too much history and too much fight left for these football teams to abolish a Texas tradition.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, today there are thousands of Americans who are forced to pay $3.50 a gallon just to fill up their car to get to work. And there are more than 14 million other Americans who can't get to work because they don't have jobs.

Meanwhile, the little fellow from the desert, Ahmadinejad of Iran, threatens to block the Strait of Hormuz and thus control oil shipments and the international price of oil.

The Keystone XL pipeline would bring 700,000 barrels of oil per day from our stable, friendly ally, Canada. And it would bring it down to my district in southeast Texas. It would create at least 20,000 jobs and over 100,000 related jobs. But the administration arbitrarily just said ``no'' to jobs, ``no'' to energy, and ``no'' to national security. This pipeline is in the national interest. Build the pipeline. Make unstable Middle Eastern countries irrelevant. Put Americans back to work, lower the cost of energy.

While the administration continues to say ``no'' to Americans, Congress has the obligation and legal ability to say ``yes'' to America.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, in 1996, Evelyn Mezzich was driving drunk.

She fell asleep at the wheel and had a head-on collision with a telephone pole.

The accident barely harmed Evelyn, but it killed her 18-year old roommate Lindsay Brashier and permanently paralyzed another passenger.

Mezzich was indicted for intoxicated manslaughter in Texas.

After posting bail, she and her parents skipped town, heading to their native Peru.

But Peru refuses to extradite her in flagrant disregard for the provisions of the extradition treaty between Peru and the United States.

Evelyn Mezzich is living out her life in Peru, while Lindsay Brashier's family and the other victim are suffering.

Yet we still continue to give foreign aid to Peru.

This is just one example of a case in which countries who have treaties with the U.S. fail to comply.

This is an injustice for United States citizens.

Why do we continue to hastily give money to countries that hate us and refuse to cooperate with our government?

Members of Congress decide how to spend Americans' tax dollars overseas by voting on one big bill that sends money to various countries around the world.

I believe it is irresponsible and plain wrong to give money to countries who are denying justice to our citizens.

Let's start voting individually on every one of these countries that want our aid rather than put all countries in one massive bill.

We need to start taking care of America before we start sending American money to countries throughout the world.

We cannot continue to reward countries that do not comply with treaties and refuse to extradite criminals.

It's a time to reconsider foreign aid.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, the United States Constitution is the law of the land. It must be followed in the spirit and in the letter of the law.

Article II, in section 2, gives the Executive authority to appoint certain public ministers with advice and consent of the U.S. Senate. When the Senate is in recess, the Executive can make temporary appointments until the end of that legislative session.

See, the Constitution envisions cooperation by the Executive with the Senate over naming persons to offices that rule over the people of America. Both the Executive and the Senate must agree prior to an official appointment.

The Senate, within their legal prerogative, has been blocking three NLRB appointments and the appointment of the head of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

However, ignoring the Senate, the Executive appointed these people anyway. He declared the Senate was in recess when he made such appointments. But was it?

Well, constitutional experts disagree. The Senate was in a pro forma session. One reason they were in pro forma session was to prevent recess appointments by the executive branch. During pro forma sessions, the Senate can do business and meet another constitutional requirement to not be in recess without permission of the House of Representatives.

More from the Constitution. Article I, section 5 says no Chamber, the House or the Senate, can recess for more than 3 days without the approval of the other Chamber. The House did not and even could not agree to a recess of the Senate because the Senate was in session, not in a recess.

The Executive's claim that the Senate was in a recess is flawed because the House did not consent to any Senate recess. Thus, the Senate legally had to still be in session until the House agreed to a recess under our Constitution.

Furthermore, Congress determines when it's in recess, not the executive branch.

There is more evidence the Senate was in session. The Executive says the pro forma session was not a real session but a recess, so, thus, the recess appointments. However, during this pro forma session, the Senate passed legislation. The controversial payroll tax extension law became law signed by the Executive.

If the Senate was in recess, as the Executive claims, then it seems the payroll extension law is null and void. Why? Because Congress cannot pass legislation unless it's actually in session.

However, the opposite is true. Since the payroll tax law was passed during this pro forma session, and the appointments were made during this pro forma session, the appointments are null and void. They violate the letter and spirit of the Constitution. They were made without confirmation of the Senate. These were not recess appointments because the Senate was in session.

