Floor Statements

I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, I join my friend from California (Mr. Garamendi).

The President has said, with the advice from the military, it is time to bring the war in Afghanistan to an end and to bring our troops home.

I have the greatest respect for the gentleman who is the chairman and who was just here, Mr. Young.

I've signed over 10,474 letters for those who have given their lives for this country. Many families are divorced. And I take the pain home every weekend. No, it's not like being in Afghanistan, but I don't forget the war. I don't think many of my colleagues here forget the war. I want to make that clear.

I go to Walter Reed and Bethesda--now that they've been consolidated--and I've seen four kids that have no body parts below the waist. One of them is from Florida. He is Corey Kent. I never will forget him. He is the first one I ever met who had no body parts below his waist. He is 23 years of age, and he is a private in the United States Army.

I look at all the waste in Afghanistan. It is a country that will never change, no matter what you do. History has proven that. What Mr. Garamendi's amendment says is let's stick to the plan that's been laid out by the President with the advice of the military.

I worry about the wounded. The $12 billion that Mr. Garamendi is talking about saving could be spent to take care of the wounded.

Mr. Chairman, there is a book called ``The Three Trillion Dollar War,'' written by Dr. Joe Stiglitz and coauthored by Professor Linda Bilmes at Harvard University. Dr. Stiglitz is now saying, no, it's not the three trillion dollar war when you factor in all the pain and the wounded from Afghanistan. I would rewrite the title of the book to be ``The Five Trillion Dollar War.''

Are we prepared for that tsunami that is coming? No. We are a country that is financially broke, but we owe those who have given so much. That's all this amendment is doing. It's saying let's follow the plan by the President and advice from the generals. Let's save $12 billion, spend it on the wounded and take care of their pain for the next 25 or 30 years.

I hope that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will look seriously at this amendment. Let's do what is right first for the wounded and their families; and, secondly, let's do what's right for the taxpayers and their families and bring this war to an end. If we don't do it here in Congress, there will be no end. It will be 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Let's pass this amendment. Let's say to the President, Sir, we trust you. You listened to the generals, and this is the plan to bring an end to Afghanistan because it is a corrupt country, and nothing will change no matter what we do or how many lives we expend or how much money we expend. It will never change.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Thank you very much.

Even though the chairman has a point of order, I want to explain why I think this amendment is important. I am working with Rosa DeLauro on this amendment.

This amendment simply says that any long-term security agreement with Afghanistan must be conducted as a treaty or authorized by Congress.

In 2008, this Congress was outraged that a long-term security agreement would be concluded without input from Congress. I wonder where the outrage is today? We're in worse financial shape than we were in 2008, and I would hope that Congress would see that we have a need and a responsibility.

This agreement, signed last month, was submitted to the Afghan Parliament, but not to the United States Congress. Where is the outrage?

My colleague, Ms. DeLauro, led the effort in the House in 2008 to return Congress to its constitutional responsibility. We must decide when and where our men and women go to fight.

I would like to commend Ms. DeLauro for having the courage to help lead this effort again today. No matter who is the President, it is the responsibility of Congress to commit U.S. troops and fund this agreement.

Mr. Chairman, there are estimates that say we will be up to 30,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan until 2024. This will cost over $500 billion.

Yet, if we don't support legislation like we are talking about today, we will have no say, no say at all. I don't know why the taxpayers aren't outraged by what is happening with this national security agreement with Afghanistan. The fact remains we simply don't have what the numbers are going to be and what the cost is going to be with this national security agreement with Afghanistan.

We in Congress have a responsibility. Our responsibility is to make sure that we have checks and balances with any administration. When our country is in such a bad financial situation, hopefully we will not allow a 10-year agreement to just slide by Congress with $500 billion at stake and with maybe even more of our young men and women being killed.

Mr. Chairman, just a couple of more minutes.

I have a very dear friend who is the former Commandant of the Marine Corps. I have an arrangement with him that I will not use his name in a public forum, but if any of my friends here today--the chairman or the ranking member--asks me his name, I'll come up and tell you. I sent him an email after we signed this security agreement with Afghanistan.

I said to the former Commandant: What do you think about this agreement?

I got three paragraphs back, but I will read just a couple of sentences. He wrote:

Simply put, I am not in favor of the agreement signed. It basically keeps the United States in Afghanistan to prop up a corrupt regime. It continues to place our troops at risk.

I know that my friend from Connecticut will speak in just a moment, and I look forward to her words.

I hope that the Congress in 2013, no matter who the President is, will bring this issue back. Let's have a debate in the House of Representatives, and let's say to the American people that we will meet our responsibility: that we will not send troops, that we will not send money to Afghanistan unless the Congress, itself, approves it.

Again, Mr. Chairman, I have great respect for you and for the ranking member. I am sorry he is leaving. He has been a great Member of the Congress. I hope, Mr. Chairman, if we all get back in 2013 that we will have an opportunity to bring this issue to the floor of the Congress and to debate the role of Congress when any President, Democrat or Republican, reaches a security agreement that obligates our troops and the taxpayers. We must meet our constitutional responsibility.

With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Point of Order

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, I join my friend from Massachusetts and anyone else, Republican or Democrat, who says it's time to bring our troops home from Afghanistan.

I want to thank Chairman Young and Ranking Member Dicks for an excellent bill. I agree with probably 80 percent of it, but I cannot continue to support legislation that sends billions and billions and billions of dollars to Afghanistan.

Mr. Chairman, I have a book here in my hand called ``Funding the Enemy: How U.S. Taxpayers Bankroll the Taliban.'' And one of the critiques I would like to read on the back of this book is from the State Department Foreign Service Officer named Peter Van Buren:

Sober, sad, and important, ``Funding the Enemy'' peels back

the layers of American engagement in Afghanistan to reveal

its rotten core: that the United States dollars meant for

that country's future instead fund the insurgency and support

the Taliban. Paying for both sides of the war ensures

America's ultimate defeat.

Mr. Chairman, the reason I'm here today is because I have Camp Lejeune Marine Base in my district. I have signed over 10,474 letters to families who have lost loved ones since we were lied to in order to go into Iraq.

And while we were continuing to support Karzai, I saw where Vice President Cheney was on the Hill yesterday. I have seen my colleagues today talking about sequestration. I didn't see Mr. Karzai here. No. Why should he be here? He's got his money in this bill. He doesn't have to worry about sequestration. All he's got to do is take care of his corrupt government in Afghanistan.

It is time, Mr. Chairman, it is time that the Congress listen to 72 percent of the American people who say: Bring our troops home now, not later. And I join my friend from Massachusetts, my concern about cutting programs for children who need milk in the morning

and senior citizens who need sandwiches in the afternoon. We're going to cut their money, but we're going to still continue to support the Taliban who are killing American kids in Afghanistan because we have no accountability where this $88 billion is going.

It is time for this Congress to come together and say, Yes, we will support our military, but we will not support a corrupt government who is not going to survive anyway. The enemy, the Taliban, will take over Afghanistan when it's all said and done.

Please, America, bring pressure on the Congress to bring our troops home from Afghanistan. God help our men and women in uniform.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, under title IX of this bill there is $412 million labeled ``incentive pay'' for Afghan soldiers. Also under title IX, there is $13 million labeled ``incentive pay'' for American soldiers. This is a problem for our military.

My amendment, which is supported by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, is very simple. At all does it move some incentive pay from Afghan soldiers to American soldiers.

Last month the Department of Defense published their review of military compensation, a report required by law every 4 years. The report concluded that our system of combat pay is broken. I quote: ``There is little correlation between exposure to danger and compensation pay.''

A recent article on the report by the Marine Corps Times outlined how a Navy captain assigned to Bahrain received more than $1,000 a month while a Marine lance corporal patrolling the streets of Helmand province received much less in combat pay. That's not right.

If you look in this bill and compare the $412 million for the Afghans against the $13 million for our troops, the inequity is clear. My amendment simply moves the incentive pay for the Afghan soldiers to the American soldiers. This money should go to the junior enlisted servicemembers facing the most risk in Afghanistan.

My amendment does not touch Afghan base pay. That $450 million is still in the bill. It does not touch their pay for food and subsistence. That $71 million is still there. It doesn't touch their recruiting money either. The $4 million is still there. It doesn't even touch the money we spent to host ``welcome home'' concerts for the Afghan army when they returned from deployment. That money comes out of the Information Operations fund.

If anyone says that this amendment will hurt America's effort to fund the Afghan army, which we hope will take over its responsibility in just a few years, I invite you to look at the numbers in this fund. The Afghan security forces are well funded.

Mr. Chairman, I hope that this amendment will be accepted, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Veterans of Foreign Wars

of the United States,

July 18, 2012.

Hon. Walter B. Jones,

House of Representatives, Rayburn House Office Building,

Washington, DC.

Dear Congressman Jones: On behalf of the 2 million members

of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW)

and our Auxiliaries, I am pleased to offer our support for

your amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act to

eliminate $412 million dollars in incentive pay for the

Afghan Security Forces and redirect them in full to American

service members for incentive pay.

This reprogramming of funds would not affect Afghan base

pay or the payments these individuals receive for food and

other subsistence needs. Additionally, the ability of the

Afghan Security Forces to recruit and train would not be

hindered. Your amendment is limited to incentive pay funds--a

fund that DoD has not fully obligated funds from in at least

two fiscal years.

This is a prudent measure that wisely balances our fiscal

challenges, objectives on the ground, and the absolute

responsibly we all share to honor the sacrifices of those who

choose to wear the uniform. Thank you for taking the lead on

this effort, and for your continued support of our armed

forces and veterans.

Sincerely,

Raymond C. Kelley,

Director,

VFW National Legislative Service.

Offered By: Mr. Jones

Amendment No. 16: Page 121, line 12, after the dollar

amount, insert ``(increased by $98,697,000)''.

Page 121, line 19, after the dollar amount, insert

``(increased by $9,373,000)''.

Page 122, line 3, after the dollar amount, insert

``(increased by $17,482,000)''.

Page 122, line 10, after the dollar amount, insert

``(increased by $13,857,000)''.

Page 122, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert

``(increased by $1,690,000)''.

Page 122, line 24, after the dollar amount, insert

``(increased by $424,000)''.

Page 123, line 6, after the dollar amount, insert

``(increased by $266,000)''.

Page 123, line 13, after the dollar amount, insert

``(increased by $273,000)''.

Page 123, line 20, after the dollar amount, insert

``(increased by $6,287,000)''.

Page 124, line 3, after the dollar amount, insert

``(increased by $113,000)''.

Page 132, line 23, after the dollar amount, insert

``(reduced by $412,287,000)''.

Offered By: Mr. Jones

Amendment No. 17: At the end of the bill (before the short

title), add the following:

Mr. Speaker, it is 10 years ago that I was contacted by Connie Gruber. On April 8, 2000, 19 marines were killed in a V-22 Osprey crash in Marana, Arizona.

Mr. Speaker, I show this tonight because so many people do not understand what a V-22 is. It is the kind of plane that's basically a helicopter that can become a plane because it would go from the helicopter mode to an airplane mode. And so, therefore, the V-22, again, at the time of this crash was still an experimental plane. In fact, at the time of the crash, Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney spoke out to Congress, both House and Senate, that he wanted to eliminate the program. He did not think the V-22 was the right investment by the United States Marine Corps.

It so happens that one of the pilots, Major Brooks Gruber and his wife, Connie, and his little girl named Brooke live in the Third District of North Carolina, which I represent. The pilot was Colonel John Brow. His wife, Trish, and his sons Michael and Matthew live in California, Maryland.

Connie contacted me. I want to read, Mr. Speaker, what she said. These are taken from a full letter, but I'll read just parts of it to make my point tonight:

General James Jones is fully aware of my concerns and has

apparently supported Generals Nyland and Hough in denying my

request for a ``no fault'' amendment to my husband's accident

report. He has refused to help me. That is exactly the reason

I felt it necessary to contact you as well as other respected

leaders.

She further stated in that letter to me:

My husband's life was sacrificed for the Osprey, the Marine

Corps, and for this Nation. I hope you understand why I

cannot allow his good name to be sacrificed, too. Please

remember, these 19 marines can no longer speak for

themselves. I certainly am not afraid to speak for them, and

I believe that somebody has to. Even though it is easier put

to rest and forgotten, please join me in doing the right

thing by taking the time to address this important issue.

Given the controversy of this aircraft and the Marine

Corps' vested interest, surely there is an unbiased, ethical

way to rightfully absolve these pilots. Please help me by not

only forwarding my request but by also supporting it.

Mr. Speaker, I tonight want to show the face of the pilot. Again, for those that might be watching this tonight in their homes, this is an Osprey, the V-22. At the time of this accident there were many, many questions. And I will touch on those questions in the next few minutes, Mr. Speaker. But this is the pilot. His name is Colonel John Brow. The copilot is Major Brooks Gruber. He is to the left of the poster of John Brow.

Mr. Speaker, I cannot continue tonight without letting the American people know that shortly after the accident there were three marines there from New River, which is in my district of eastern North Carolina. These three investigators, Colonel Mike Morgan--and I will mention his name several times in the next 30 minutes--and also Colonel Ron Radich and Major Phil Stackhouse were sent to Arizona the day after the accident. Nineteen marines were killed and the two pilots that I just mentioned. These three marines were sent there by the Marine Corps to investigate the accident. And they wrote what is called the JAGMAN report.

This is what the two wives are asking. The lawsuits are over--and I'll touch on that in just a moment. Bell-Boeing settled for millions of dollars to the 19 marines and their families. And all the two wives have been asking for 10 years is a clarification of whether their husbands were at fault or not at fault. And I'm going to show you tonight, Mr. Speaker, in the next 30 minutes that the pilots were not at fault.

All they would like of the United States Marine Corps, which I have great respect for, is to issue a letter on the Commandant's stationery that says Lieutenant Colonel John Brow, pilot, was not at fault for the accident on April 8, 2000, at Marana, Arizona. Then, what Connie Gruber would like, the wife of the copilot, Major Brooks Gruber, is that her husband was not at fault for the accident that killed 19 marines. Mr. Speaker, again, the lawsuits are over. Everything has been settled. But all the two wives want is their husbands to lie in that grave and not feel that they're responsible for that accident because, Mr. Speaker, they were not responsible.

I want to thank Congressman Steny Hoyer from Maryland for joining in this effort because John Brow's wife, Trish, and her sons, Matthew and Michael, live in California, Maryland. They're his constituents. I want to thank Norm Dicks from the State of Washington. I'm sorry that he's not running for reelection. He's a very fine gentleman and a Member of the House. But he's decided not to run for reelection. He has joined and said, Let us help you.

Mr. Speaker, a lawyer for the two families, Jim Furman, in Texas, who defended these two pilots and won the major award from Bell-Boeing, which has not been made public, and cannot be--they settled with the two wives of John Brow and Brooks Gruber--Jim Furman has joined us and said their names need to be cleared. They were not at fault. In addition, the attorney for the 17 marines who were killed in the back of that plane, Brian Alexander and his associate, Francis Young, in New York, have joined. People like Phil Coyle have joined. Rex Rivolo has joined. These were experts within the DOD system that knew this plane and know that these gentlemen were not at fault. And even though he is deceased--and God rest his soul--Mike Wallace did a major ``60 Minutes'' piece on this accident 2 years after it happened.

And yet everything in that ``60 Minutes'' showed that these fellows were put into a situation that they were not trained for, they did not know how to react to--an issue called vortex ring state. And I'll touch on that in just a moment.

The real tragedy of all this is all the families want is an official document that was will say their husbands are not at fault.

Mr. Speaker, it's gotten kind of ironic to me because we have spent 10 years--I'm not going to try to say to you tonight, Mr. Speaker, or to anyone that might be watching that we have spent every day, every week, every month for 10 years, but this has been a 10-year effort to do what is right for these two marines who gave their life for this country.

I got very frustrated in March of 2010. I could not get the response from the Marine Corps that I would hope--not for me because I'm a Member of Congress, but for the wives and the children to clear the names. I contacted Trish Brow. I said, Trish, I need some help. I don't know who to contact, but somebody has to join me in this effort, because I don't think I can get it done by myself.

Mr. Speaker, I've always given credit to God for anything that I did that was worthwhile, but I needed the help. She said, Have you ever spoken to Colonel Jim Schafer? He was a friend of John Brow and a friend of Brooks Gruber, and he was in the air. There were four V-22s flying, and he was one of them.

So I called Colonel Jim Schafer, and he said to me, Congressman, whatever I can do to help you clear the names of these two pilots, I will do it.