The Executive cannot have it both ways. The Executive cannot use linguistic gimmicks to redefine the words ``recess'' and ``session'' to his own liking, just so he can have it his way. The letter and spirit of the Constitution have been bruised and violated by his actions.

The Constitution must be followed, whether one agrees with what it says or not. Even if the Executive wins his argument, which is legally and logically flawed, he has ignored the framework of the Constitution, which is built on Executive cooperation with Congress.

The Executive went his own way. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, there is disturbing news today regarding our national security and economic security. Politico reports that the administration will say ``no'' to the Keystone XL pipeline today. So ``no'' to thousands of union and nonunion jobs to build the pipeline, and ``no'' to refinery jobs in southeast Texas. ``No'' to obtaining oil from a reliable nation and ally like Canada.

But ``yes'' to more oil from dictators like Chavez from Venezuela; ``yes'' to being held hostage to Middle Eastern oil and dictators like Ahmadinejad, who now threatens to stop oil tankers from going through the Straits of Hormuz. And ``yes'' to insulting Canada.

The Prime Minister of Canada says that he will build a pipeline, but now it will go to his west coast, and that crude oil will be loaded on Chinese tankers--China, our national competitor regarding the economy. Isn't that lovely.

If the administration chooses to say ``no'' to Keystone XL, the administration chooses poorly.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, the little tyrant from the desert in Iran is saber rattling and rattling the nerves of many Americans. Ahmadinejad is threatening to block oil from going through the Strait of Hormuz. This would raise the price of gasoline in America.

Meanwhile, 3 years have gone by, and the administration continues to delay, delay, delay a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline project.

Approval of this pipeline would immediately create 20,000 jobs in America and bring in 700,000 barrels of oil a day. At first, the administration decided not to decide until 2013. However, new law requires the administration to make a decision by February 21, but there are grumblings the administration may find a way to ignore this provision of the law.

Americans are in need of a stable source of energy, and they are thirsty for jobs. This country needs energy from a reliable and stable country like Canada. We should make Middle Eastern oil and its politics of turmoil irrelevant.

The administration needs to pick a horse and ride it. Build the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to Port Arthur, Texas.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, just about sunrise in the desert of the sun and the valley of the gun, the last American troops left Iraq. It was this past Sunday, December 18, 2011. It has been 8 years, 7 months, and 24 days since the war began. The Americans are coming home by Christmas. Mission accomplished.

4,474 Americans gave their lives, and thousands of others were wounded. The last American casualty was Army Specialist David Emanuel Hickman from North Carolina, killed on November 14. These Americans died in a land they had never been for a people they had never known.

The Americans have liberated Iraq from a dictatorship. To apply Ben Franklin's statement on the founding of America: We have given the Iraqis a free country; let's see if they can keep it or not.

The choice and responsibility for Iraq is now with Iraq, but we here in America shall remember those who served and returned, those who served and did not return, and those who served and returned with the wounds of war. As one wounded trooper said yesterday: ``The worst casualty of war is to be forgotten.''

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, each week my neighbors take the time to make their opinions known through emails, phone calls, and letters. Today's Pulse of Texas is from a Federal employee in Humble, Texas, who recently wrote me with these wise observations:

``I am an 11-year Federal Government employee who works hard, and yet I'm on a 2-3 year pay freeze while unemployment benefits are extended over and over again. I live in a house that I purchased because I could afford it, yet my tax dollars go to bail out bad lenders and borrowers. My children go to colleges that they can afford. They all held jobs during college, and the oldest graduated with zero in student loan debt, yet now there is a plan to bail out those who went to schools above their means. Enough is enough.

``Please help break the cycle of entitlement and lack of personal responsibility that the government is fostering in this country.''

Mr. Speaker, America should be the land of freedom and opportunity, not more free stuff and entitlement.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, Winston Churchill, born to a British father and an American mother. Winston Churchill, to me, is the person of the 20th century that is an example of a leader that motivated the free world in its defeat of the tyrants of tyranny.

His importance to us here today is not only because he served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 when our two nations battled together to save civilization from the grips of the Nazis and the Japanese, but also because of his steadfast unwillingness to ever surrender. He still serves as a guiding light to America and to free peoples throughout the world.