He joined us, and, in fact, in the year 2011, he and I made a presentation to the Commandant of the Marine Corps. And I thought Jim Schafer did a magnificent job. With tears in his eyes, he told the Commandant that these fellows had not been trained, they were not equipped, the plane had no warning system to the vortex ring state which affects the nacelles on the twin engines. So therefore, he said, What can I do?

I'm sorry. But, at that time, we were not convincing enough to the Marine Corps to give the wives the two letters.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to share with you that what created the problem after the accident on April 8 was actually the press release by the United States Marine Corps. The Commandant at the time--a very fine gentleman, I've met with him several times. I think the world of him. We are not related, even though my name is Jones--was Commandant Jim Jones. But the press release stated, on July 27 of 2000--April 8 was the accident. This is a quote that gave the problem:

Unfortunately, the pilots' drive to accomplish that mission

appears to have been the fatal factor.

Mr. Speaker, I'm going to read that again. This is the press release from the United States Marine Corps after this tragic accident in Arizona.

Unfortunately, the pilots' drive to accomplish that mission

appears to have been the fatal factor.

Mr. Speaker, again, I want to thank Colonel Mike Morgan, Retired. I want to thank Colonel Ron Radich, Retired, and Phil Stackhouse, Major, Retired, for joining me in trying to clear the names of these two pilots.

It so happens in a recent email from Colonel Morgan, one of the three investigators, I read his quote:

This is the crux of the issue; there is nothing in the JAG

investigation that says that the pilots are at fault. If you

change ``pilots'' to ``flight leaders,'' the statement, in my

opinion, is correct, and the investigation so much as brings

that out.

Why is it clear to the Blue Ribbon panel that was set up after this accident and not the Commandant of the Marine Corps' office? Because at that time the Blue Ribbon panel was not worried about fielding a new and controversial aircraft, which I just talked about Dick Cheney's being opposed to it. This was the second plane behind a lead plane. It was Nighthawk 71 and Nighthawk 72. Nighthawk 72 crashed.

In the official report that Lieutenant Colonel Morgan made reference to, the JAGMAN report, and I want to read this, Mr. Speaker, the official JAGMAN investigation was released in the following months, and the investigators, Morgan, Stackhouse, and Radich, testified by saying, and I quote, Mr. Speaker:

During this investigation, we found nothing that we would

characterize as negligent, deliberate pilot error or

maintenance/material failure.

Mr. Speaker, the word ``deliberate'' bothered me so much that I wrote to Colonel Morgan, and I said, Sir, would you please explain why you used the word ``deliberate''? And I'll read his comments back to me, Mr. Speaker:

My personal feeling and opinion supported by my interviews

with the lead flight crew is that the mishap aircraft----

That's 72 now, these two men were flying it.

--had no idea they had exceeded any flight parameters. They

were merely trying to remain in position on a flight lead

trying to salvage a bad approach.

Mr. Speaker, what he is saying is that these two men, in a new experimental airplane, were following behind on a mission that never should have been ordered by the Marine Corps to begin with. These two men are in the second plane. They are following the lead. The lead got into trouble, and they followed the lead.

That is why I want to repeat again, Mr. Speaker, Lieutenant Colonel Morgan, the word ``deliberate'':

My personal feeling and opinion supported by my interviews

with the lead aircraft is that mishap aircraft had no idea

they had exceeded any flight parameters. They were merely

trying to remain in a position of a flight lead trying to

salvage a bad approach.

Mr. Speaker, he further states, and let me read this for the Record, please, sir:

Brow and Gruber did nothing but try to maintain position on

their flight lead. Did they fail to recognize they were in a

dangerous situation? Absolutely. Were they properly trained

for such a situation? Absolutely not.

Mr. Speaker, that's why this 10-year journey has meant so much to me. I did not know these men. I know the families now. But these marines were in the cockpit of a V-22, an experimental airplane that Bell- Boeing did not do the research that they should have done to prepare these men for what was coming. Again, the problem is called vortex ring state. This is pretty well known in airplanes, but, Mr. Speaker, not in the Osprey in these nacelles. It was not fully understood.

In fact, Tom MacDonald, experimental pilot for Bell-Boeing, spent 700 hours, Mr. Speaker, 700 hours trying to figure out after this crash: What do you do? How do you react? How do you respond to vortex ring state?

Mr. Speaker, what is so sad is they now have warning systems on the software. They have even a voice that comes on the helmet that says sync, sync, sync, meaning you're in trouble, react, react. Brow and Gruber had none of that information. In fact, the NATOPS manual that was in their lap the moment before they crashed and burned, it had one page and a paragraph on vortex ring state. And, Mr. Speaker, it was written by an Army helicopter pilot who had never been in the V-22.

Mr. Speaker, now the NATOPS manual that the V-22 pilots have is six pages about vortex ring state and how you react to that ring state.

Mr. Speaker, I'm just going to take a few more minutes, and then I will close tonight. I want to thank the staff for staying late for me to have this opportunity, but I do want to restate what the investigators are saying.

I contacted them and asked them if they would be willing to write me a letter that I could use in trying to clear the names of John Brow and Brooks Gruber. I'm going to read just a few parts of this, and then I'll close in just a few minutes, Mr. Speaker.

This is from Phil Stackhouse:

I do not believe that it would be a surprise to anyone that

it is my opinion the mishap was not a result of pilot error,

but was the result of a perfect storm of circumstances.

During the conduct of the investigation, we collected some 20

binders of evidence.

I'm going to just skip from one paragraph to another. ``This includes, for example, compressed testing and evaluation''--that means they did not do the test on this issue of vortex ring state; they had no way to evaluate it because they didn't test it--``created by deadlines, funding, and maintenance; the omission of important testing and evaluation missions; the actions of the lead aircraft in the section; and lack of understanding how vortex ring state/power settling would actually effect the Osprey in real-world situations and simulated real-world training.''

Mr. Speaker, this is the whole thing. I'll close on Mr. Stackhouse, and then I will read two others very quickly.

Stackhouse, one of the investigators, said:

For any record that reflects the mishap was a result of

pilot error, it should be corrected. For any publication that

reflects the mishap was a result of pilot error, it should be

corrected and recanted.

Again, this is one of the three investigators. I'll read the others very quickly, Mr. Speaker. This is from Mike Morgan. He supports my effort to clear the names of John Brow and Brooks Gruber. He further states that:

The judge advocate general (JAG) mishap report, and over 20

binders of evidence provided, clearly focuses on the

consequences of encountering vortex ring state in a tilt-

rotor aircraft and questionable flight management of

Nighthawk 72 (lead aircraft) as the key contributing factors,

among many. In my opinion, as a former USMC weapons and

tactics instructor/flight leader/mission commander, John Brow

and Brooks Gruber performed as model wingmen on this mission.

They were doing exactly what is expected of a wingman on a

tactical flight.

Mr. Speaker, the reason for reading that is that I want to restate that the three investigators of the V-22 crash, they know John Brow and Bruce Gruber were not at fault.

Mr. Speaker, I am a man of strong religious faith, but I cannot imagine being the pilot and copilot, with 17 young marines sitting in the back of your plane, and all of a sudden you are hit with a situation that you don't understand. You don't know how to react, you've never been trained, you have no warning system, but something's not right as that plane is beginning to shake. These gentlemen did everything that they could. John Brow and Brooks Gruber, they did everything they could do to save that flight, and yet it was out of their control because they had not been trained. They flipped; and on April 8, a very unbelievable fire took place when that plane hit.

All the wives are asking for is one official document from the Marine Corps. Mr. Speaker, I must say before I close tonight that I want to thank the Marine Corps. They have agreed to meet with the two investigators--the third one lives in California, Ron Radich. I want to thank him for his strong letter, but he will not be here--he cannot-- but his letter will stand to speak for him.

The Marine Corps has agreed to give us a meeting with the representative of the Marine Corps and try to come up with some language that will be acceptable to the two families. I'm going to ask the commandant of the Marine Corps--I doubt if he will do it--but do something right for the Corps that so many American people, including myself, have the greatest respect for; bring the two wives and their children

to your office and say: I have an official letter for you that will clearly state that your husbands were not at fault for this accident. Mr. Speaker, I hope that's what will come from this meeting in the next couple of weeks.

It's one of those things in life that Members of Congress get involved in that you don't ask for, but you feel that there's a reason that someone has come to you and said, my husband cannot defend himself anymore, yet because of one press release that indicated these pilots were descending too quickly, they did not know what they were doing at the time, there was no indication on their software panel that they were in trouble. So my hope is, Mr. Speaker, that the Marine Corps will give Connie Gruber and Trish Brow what they're asking for.

Mr. Speaker, because I want to give God credit if we ever clear the names of these two pilots, I've asked God to please give me the energy and the strength to go with Connie Gruber and her daughter Brooke down to Jacksonville, North Carolina, to the grave of her husband and Brooke's father. I want to say to Major Gruber: Sir, no one will ever question your integrity or your honor again. It has been done. You can rest in peace because you won't be blamed.

Then, Mr. Speaker, I want to go with Trish Brow to Arlington Cemetery, and I want to stand with Matthew and Michael, the two young boys that never got a chance to know their daddy--they're young men now, they're in their early twenties, college students--and I want to say the same thing to Colonel Brow: Sir, your reputation is secured. You will not be blamed any longer for that crash on April 8. Mr. Speaker, with that, I will know that I have fulfilled my duty as a Member of Congress. I will fulfill my duty as a man who believes in the truth and integrity. It is very important in my life. And I will be able to say to Connie and to Trish, if ever anybody prints again that your husband was at fault, you have an official document to call that newspaper, call that TV station, call that reporter and say, Sir, I want a retraction. I will send you a copy of the documentation that says that my father--that my husband and my friend's husband were not at fault.

The reason I almost said ``father,'' as I'm closing, Mr. Speaker, I will tell you that 4 or 5 years ago I was in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Connie Gruber invited me to a fall reunion at the church. I had a chance to meet Bruce Gruber's father, the major from Jacksonville, North Carolina. That gentleman lives in Naples, Florida, with his wife, and he came out and we spoke. He had tears in his eyes. Mr. Speaker, he fought in Korea for this country as a marine, and he said with tears in his eyes: Congressman, I want to thank you for trying to clear my son's name. I said, Mr. Gruber, I will accept your kind words on behalf of my savior, Jesus Christ, because Christ was a man of humility, and I try to walk in the light of Christ.

If we ever accomplish anything for this country, no matter what faith my colleagues might be, just remember that accomplishing truth and integrity for John Brow and Brooks Gruber will be God's will and not mine. That gives me one thought, and then I will close.

Voltaire said 1,000 years ago:

To the living we owe respect, but to the dead we owe only

the truth.

Mr. Speaker, as I always close on the floor of the House, because it's time to get our troops out of Afghanistan, they've done their jobs, bid Laden is dead, al Qaeda has been dispersed around the world, it's time to bring them home. I've seen too many at Walter Reed and Bethesda without legs and arms.

Spending money we don't have over there, cutting programs for children and senior citizens here in America, I don't know, it doesn't make any sense.

But on behalf of the families that I talked about tonight, Colonel John Brow's family, Major Brooks Gruber's family, and all of our men and women in uniform and their families across the world, I will close and yield back.

I ask God to please bless our men and women in uniform. I ask God to please bless the families of our men and women in uniform. I ask God to hold in His loving arms the families who have given a child dying for freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq.

I ask God to please bless the House and Senate, that we will do what is right in the eyes of God for God's people today and God's people tomorrow.

And I will ask, from the bottom of my heart, God please bless President Obama that he will do what is right in Your eyes, God, for Your people today and Your people tomorrow.

And, Mr. Speaker, with that I'll say three times, God, please, God, please, God, please continue to bless America.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, like all of my colleagues, I went home to my district as the other Members went to their districts. I live in eastern North Carolina. As do a lot of people, I love my district, and I'm getting the same message: Why are you still in Afghanistan? Why don't you Members of Congress vote to bring our troops home? Why are you spending the money we don't have, and young men and women are getting killed?

Again, I'm coming to the floor of the House and reporting on a book I'm reading. It's called ``Funding the Enemy: How U.S. Taxpayers Bankroll the Taliban.'' That's the whole issue. We have defeated bin Laden. He is dead. Al Qaeda has been dispersed all around the world, but we continue to fund a corrupt leader who will not survive in the long term. We all know that, but yet we're playing this little game of spend the American taxpayers' money to keep him in office, and let's borrow the money from the Chinese that we're spending--because that's the way it's happening--to keep Karzai in office. Seventy-two percent of the American people have agreed with most of us in the House--not all--that it's time to bring our troops home. There is not one thing that we're going to accomplish over there.

Mr. Speaker, when I saw the national security agreement that the Secretary of State and this administration have signed with Afghanistan, what we're talking about is, after 2014, we will continue to have a military presence of anywhere from 25,000 to 30,000. We are spending approximately $4 billion a month--that's probably a lowball figure, Mr. Speaker--but $4 billion a month for 10 years. That adds up to about $480 billion in addition to what we've already spent, which is over $1 trillion, in Afghanistan and in Iraq. The poor American people are paying the taxes and are getting their programs cut for children, for schools, for senior citizens, for health programs. Yet we in Congress continue to fund the war in Afghanistan.

Mr. Speaker, this book is an eye-opener to the fact that the Taliban is the biggest recipient of our taxpayers' money, going to pay to kill American kids. I'm going to keep bringing this to the floor until I finish the book, and I'm about halfway through.

Its summary says:

This is the first book to detail the toxic embrace of

American policymakers and careerists, Afghanistan kleptocrats

and the opportunistic Taliban. The result? U.S. taxpayers

have been footing the bill for both sides of a disastrous

Afghanistan war.

Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, we had eight Americans killed--eight Americans killed. I write families. I have signed over 10,740-some letters to families across this Nation because I bought the lie by the previous administration that said Saddam has weapons of mass destruction, which he never did have. So I will continue to come to the floor at least once a week, several times a month, and talk about the fact of buying this book for every Member of Congress, which is called, ``Funding the Enemy: How U.S. Taxpayers Bankroll the Taliban.''

When I listen to our debates on the floor--sometimes part of them, sometimes not--talking about cutting Federal programs for those people who need them the most--but yet we will find the $8 billion a month to send to Karzai--and when we keep sending our soldiers, marines, sailors, and airmen over there so they can be shot and killed and have their feet blown away, it is time for this Congress to wake up. When we debate the appropriations bill for the Department of Defense, I hope we will be permitted to bring amendments one after another to the floor, asking Members of Congress to bring our troops home.

Mr. Speaker, with that, I will ask God to please bless our men and women in uniform.

I will ask God to please, in his loving arms, hold the families who have lost children in Afghanistan and Iraq.

I will ask God to please bless the House and Senate that we will do what is right in the eyes of God for God's people today and God's people tomorrow.

I will ask God to please bless President Obama that he will do what is right in the eyes of God for God's people today and God's people tomorrow.

I will close by asking three times: God, please, God, please, God, please continue to bless America.

Mr. Speaker, it has been very interesting the last couple of weeks. I have been listening to my colleagues on both sides talking about the debt, the deficit, spending, cutting, all of this, going on and on. Then I got to thinking, and I heard about this book and I went out and bought the book. The book title is ``Funding the Enemy: How U.S. Taxpayers Bankroll the Taliban,'' by Douglas Wissing. The book is a must-read for the American people.

I want to share a synopsis of this book:

With the vague intention of winning hearts and minds in

Afghanistan, the U.S. Government has mismanaged billions of

development and logistics dollars, bolstered the drug trade,

and dumped untold millions into Taliban hands.

That is the sobering message of this scathing critique of our war effort in Afghanistan by investigative journalist Douglas Wissing. According to Wissing, America has already lost the war. It draws on the voices of hundreds of combat soldiers, ordinary Afghans, private contractors, aid workers, international consultants, and government officials. From these contacts, it became glaringly clear, as the author details, that American taxpayer dollars have been flowing into Taliban coffers.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to read to you a critique of the book given by former State Department foreign service officer Peter van Buren:

Sober, sad, and important, ``Funding the Enemy'' peels back

the layers of American engagement in Afghanistan to reveal

its rotten core: that United States' dollars meant for the

country's future instead fund the insurgency and support the

Taliban. Paying for both sides of the war ensures America's

ultimate defeat.

Mr. Speaker, I bring this to the floor for this reason: I continue to be amazed that both sides want to continue to spend $10 billion a month in Afghanistan. It is borrowed money from the Chinese, and there is no concern. We just spend more and more money to support President Karzai, who is a corrupt leader. And as this book says, have the American taxpayer bankroll the Taliban.

The American people have said in poll after poll: Bring our troops home now. As many as 72 to 73 percent of the American people say bring our people home now. Our soldiers have won the war. Bin Laden is dead; al Qaeda is dispersed.