In World War II, during the Battle of Britain, London endured systematic bombing by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights, which destroyed or damaged over a million London homes and killed more than 40,000 British citizens. To bolster resolve among the British people, Winston Churchill gave the following speech:

``Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous states have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all of the apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail.

``We shall go on to the end; we shall fight in France; we shall fight on the seas and the oceans; we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air. We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be.

``We shall fight on the beaches; we shall fight on the landing grounds; we shall fight in the fields and in the streets; we shall fight in the hills.

``We shall never surrender.''

Mr. Speaker, history shows Britain never did surrender. And along with the United States and the rest of the Allies, they defeated tyranny and the zeal of the Nazi to enslave peoples in the East and the West.

Today our country faces many daunting problems. The world is still a very dangerous place, and there are those who would snuff out the flame of freedom. We can learn from the resolve of Winston Churchill. Our Nation will get through tough times, both home and abroad, just as the Allies did in World War II.

Americans need to be strong and courageous, not timid and weak; work together and remember, as Churchill so eloquently encouraged the British people in 1940, that some things are worth fighting for. And, Mr. Speaker, America is one of those noble ideals.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, each year the Heisman Memorial Trophy is presented to the ``outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity.'' The 2011 winner, Baylor University Quarterback Robert Griffin III, or RG3 as he's known to fans, highly deserves American collegiate athletics most celebrated honor.

Robert was born in Okinawa, Japan to two U.S. Army Sergeants. They would eventually settle in football-mad Texas, home of the original Friday Night Lights, but Robert's talents could not be contained to the gridiron. He was a three sport star for Copperas Cove High School, excelling in baseball, football, and track.

Recruiters came from across the nation to bring Robert's talents to their University, but he believed in the message of Head Coach Art Briles and followed him to Baylor, not known as a football powerhouse. In 2008 Robert shined, starting 11 of his 12 games and winning the Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors. The Bears finished 4-8 but their future was bright.

2010 was the breakthrough year for RG3 and the Baylor Bears. They fought to a 7-5 record and played in their first bowl game in over 15 years and also ranked in the national top 25 for the first time in 30 years. Robert dug deep inside himself and vowed to lead the Bears through uncharted waters--football prominence.

The 2011 season started off with a bang. The Bears defeated #14 TCU, the previous year's Rose Bowl winner. Robert would command the Bears to a 9-3 record, their best in over 25 years, including upsets of Texas and, for the first time in school history, then #5 Oklahoma. Griffin was dangerous in the air and on his feet, passing for 3,998 yards and 36 touchdowns while rushing for 644 yards and 9 touchdowns. He lead the nation with a 192.31 passing efficiency, on pace to shatter the all- time record. The success propelled the team into a bowl for the second consecutive year and made Griffin the 77th Heisman Trophy winner and first from Baylor University.

Robert was a leader both on and off the field. The perennial Honor Roll student graduated in three years with his political science degree and will finish his Masters in Communication next spring. He is as known for his faith as he is his football abilities. Upon winning the trophy in New York City, he and his military family immediately headed to the Ground Zero 9/11 memorial for some reflection. Robert never forgot his roots.

Mr. Speaker, it is always refreshing to see good things happen to good people, and Robert Griffin III deserves all the success and more. I am honored to commemorate his accomplishments and proud to call him a Texan.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, in the piney woods of east Texas, the small town of Athens in Henderson County is getting ready for the holidays. A group of local volunteers with Keep Athens Beautiful has placed a nativity scene on the far corner of the courthouse square. It has been there for the last 10 years with no complaints from residents.

But a group of out-of-towners, not from Athens, not even from Texas, but from a thousand miles away in Wisconsin, have self-righteously objected to the nativity scene. The antireligious hate group demands baby Jesus be evicted from the courthouse lawn.

The county judge politely said no local citizen has complained about the scene, and he really doesn't care what somebody from Wisconsin thinks. He even invited other religious groups to use the courthouse square, but no one has asked to do so.

The county officials don't appear to be succumbing to the intimidation tactics of the bigoted group that wants to censor religion. County commissioner Joe Hall made it clear: ``We will remove the nativity scene when hell freezes over. It's not going anywhere.''