I hope that Members of Congress will find the time to read this book, and I hope the American people will read this book and be outraged, as I am outraged, how our taxpayers are funding the Taliban so they can kill Americans.

Wake up, Congress. Let's get together and bring our troops home from Afghanistan and do what's right for the American people. But more importantly, do what's right for our men and women in uniform.

Mr. Speaker, I close by asking God to please bless our men and women in uniform, to please bless the families of our men and women in uniform. And God, within Your loving arms, hold the families who've given a child dying for freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq. I ask God to bless the House and Senate, my friends on both sides, that we will do what is right in the eyes of God. And I ask God to bless President Obama that he will do what is right in the eyes of God. And I will ask three times, God please, God please, God please continue to bless America.

Mr. Speaker, today, a number of us are rising to commemorate an individual out of the now more than 2,000 who have lost their lives during Operation Enduring Freedom. I would like to submit, for the Record, 11 names of brave servicemembers who were recently killed in Afghanistan.

Today, I would like to recognize a man in particular who is not counted in the 2,000. Sergeant Tom Bagosy, a combat veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, took his own life on May 10, 2010, at Camp Lejeune marine base in North Carolina. Tom's wounds were mental, but he is no less a casualty of the war in Afghanistan.

That Tom is not counted in this 2,000 number speaks to the fact that our country does not fully understand the effect that a generation of war has had on those who've fought it. We do not understand the future cost of caring for over 300,000 returning veterans with mental wounds.

Tom's death, like those of the 154 Active Duty servicemembers who took their lives at a rate of one per day this year, was preventable.

Tom left behind a wife, Katie, and two children. Today, Katie is working towards becoming a mental health counselor so she can support the thousands of veterans coming home today with mental wounds. We should be inspired by her efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I want to share with the House a letter that Katie wrote to her husband, Tom, who had died in May. And she wrote this letter August 23 of 2011. These are her words:

I wonder what life would be like if you didn't die that

day. I wonder what we would be doing right now in this very

moment instead. I hate playing the ``what if'' game, but I'm

playing it anyway right now.

I could really use a hug and kiss from you. I love the way

you kiss me. I wish your arms were around me right now. Guess

wishing is all I can do.

Love always, Katie.

Mr. Speaker, it's time now that our Congress stands up and says let's bring our troops home now; let's start the process. If we brought them home now, it would still take months, maybe even years. But 2014 is the date that the President says we'll start bringing them home.

Then, there's also going to be a security agreement with Afghanistan; 10 years, spending about $4 billion a month.

We need to be spending that money to take care of our wounded, both physically and mentally, veterans. We need to start spending that money here in America to build our streets and roads and bridges.

Mr. Speaker, it is time that the Congress does its job based on the Constitution. We have the authority based on the Constitution.

I don't know how many--this poster of Sergeant Bagosy and his wife, Katie, how many, how many are coming back from Afghanistan, and those who came back from Iraq, that are mentally wounded. It's time that this Congress starts thinking about the wounded and thinks about the families who lost loved ones in Afghanistan and Iraq. Let's not cheat them out of their benefits because we want to spend money in Afghanistan that we can't even account for by the Inspector General.

Mr. Speaker, I will, at this time, ask God to please bless our men and women in uniform, to please bless the families of our men and women in uniform.

I ask God, in His loving arms, to hold the families who've given a child dying for freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq.

I ask God to bless the House and Senate, that we will do what is right in the eyes of God for God's people today.

I ask God to bless the President of the United States that he will do what is right in the eyes of God for God's people today and tomorrow.

And three times I will ask God, please, God, please, God, please, God, continue to bless America.

Recent U.S. Service Member Deaths

Spc. Kedith L. Jacobs

Pfc. Leroy Deronde III

Staff Sgt. Alexander G. Povilaitis

Staff Sgt. Roberto Loeza

Petty Officer 2nd Class Sean E. Brazas

Cpl. Nicholas H. Olivas

Lance Cpl. Steven G. Sutton

Capt. John R. Brainard

Chief Warrant Officer Five John C. Pratt

Spc. Tofiga J. Tautolo

Spc. Vilmar Galarza Hernandez

I thank the chairman for his support of this provision in this bill.

The title of my provision is the Preserving Access to Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area Act. The Cape Hatteras act is about jobs. Its about taxpayers' rights to access the recreational areas they own. It's about restoring balance and common sense to National Park Service management.

This language would overturn a final rule implemented by the Park Service earlier this year that excessively restricts taxpayers' access to the Cape Hatteras seashore and is unnecessary to protect the wildlife. It would reinstitute the Park Service's 2007 interim management strategy to govern visitor access and species protection at Cape Hatteras. The interim strategy was backed by a 113-page biological opinion issued by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, which found that it would not jeopardize piping plover, sea turtles, or other species of concern.

In addition to adequately protecting wildlife, this bill would give taxpayers more reasonable access to the land they own. It would reopen 26 miles of beach that are now permanently closed to motorized beach access and give seashore managers flexibility to implement more balanced measures that maximize both recreational access and species protection.

By doing so, this bill would reverse the significant job loss and economic decline that Hatteras Island has experienced. I want to repeat that, Mr. Chair: by doing so, the bill would reverse the significant job loss and economic decline that Hatteras Island has experienced since the Park Service cut off access to the most powerful area of the seashore.

My bill and now this bill has bipartisan support in Dare County. The county commissioners in Dare County are predominantly Democrats. They support this bill 100 percent. They ask that this bill move through the House. I am pleased to say that the North Carolina Senators, Republican Senator Richard Burr and Democrat Senator Kay Hagan, have introduced a companion bill that says exactly on the Senate side what this bill says on the House side. The bill is also supported by a national sportsmen's group, including the American Sportfishing Association and the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation.

Mr. Chair, that's why I am honored today to be on the floor with my colleagues to support this legislation. It is time for the taxpayers to be considered, and it's time that we protect the species that are endangered. This is a balanced piece of legislation, not just talking about my aspect of it, but the bill itself. So I hope that my colleagues will support this legislation in a bipartisan way, and let's send this bill to the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, I won't take the entire hour, but this is a 10-year journey that I have been on since I was notified by the wife of one of the pilots, Connie Gruber, who lives in my district, that the very tragic plane crash on April 8, 2000, when 19 marines were killed in a V 22 Osprey, that her husband, Major Brooks Gruber and Colonel John Brow, pilots, were being blamed for the accident. Nineteen marines that night were killed. And again, 10 years ago I was contacted by Mrs. Gruber, who lives in Jacksonville, North Carolina, which is the home of Camp Lejeune Marine Base.

Mr. Speaker, I have, for the House, a photograph of the V 22 Osprey that many people might have forgotten. In the year 2000, it was a plane going through a lot of trouble, meaning from the standpoint of testing, standpoint of records being changed, and the standpoint that the Secretary of Defense at the time, Dick Cheney, wanted to scrap the program. But the Marine Corps was saying that they had to have the MV 22. And again, Mr. Speaker, for you to know, this is the plane that goes from a helicopter mode to an airplane mode, that the nacelles will go from this way to a plane mode. I have this beside me so that people can see the V 22. The pilot was Colonel John Brow. He's pictured immediately on my left, and the copilot to the poster's left was Major Brooks Gruber.

Connie Gruber wrote me a letter. It's a full page, Mr. Speaker, and I would like to just read what she said, just one paragraph:

With so many wrongs in the world we cannot make right, I

ask you prayerfully consider an injustice that you can make

right. I realize you alone may not be able to amend the

report, but you can certainly support my efforts to

permanently remove this black mark from my husband's

honorable military service record.

Mr. Speaker, there was a time when there was an issue involving the V 22 that the Marine Corps did not recognize, nor did Bell-Boeing, the manufacturer of the plane. It's called vortex ring state, VRS, and it's where the different, the two helicopter nacelles can be impacted in a different way, and that's what caused this tragic accident on April 8, 2000.

Mr. Speaker, right after the accident, the Marine Corps sent three investigators--Colonel Mike Morgan, Colonel Ron Radich, and Major Phil Stackhouse--to Arizona to investigate this accident, which was very, very difficult for the marines who were given the responsibility to find out why this plane crashed and burned.

Mr. Speaker, they came back and completed what was known as the JAGMAN report that was submitted to the Marine Corps. The investigators, this was their findings of what caused the accident.

This is what has created the problem is that the Marine Corps issued a press release that I will talk about in just a few minutes. And the JAGMAN the families agreed with. Everything in the JAGMAN they agree with. And I'll touch on that in just a moment.

I also at this time want to thank Congressman Steny Hoyer from Maryland, who is the Congressman for the wife of the pilot. Her name is Trish Brow. She has two sons, Matthew and Michael. Mr. Hoyer has joined me in clearing the names of these two pilots, and I want to thank him again for that.

In addition, Congressman Norm Dicks from the State of Washington, who will be leaving this year, has heard me speak on the floor about this accident, and he also wants to join in clearing the names of these two pilots.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank attorney Jim Furman in Texas. Attorney Jim Furman represented Connie Gruber and Trish Brow in the lawsuit against Bell-Boeing. In addition, Brian Alexander and his associate, Francis Young, were the attorneys for the 17 Marine families. So those two attorneys, Jim Furman and Brian Alexander, have joined me in clearing the names of John Brow and Brooks Gruber.

Mr. Speaker, I must state that they won their case against Bell- Boeing. The amount of money allotted to the families has been secured, so therefore no one knows except the families; but it tells me a whole lot when a manufacturing company decides that they would rather settle out of court than take the case to court.

Phil Coyle, the Assistant Secretary of Defense and Director of Operational Test and Evaluation in the Department of Defense at the time of this accident, has also joined us in clearing the names of the two pilots. Also, shortly after the accident in the year 2002, CBS ``60 Minutes,'' led by Mike Wallace, who is now deceased, gave the story of what happened and why this plane crashed and why the two pilots should not be seen at fault.

Mr. Speaker, there have been many people in this 10-year journey. Local press in eastern North Carolina all the way to press in Texas have joined us in this effort to say to Connie Gruber and Trish Brow and their sons and their daughter: your husbands were not at fault.

Why the Marine Corps will not join in this effort I do not understand. All the Marine Corps has to do is to issue a paragraph that clearly states to Trish Brow that your husband, John Brow, Colonel John Brow, pilot, was not at fault for the accident that occurred on April 8, 2000, in Marana, Arizona. All the Marine Corps has to do is to write a paragraph on the commandant stationery to Connie Gruber stating the same thing, except: your husband, Major Brooks Gruber, co-pilot, was not at fault for the accident that happened on April 8, 2000, in Marana, Arizona.

Mr. Speaker, you might think--and maybe some people watching tonight might think--well, why is this so difficult? The lawsuits are over, the plane is surviving, there's no threat to the Marine Corps that they're going to eliminate the V 22. It is part of their

arsenal now. But this is what happened: a Marine Corps press release July 27, 2000, states:

Unfortunately, the pilot's drive to accomplish that mission

appears to have been the fatal factor.

Mr. Speaker, the official JAGMAN investigation that I made reference to, Colonel Morgan, Colonel Radich and Major Stackhouse, this is what they said in the JAGMAN:

During this investigation, we found nothing that we would

characterize as negligence, deliberate pilot error, or

maintenance/material failure.

Mr. Speaker, if only the Marine Corps, after the JAGMAN report came out, would have released a press statement that would have said: After we have reviewed this JAGMAN report, it is now our determination, because of the JAGMAN report, that Colonel John Brow and Major Brooks Gruber were not at fault for this accident.

Mr. Speaker, at the time of this accident, this issue of vortex ring state was not fully understood. It was understood in the world of the helicopters, but not in the world of the Osprey. The Marine Corps did not understand, nor did Bell-Boeing understand, how the vortex ring state, how these pilots could have reacted. Mr. Speaker, in fact, at the time of the accident, the NATOPS manual that was given to the pilots of the V 22--and this night given to Colonel John Brow and Major Brooks Gruber--the NATOPS manual had absolutely nothing about the vortex ring state. It had one sentence. Since that time, the NATOPS manual for the Marine Corps and the Navy and the Air Force, Mr. Speaker, is six pages about vortex ring state and how you react to vortex ring state.

Mr. Speaker, there are warning systems in the cockpit of the V 22 now that these two Marines never saw, never had, never understood, never knew about. But since that accident, Mr. Speaker, they now have a warning system that tells the pilots that you're in trouble, you're in trouble. They even have in the helmets they wear a voice of a woman saying ``sink, sink, sink,'' meaning you have to react to the sinking of the ship, this plane.

Mr. Speaker, that's why tonight and once a month I'm coming down on the floor to talk about the fact that these marines have every right to rest in peace. One's buried in Arlington Cemetery; that's Colonel John Brow. And the other, Major Brooks Gruber, is buried in the veterans cemetery down in Jacksonville, North Carolina, where his wife lives.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank WTVD of Durham. They're bringing a film crew up tomorrow to interview Trish Brow and one of her sons. They will meet Mrs. Brow over at Arlington Cemetery. This is why it does not make any sense why the Marine Corps will not issue a public statement in a paragraph to the two wives saying: after this many years and all the facts and all the testing and everything that we've done, there's no way that your husbands could have known what they were doing.

Mr. Speaker, they were sitting in the air. They did not understand how to react to vortex ring state. The Marine Corps knew not how to explain to them how to react. And Bell-Boeing had not done the proper research. Mr. Speaker, when I say proper research, after this accident and an additional accident, Tom MacDonald, a test pilot, spent 700 hours trying to figure out how the V 22 responds to vortex ring state and how the pilot should respond to vortex ring state. In fact, Mr. MacDonald deserved and he earned from the Test Pilots Association the Kincheloe Award for finding out and figuring out what you do when a plane gets into vortex ring state.

Mr. Speaker, these two men would not have given their lives and 17 marines in the back of the plane if Bell-Boeing had done its job and the Marine Corps had demanded that Bell-Boeing understand vortex ring state and how it would impact the V 22.

Mr. Speaker, very quickly--I'm going to close in just a few minutes, but I wanted to share with the Record that when the JAGMAN said that this was not deliberate pilot error, I wrote to one of the investigators, Lieutenant Colonel Morgan, and I asked him how and why did you use the words ``deliberate pilot error'' in the JAGMAN report. Again, the families, we accept the JAGMAN report; but I did not quite understand, I'm not a pilot, not a marine, never served, but I wanted to understand why. And I'd like to read this for the Record.

Colonel Morgan stated, and these are his words:

My personal feeling and opinion, supported by my interview

with the lead flight crew, is that the mishap aircraft had no

idea they had exceeded any flight parameters.

Mr. Speaker, the pilots had no idea they had exceeded any flight parameters. They were merely trying to remain in position on a flight lead trying to salvage a bad approach.

Mr. Speaker, the bad approach was by the lead plane. This was the second plane.

And, again, he said, the pilots had no idea they had exceeded any flight parameters.

Mr. Speaker, as I said just a moment ago, they now have warning systems, and if the pilots today had exceeded any flight parameters, there would be a warning system going off, and the plane would not crash and 19 Marines would not burn to death.

Mr. Speaker, again, I want to thank Congressman Steny Hoyer for joining in this effort to clear the names of these two Marines. I want to thank the families, Trish Brow and her two boys, and Connie Gruber and her little girl, Brooks, for continuing to say somebody's got to clear the names of these two men.

They were outstanding pilots. Mr. Speaker, I've never had anyone in the Marine Corps tell me anything different than that John Brow and Brooks Gruber were outstanding pilots. But, as I've said tonight, the environment of the times, Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney was opposed to the V 22 program. He wanted to eliminate the program. There were Members in Congress in both parties that wanted to save the program. There was a fight going on.

So when these two Marines crashed, and the 17 Marines in the back of the plane that died, they sent out this press release that I just made mention of, and they never had a second press release that would clearly have stated, based on the investigation, based on the JAGMAN report that we, the Marine Corps, have reviewed, and signed by General McCorkle, that these two pilots were not at fault. They had not been trained. They did not understand vortex ring state. Bell Boeing didn't do its job. The Marine Corps didn't demand that Bell Boeing make this plane safe, and how it would react to vortex ring state, and they didn't understand it.

So for 10 years--actually 12 now; the crash was in 2000--for 10 years there have been many people who have joined me in trying to say to the Marine Corps, you owe these two men. They deserve and their families deserve a letter from the Marine Corps stating that they were not at fault for this accident.

Mr. Speaker, again, all I can say, and I will continue to say to the Marine Corps, you have the utmost respect of the American people. They have great respect for the history of the Marine Corps and what the Marine Corps has done for our country in all the wars, just like the other services.