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, Christians in Egypt are under attack. The revolution may have overthrown a longtime dictator, but it has not freed Christians there from decades of persecution. In fact, it may have made matters worse.

Christians in Egypt are a deeply rooted minority of about 10 million in a largely Muslim society of 81 million. Prior to the revolution, they had a hard time. Discrimination was not an official policy of the Mubarak regime--he didn't want to lose his aid dollars the U.S. was giving him--but he sure made it hard on Christians. When Christians wanted to build a new church or renovate their own, they had to get a permit. That's fine, except for the fact that the Mubarak government intentionally delayed the permitting process. Churches would have to wait years for permits--some churches are still waiting. Mubarak pretended to fix this problem when he handed permitting control over to the 28 regional governors, but wait times for a permit didn't get any better.

They were also discriminated against when it came to appointments to high-level government and military posts. There were only a handful of Christians in the upper ranks of the security services and armed forces. There was one Christian governor out of 28, one elected Member of Parliament out of 454 seats, no known university presidents or deans, and very few legislators or judges. According to the State Department, public university training programs for Arabic-language teachers exclude non-Muslims because the curriculum involves the study of the Koran.

Other discrimination was official for everyone to see. Under Egyptian law, Muslim men can marry Christian women but Muslim women are prohibited from marrying Christian men.

And sometimes discrimination progressed to outright violence against Christians. In September 2010, in the Omraneya district of Cairo, Egyptian authorities reportedly used excessive force and live ammunition on peaceful demonstrators protesting the government's continued refusal to approve a license to build a local church extension. Two people, including a teenager, were killed, and dozens were wounded. No one has been brought to justice.

When the government was using excessive force, it was radical Islamists. On January 1, 2011, a bomb detonated in front of a Coptic church, Al Qiddissin (Two Saints), in Alexandria, where a New Year's prayer service was being held. At least 23 Christians were killed and nearly 100 wounded in the worst sectarian attack on Christians in Egypt in more than a decade. On January 23, then-Interior Minister Habib El- Adly asserted that conclusive evidence pointed to a militant group, Army of Islam, as responsible for the attack.

On January 11, 2011, an off-duty police officer opened fire in a train in Minya province, killing one Christian and injuring five others. The shooter, a Muslim, was charged with murder and will be tried in a state security court. The Ministry of Interior denied the shooting was sectarian.

When the revolution came, thousands of Christians fueled the protests, yearning for a new government that would respect the religious beliefs of its own people. But just a few weeks after the revolution, it became clear that Christians were actually in more danger.

During the revolution, a bunch of bad guys escaped prison. To protect themselves, monks at the Anba Bishoy monastery north of Cairo built a security wall. Well, the Egyptian military didn't like that very much, so in late February they tore down the wall with machine guns and bulldozers. You can see video online of monks running for cover as the military is opening fire with heavy machinery. A monk and six church workers were injured in the process.

In February the governor of el-Minya, demolished 10 Coptic homes because the owners of those homes refused to contribute one-fifth of their property to build a mosque.

In early March in Cairo, 13 people were killed and nearly 150 wounded in clashes that erupted during large-scale demonstrations by Christians protesting the destruction of a church in the provincial town of Sol. The demonstrators called for the rebuilding of the church, punishment of perpetrators, and better treatment by Egyptian authorities. Some of the demonstrations reportedly blocked major highways. According to some accounts, the Egyptian military stood by for as long as four hours without intervening in the clashes.

On March 20, in Qena, Salafists, including an off-duty policeman, accused a Copt named Ayman Mitri of renting an apartment to a prostitute, cut off one of his ears and mutilated his other ear. The attackers then informed the police that they had carried out the punishment required by Islamic law. As was usual under Mubarak, the police refrained from pressing charges and called for a ``reconciliation'' meeting between the religious communities. The Christian man agreed to compensation during the reconciliation session instead of pursuing criminal charges because the extremists allegedly threatened his family.

Also as under Mubarak, the authorities' refusal to punish attacks on Christians has led to more attacks. On March 23, Salafists surrounded St. George's church in Beni Ahmad and successfully demanded that a church expansion approved by the government be stopped. On March 27, they blockaded St. Mary's church in Giza, saying it did not have a permit. After yet another ``reconciliation'' meeting between Copts and Muslims, services at the church were forbidden until it acquired a new permit.