But in this case we're talking about the Marine Corps. And all the families want is one paragraph that clearly states that Colonel John Brow, pilot, was not at fault for the accident that occurred on April 8, 2000, in Marana, Arizona. All Connie Gruber wants is the same letter, but with her husband's name. This is to certify that copilot Brooks Gruber, Major Brooks Gruber, was not at fault for the accident that occurred on April 8, 2000, in Marana, Arizona.

Mr. Speaker, this is a journey that I will not stop till we clear the names of these two pilots. The facts are on our side. There's so much more that I could say tonight. I have volumes, Mr. Speaker. I have the tape that Jim Furman presented in the lawsuit case. I have a copy of that, given to me by Jim Furman. I've seen it all.

I've seen the tape from Mike Wallace and ``60 Minutes.'' I've talked to Jim Shaffer, Colonel Shaffer, now retired. He was in the air. There were four planes flying that night, and he was in the air. These were his buddies, John Brow and Brooks Gruber. He saw the plane crash. He's joined us in this effort to clear the names of Colonel John Brow and Major Brooks Gruber.

I want to thank Chairman Buck McKeon and Ranking Member Adam Smith. They allowed language to be in the NDAA bill that basically says they hope that the Marine Corps will work to clear the names of these two pilots.

And, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the press that has taken on this effort also. Voltaire said, and I quote Voltaire, We owe the living our respect. We owe the dead the truth. And that's all this effort has ever been about is trying to call on the Marine Corps, who the American people respect, I respect, to issue the letter to Trish Brow and Connie Gruber.

Mr. Speaker, all the lawsuits are over, and I look at this letter from Mike Morgan, and I don't read it because the first sentence is about me. But it says:

I applaud and fully support the extraordinary effort you

have undertaken in support of John Brow and Brooks Gruber and

the families who lost loved ones in the tragic crash of

Nighthawk 72.

Let me read just a couple more, and then I'm going to close, Mr. Speaker. This is from Phil Stackhouse. Again, this is one of the three investigators. He said:

I do not believe that it would be a surprise to anyone that

it is my opinion the mishap was not a result of pilot error,

but was the result of a perfect storm of circumstances.

Mr. Speaker, that's what I'm talking about. They did not understand vortex ring state. The manufacturer didn't understand it. The Marine Corps didn't understand it, so they couldn't train the pilots to understand it. That's what Major Stackhouse meant by a perfect storm of circumstances.

During the conduct of this investigation, we collected some 20 binders of evidence, including, among other things, maintenance records, training records, telemetry records, operational and testing records, and dozens of photographs. He further states this includes, for example, compressed testing and evaluation created by deadlines, funding, and maintenance.

Mr. Speaker, that's what he's talking about--at that particular time, when this plane was up and going to Arizona, they were cutting programs to test the plane. You had Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney trying to kill the program. They did everything they could.

I don't blame the Marine Corps for trying to save the program. They believed that this was the helicopter of the present and the future.

But he further stated:

The actions of the lead aircraft in the section, and lack

of understanding how vortex ring state/power settling would

actually affect the Osprey in the real world, was part of the

problem. I do not feel that our investigation reflects that

the mishap was a result of pilot error, and if the

investigation was interpreted that way, it was

misinterpreted.

Mr. Speaker, this is one of the three investigators. They all wrote about the same letter. And Major Phil Stackhouse closed by saying this:

For any record that reflects the mishap was a result of

pilot error, it should be corrected. For any publication that

reflects the mishap was a result of pilot error, it should be

corrected and recanted.

Mr. Speaker, I've had the privilege and the pleasure to meet Major Brooks Gruber's daddy and mom. They live in Florida. One time after the accident they came to Jacksonville, North Carolina, and Connie Gruber invited me to the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville. And it's one of those falls where they have reunions. And I never will forget, after the church service, Connie said, I want you to meet my father-in-law.

I went out and met Mr. Gruber. Mr. Speaker. He was a marine who fought for this country in Korea. We were in the vestibule of the First Baptist Church in Jacksonville.

He said, I want to shake your hand.

With tears in his eyes, he said, Congressman, I cannot thank you enough for trying to clear my son's name.

Mr. Speaker, I've stayed in touch with Mr. Gruber from time to time to let him know we're making progress. No, we're not there yet, but we keep beating this drum, the drum saying, Clear their names; clear their names; clear their names.

I called Trish Brow last week to tell her that WTVD wanted to come up and interview her about the accident. It happened to be a tough day, Mr. Speaker, because her father-in-law, who is 80 years old, was having surgery. I am pleased to report that the surgery went well.

I want Mr. Brow, Sr., and his family and I want Mr. Gruber, Sr., and his family to see the letter that we are asking the Marine Corps to send to the two wives. Both men are in their eighties.

I will read it one more time before closing:

For any record that reflects the mishap was a result of

pilot error, it should be corrected. For any publication that

reflects the mishap was a result of pilot error, it should be

corrected and recanted.

The three investigators--Colonel Mike Morgan, Colonel Ron Radich, Major Phil Stackhouse--have all written me letters and have said the same thing, that our JAGMAN report says the pilots were not at fault.

Mr. Speaker, we are going to keep battling this thing for the families. I will say we're getting closer because I have such faith in God Almighty that I know that it's God's will that these two pilots who are dead and their families who are living deserve to have their names cleared. I just call on the Marine Corps to do what's right for their marines.

Do what's right for the marines. Forget the Congressman. He just happens to be the foot soldier. Do what's right for the two marines who are dead. Do what's right for the 17 marines who were in the back of the plane who are dead, and do what's right for the families of the pilot and co-pilot.

Mr. Speaker, with that, I want to thank you and the staff. You stayed here tonight to give me this chance to share my concern, my heart.

I will ask God to please touch the hearts of those in the United States Marine Corps, to look at the face of Colonel John Brow, pilot, and at the face of Major Brooks Gruber, co-pilot, and call on the Marine Corps to write the letters to the families and to publicly say that the JAGMAN report has cleared these two pilots' names and that we, the Marine Corps, could have 8 years ago issued a press release to the Nation saying that these two pilots were not at fault.

Had they done that, I would not be on the floor tonight.

Mr. Speaker, I close, as I always do, from the bottom of my heart for all of those fighting in Afghanistan: God, please bless the families of our men and women in uniform. Please, God, bless those who are serving our Nation. Those who have lost loved ones in Afghanistan and Iraq, hold them in your arms, dear God. Give them comfort.

God, please bless the House and Senate that we will do what is right in the eyes of God. Please bless President Obama that he will do what is right in the eyes of God for God's people.

And three times I will say in closing: God, please, God, please, God, please, continue to bless America.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 8 o'clock and 15 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Tuesday, June 19, 2012, at 10 a.m. for morning-hour debate.

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to pay tribute to a hero from Eastern North Carolina who was killed in the line of duty last June 9.

Nash County (NC) Sheriff's Office Investigator Warren B. Lewis III was assigned to the United States Marshals Service's Eastern District of North Carolina Violent Fugitive Task Force, where he was killed in the line of duty in Kinston, NC, on June 9, 2011, while attempting to apprehend a violent fugitive wanted for murder.

Investigator Lewis has a stellar record of service in the Nash County Sheriff's Office. In 2002 he began his service to the people of Nash County as a Deputy and was eventually promoted to Investigator and assigned to the Narcotics Division.

Later assigned to the Eastern North Carolina Violent Fugitive Task Force, Investigator Lewis served for over 3 years coordinating, locating, and arresting fugitives throughout the region.

In addition to serving the people of Nash County, Investigator Lewis was a family man, a great friend, and a talented water skier. He leaves behind a wife, Shannon, two daughters, Lauren and Ashley, and his parents, Warren, Jr., and Ann. This is a tragedy, as it is when any law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty. But adding even more to the tragedy is when a family is left behind.

On behalf of the United States House of Representatives I express my deepest sympathy to the family of Investigator Lewis, and thank you for his life of service to the people of Eastern North Carolina.

May God continue to bless the family of Investigator Lewis, the Nash County Sheriff's Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, and our country.

Mr. Speaker, I am still very disappointed that during the debate of the National Defense Authorization Act that Mr. McGovern and I myself had an amendment, known as the McGovern-Jones amendment, and all it did, Mr. Speaker, was set the parameters and the benchmark for bringing our troops home after 2014. The amendment basically said that if you're not bringing the troops out by 2014, then any continuation of those troops would have to be voted on by the Congress.