On March 28, Salafists attacked a liquor store in Kasr El-Bassil owned by a Copt, destroyed other stores, and demanded that coffee shops be closed. One villager was killed and eight others injured. On April 5, hundreds occupied St. John the Beloved church in Kamadeer, stopping repairs after heavy rain, and told Copts that they were not allowed to pray there anymore. After yet another ``reconciliation,'' Copts were told to build a church 200 meters away, one without a dome, cross, bell, or any other external feature marking it as a church.

Beginning on April 15, over 10,000 demonstrators, mostly Salafists, protested in the southern province of Qena against the appointment of a new governor, Emad Mikhail, who is a Christian (the previous governor, Magdy Ayoub, was also Christian). Protesters blocked main roads, stopped buses to separate men and women passengers, and disrupted the main rail route in Upper Egypt for eight days. There were threats to bar Mikhail from the province and even to kill him. Tensions ran so high that local Christians stayed inside and couldn't celebrate Palm Sunday. The armed forces refused to intervene, and, although Egypt's cabinet initially rejected calls for the governor's resignation, on April 25, Prime Minister Essam Sheraf surrendered and said he would ``freeze'' the appointment for three months.

On April 28, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom for the first time recommended to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that Egypt be labeled a ``Country of Particular Concern (CPC).'' This designation refers, as commission chair Leonard Leo noted, to ``the world's worst religious freedom violators and human rights abusers.''

The abuse continues, with the worst violence against Christians in decades.

On October 9 thousands of peaceful demonstrators marched in downtown Cairo to protest the attack of a Coptic Christian church and called for an end to the systematic discrimination against Copts by the Egyptian authorities. At some point in the protest, violent clashes erupted between the protesters and the Egyptian military forces. Video shows Egyptian military tanks speeding through crowds and running over protesters. At one point, the Egyptian State Television aired a message calling on ``honorable citizens'' to

take to the streets to protect the Egyptian army from ``the Coptic protesters.'' The call was answered by Islamists who came in to join the violence against the Christians. In what is now known as the ``Maspero Massacre,'' over 25 people were killed and 300 injured. This marked the first time that the military--not the state police or radical Islamist groups--used violence against Christians.

Since the revolution, 5 churches have been attacked. The most disturbing part of these attacks is that they all happened in broad daylight, with the military standing by and watching. Those perpetrators who are clearly identified by video footage of the attacks have still not been arrested.

Former state security officials who tortured Christians have not been brought to justice either. One woman has burn marks on her arms and on her inner thighs from state security officials that wanted to know who the priest was who baptized her and what church she was baptized in. She wouldn't give his name, so the torture went on for three days. She knows the names of her abusers because they made sure they introduced themselves before they started the torture. But have they been tried? No.

Another man was tortured by state security because he converted from Islam to Christianity. He described how they removed his clothing, tied him down and put a metal chair between his legs and tied wires around his genitals and to his toes and then turned on the electricity. He knows the exact location of where he was tortured and the name of the person who tortured him, but of course he has not been brought to justice.

There is one more disturbing story to tell and that has to do with the kidnapping, rape, and forced marriage of Christian women to Muslim men. In testimony before the Helsinki Commission, it was described like this.

Christian girls are lured to an isolated place, drugged and kidnapped. Often, they are raped. They are then forced to marry their rapist and forbidden from returning to their families. Here is one story from Christian Solidarity International and the Coptic Foundation for Human Rights' report.

R. was abducted October 11, 2005. She had lived in the same neighborhood all of her life and knew all the neighbors. She was especially good friends with the daughter of a neighboring Muslim family, Sarah. They practically grew up together and were like sisters, inseparable. Sarah had an admirer named Wali, a classmate, who called her all the time. Wali began to call for Sarah on R.'s phone. His calls became so frequent that finally R. told Wali to stop calling her. He became very angry. ``You will regret telling me not to call you,'' he said in a threatening voice. She stopped seeing Sara after that. This happened in 2004.

After a year and a half, she received a call from Wali's telephone number. The voice was different and polite. A young man introduced himself as Amir, and said that he was an admirer of hers. He also knew everything about her. He wanted to meet her in a church. When R. said that she did not usually meet people she did not know, he replied that he knew she was on her way to church and that he would wait for her outside. There, he introduced himself and asked R.'s mother for her hand in marriage. The mother replied that it was not so simple. Amir went to their flat the next day to speak to R.'s father. Amir told R.'s father that he wanted nothing from the family except for their daughter's hand in marriage. He had seen her in the street and instantly felt that she would be a perfect wife for him.

R.'s father did not want them to date until he met the boy's parents. Amir kept giving excuses: his mother was sick and his father was out of town. Finally, he told them that his father died. R.'s parents wanted to go as a family to pay respects but Amir said that this would not be necessary since his home was far away.

Later that week, Amir's sister contacted them and came to meet R. R. was engaged and ready to be married. She said she was not deeply in love, but that Amir seemed like a decent person. Amir's sister Christina asked R to go shopping with them. R.'s mother initially opposed the idea but finally relented when the girls told her they would not go far.

Christina offered to find a taxi and returned saying she had found one quickly. In retrospect, R. says that this was odd since they lived in a neighborhood in which it was usually difficult to find taxis.

Christina gave directions to the taxi driver to a close- by shopping area. It was a warm day and Christina offered R. some juice. R. declined but Christina insisted and drank it, remembering that the bottle was already opened. By the time she finished her juice, she felt quite dizzy. The taxi took a detour onto a dirt road and stopped in an isolated area. The driver said that there was something wrong with the car and he needed to check. Christina got out as well.

A van pulled up full of people and some came over to get her. Amir was one of them.

R. could not talk, even though she wanted to ask many questions. They began to beat her and she fainted.

When she woke up, she was in bed surrounded by many different strange men. ``Amir'' told her that he was in reality Wali, whom she had dismissed so abruptly in the past and he reminded her of his threat. He then announced that she was going to be married to a Muslim man.

She wanted to get out of the room but a woman blocked the door. She was locked in the room without her purse or her phone. This was the period of Ramadan, when under Islamic Law it is not possible to marry. Amir insisted on a conversion immediately. She was taken to the religious authorities where five other girls were waiting. All of them were Christians preparing to marry Muslims.

The papers were signed and the conversion was complete. R. was given the Muslim name of Fatimah. She refused to say the proclamation of faith and was beaten.

She was married to another man she had never met, Mahmoud. When she refused to have sex with him, the family held her down while he raped her. She began bleeding profusely.

She stayed with him for 9 months and was beaten every day,The Coptic cross which was tattooed on her wrist was burned off with acid and she still has scars. R. was forced to cover herself completely when she left her home and was called Fatima by the family members. Her veil was black.

R. pretended to observe the Muslim rituals and prayers, but it was just a pretense for her. As a result of the rape and constant beatings, she became physically ill. When her husband went to work, he locked her in the house, alone, without a phone. She was never allowed to leave by herself. On the day of her escape, she told her in-laws that she was going to pray in the mosque but instead she called her mother and said she wanted to come home. She took a taxi to her parents' house. She is unable to have children as a result of the rape.

The practice is horrible and nothing is done about it. One parish father testifies that he has had over 50 cases of forced conversions of Coptic women in one year alone in his congregation. Another bishop says he has 45 women who were abducted and are now living in his safe house.

The Egypiian government has so far failed to protect Coptic Orthodox Christians. All we're talking about here is allowing people to practice what they believe. The government should not be inciting violence against them or running them over with tanks. It should be going after those that burn their places of worship or kidnap, rape, and torture them. Christians need to feel like the government has their back, not that it is out to get them. There cannot be unity and reconciliation until people feel like there is some sort of equality in society. There has to be consequences for persecution. This Administration needs to make the protecting of religious minorities a major point whenever it talks to its counterparts in the Egyptian government. They need to be clear that there will be consequences for them too if nothing changes. Our aid is not endless and it is not free. We should not support tyrants and dictators who oppress their own people. Egypt must uphold fundamental human rights, including protecting Christians.

And that's just the way it is.

Madam Speaker, when most people think of smuggling, they envision outlaws in the dark of night lawlessly shuffling around guns and money to other outlaws. Most people would never imagine that the government of the greatest nation of the world would be engaged in a stealth smuggling operation by sending guns and money to narcoterrorists.

It appears a group of people in the ATF and the DEA, all under the supervision of the Department of Justice, facilitated trafficking of guns and money to the drug cartels--the national enemy of Mexico and of the United States. These vicious cartels have inflicted terror on both sides of the border. They are literally at war with the Mexican people, the people to the south of us, our neighbors.

First we learned that the Justice Department, with the help of the ATF, apparently facilitated smuggling of over 2,000 weapons to the drug cartels. These guns included semiautomatic weapons and sniper rifles. People have died because of this activity. These weapons were used to kill at least 200 Mexican nationals and two U.S. agents.

The Attorney General admitted to me in the Judiciary Committee last week, more people are going to die, all because our government is helping the drug cartels in Mexico obtain automatic weapons.

Of the 2,000 weapons smuggled to Mexico, most are still unaccounted for. We don't know where they are.

The Attorney General is the chief lawyer and law enforcement officer in the country, but he claimed last week in the Judiciary Committee he didn't know about Fast and Furious until recently. He either didn't read the memo or he didn't get the memo. What is more remarkable, Madam Speaker, he claims he doesn't know who authorized the smuggling ring. To coin a phrase from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the idea that Eric Holder, the head of the Department of Justice that oversaw this operation, was not involved or was unaware of what took place requires a ``willing suspension of disbelief.''

The question is: Is there a rogue group of moles operating stealth activity in the Department of Justice? Apparently, no one really knows. The Attorney General also admitted last week that this operation was in fact reckless.

It's worth noting, Madam Speaker, when a person recklessly causes the death of another person, it's the crime of manslaughter. If people under the Attorney General violated U.S. or international law, they need to be accountable for their actions.

It's been almost 1 year since Agent Brian Terry was murdered and when we first learned about this foolish operation we now know as Fast and Furious. Terry was killed by one of these smuggled guns to Mexico, but yet no one claims to know who is responsible.

The second part of the rogue operation was the apparent laundering of money to the Mexican narcoterrorists facilitated, once again, by the United States Government.

According to a New York Times report last week, undercover American narcotics agents from the DEA laundered or smuggled millions of dollars in drug money to the drug cartels. How many millions, no one knows. They allegedly handled the money on its path to the hands of the drug lords. This failed operation, like with the guns, was an effort to track the money and bring down the cartels. Of course, the cartels are as strong as ever.

The administration claimed in a statement last week that it was working with the Mexican Government on the operation on ``joint investigations to detect and dismantle money laundering networks.'' However, according to a spokesperson for President Calderon of Mexico, they had no idea the DEA was involved in this drug money laundering operation.

The DEA and the ATF are under the control of the Justice Department. These disturbing operations facilitated the worst kind of result: They have resulted in people dying. And millions of money and hundreds of guns are unaccounted for.

The drug cartels are the narcoterrorists. They are the enemy of Mexico and the U.S. They exist to obtain money and guns, and the United States helped them get both. Somebody needs to go to jail.

We need an independent counsel to investigate the Justice Department and the ATF. The Justice Department cannot be trusted to investigate themselves because the agency has lost credibility. Even Washington insiders responsible for Fast and Furious and money laundry smuggling cannot hide from the long arm of the American justice system because, Madam Speaker, justice is what we do in this country.

And that's just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, while walking home from school, an innocent 7-year-old girl was abducted and assaulted. Thankfully, the girl was found; but because of the trauma she experienced, she was not able to tell the police what happened to her.

With the help of the Children's Assessment Center, the expertise they had at the center and their child-centered approach, she was able to disclose her experience, and the perpetrator was caught, arrested, and sent to jail.

The Children's Assessment Center in my hometown of Houston, Texas, has served over 50,000 children since 2000 under the leadership of the executive director, Elaine Stolte.

Children's Advocacy Centers, like the one in Houston, provide a place for the evaluation and treatment of abused children in a safe and friendly environment housing experts in various fields so the young victims are not retraumatized by the system.

As a former prosecutor and judge, I have seen firsthand the damage caused by sexual assault on children. I commend the Children's Assessment Center in Houston and the Children's Advocacy Centers throughout the country for their work in healing children and their families.

And that's just the way it is.