I'm always very disappointed that the Congress does not meet its constitutional responsibility when it comes to war. Mr. Speaker, because of my disappointment and my continued support of bring our troops home, I will read the names of nine servicepeople given by the Department of Defense who were reported in the Raleigh, North Carolina, paper, The News & Observer:

Hospitalman Eric D. Warren

Private First Class Cale C. Miller

Corporal Keaton G. Coffey

Petty Officer First Class Ryan J. Wilson

Second Lieutenant Travis A. Morgado

Specialist Arronn D. Fields

Sergeant Michael J. Knapp

Sergeant Jabraun S. Knox

Specialist Samuel T. Watts.

Mr. Speaker, we are continuing to spend money that we do not have. Every day our debt goes up. Every day we borrow money from foreign governments, and yet we will not bring our troops home from Afghanistan.

It's kind of ironic that the administration has signed a security agreement that will continue a financial relationship with Afghanistan after our troops come home in 2014. That relationship is for 12 years, has been projected that we will spend approximately $4 billion a month for those 12 years to pay for a corrupt leader and a corrupt government that will not survive.

It does not matter how much money we spend. Afghanistan's history is that no nation has ever gone into Afghanistan and changed one thing. I do not understand why we in the House continue to find the money--of course it's borrowed money, by the way, probably from the Chinese--to send to Afghanistan. Yet we vote on programs to cut milk for children in the morning at school. We vote to cut programs for senior citizens to get a sandwich at the senior center, and yet we continue to fund a war that history has shown we will never win.

I have a poster of a photograph that was in the Greensboro paper that has Dover Air Force Base as they are bringing home the flag-covered transfer case. The nine names that I just read, they took their final trip in the back of a plane and they lay dead in a transfer case with a flag over their bodies.

Our Congress needs to wake up, Mr. Speaker. It makes no sense that we will stay there to 2014 or 2015.

I have with me a book that if I could pay for every Member of Congress to have this book, and they would guarantee me that they would read this book, then I would buy it for them. Mr. Speaker, the title of this book is ``Funding the Enemy: How U.S. Taxpayers Bankroll the Taliban.''

The Taliban, the Taliban, that's our enemy. Yet American dollars are going over, and many of those dollars end up in our enemy's hands to buy weapons and bullets to kill young Americans. I have read only 100 pages. I hope to finish this book next week when we are home; but I think if any taxpayer in this country would read this book, they would be up here protesting Washington sending money to Afghanistan. What is ironic, Mr. Speaker, is that the Taliban will eventually take over Afghanistan, no matter what we do.

I hope that my friends on both sides of the aisle will support us from time to time as we have amendments to create a parameter for bringing our troops out because, quite frankly, I think we will be there probably until 2015 or 2016.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I ask God to please bless our men and women in uniform. I ask God to please bless the families of our men and women in uniform.

I ask God in His loving arms to hold their families who have given a child dying for freedom in Afghanistan.

Mr. Speaker, I would ask three times, God, please, God, please, God, please continue to bless America.

Mr. Speaker, I wanted to come to the floor and say that I was very disappointed during the debate on the NDAA bill, the National Defense Authorization Act. We spent hours debating, and we only had 20 minutes to debate Afghanistan, with 10 minutes allotted to each side. Congresswoman Lee had her amendment, which I supported on the floor, but the amendment that Mr. McGovern and I had worked together for weeks crafting, the McGovern-Jones amendment, basically said accountability on 2014, bringing our troops out.

We need to have these guidelines, and I was very disappointed that our leadership would not bring our amendment to the floor. I think it's tragic that our young men and women are dying in Afghanistan and Iraq and we're not meeting our constitutional responsibility when it comes to debating war.

Last Saturday, like many of my colleagues, I was invited to speak at a Memorial event down in Beaufort, North Carolina. Primarily those in attendance were our veterans of yesterday and some of our Active Duty marines of today. It was amazing. I'm not a great speaker, but when I talked about bringing our troops out of Afghanistan before 2014, I got a strong applause in agreement.

We have a tremendous responsibility to take care of our wounded from Afghanistan and Iraq. In this financial crisis, I truthfully don't know how we're going to take care of them, to be honest about it. What I do know is that we will deal with it. Yet we continue to spend $10 billion a month--it is borrowed money from the Chinese--to prop up Karzai in Afghanistan and to pay his bills, to fix his roads, to fix his water systems, but in America we can't fix our roads and our water systems. Somewhere along the way, Mr. Speaker, it doesn't make any sense to me at all.

Last Saturday, before I went down to Beaufort, North Carolina, to give the speech, the Raleigh News & Observer published 27 names of Americans who had been killed in Afghanistan. Mr. Speaker, to honor those 27 who gave their life to this country, I will submit those 27 names for the record.

Mr. Speaker, 2014 is a long way from 2012. How many more names must appear in the paper? Congress needs to have more debates about our policy in Afghanistan. We've got those in this country right now that want to go in and bomb Syria, bomb Iran, and do all these things, and yet we in Congress just sit by and pass more and more bills to pay for all this funding overseas that we can't even account for.

Mr. Speaker, before closing, I bring this poster of this young woman who is in tears holding a little baby in her lap. The baby has no idea why this man in uniform is on his knees presenting a flag to this little girl's mother. How many more scenes like this must happen while Congress sits by and passes more and more spending bills to take care of Afghanistan while we deny the American people? Senior citizens can't get sandwiches at the senior citizen center, children can't get a pint of milk before school because we're going to cut those programs, but we're going to take care of a corrupt leader in Afghanistan. Mr. Speaker, it makes no sense at all.

When we should have been debating Afghanistan a week ago, 72 percent of the American people in a poll that week said, Get out of Afghanistan now. We had 20 minutes, 10 to the Democratic side and 10 to the Republican side. That's no way to say thank you to those serving. That's no way to say thank you to the families who have given a loved one.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, as I always do, I ask God to please bless our men and women in uniform. I ask God to please bless the families of our men and women in uniform. I ask God in His loving arms to hold the families who have given a child dying for freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq.

I ask God to bless the House and Senate, that we will do what is right in the eyes of God for God's people here in the United States of America.

And I ask God to bless President Obama, that he will do what is right in the eyes of God for God's people in America, today and tomorrow.

And three times I will say, God, please, God, please, God, please, continue to bless America.

Recent U.S. Military Personnel Deaths from DoD

Staff Sgt. Israel P. Nuanes; Sgt. Brian L. Walker; Pfc.

Richard L. McNulty III; Spc. Alex Hernandez III; Sgt. Wade D.

Wilson; 1st Lt. Alejo R. Thompson; Petty Officer Second Class

Jorge Luis Velasquez; Sgt. Jacob M. Schwallie; Spc. Chase S.

Marta; Pfc. Dustin D. Gross; Spc. Junot M. L. Cochilus; 2nd

Lt. David E. Rylander; Staff Sgt. Thomas K. Fogarty; Sgt.

John P. Huling; Master Sgt. Gregory L. Childs; Staff Sgt.

Zachary H. Hargrove; Capt. Bruce K. Clark; Sgt. Nicholas M.

Dickhut; Pfc. Christian R. Sannicolas; Master Sgt. Scott E.

Pruitt; Staff Sgt. Andrew T. Brittonmihalo; Spc. Manuel J.

Vasquez; Staff Sgt. Brandon F. Eggleston; Sgt. Dick A. Lee

Jr.; Lt. Christopher E. Mosko; Spc. Moises J. Gonzalez; Spc.

Jason K. Edens; Spc. Benjamin H. Neal.

Mr. Speaker, this is not the first time I've been on the floor of the House to speak about the V 22 Osprey crash that took place in Arizona in 2000--the crash that claimed the lives of 19 Marines. Mr. Speaker, the pilots of the Osprey, Major Brooks Gruber and Lieutenant Colonel John Brow, have been blamed for the accident by the media.

The reason I'm standing here 12 years later is that the Marine Corps has not supported the finding of their own accident investigation for 12 years. The fact is, the official report, known as the JAGMAN report, conducted by the United States Marine Corps, clearly states that the pilots were not at fault.

On page 77 of the JAGMAN it says:

``During this investigation, we found nothing that we would characterize as negligence, deliberate pilot error, or maintenance material failure.''

After 12 years, the JAGMAN, which has not been--nor do we want to try to change that report that I just read, Mr. Speaker, but we're asking the United States Marine Corps to make the change that is necessary because after the crash on April 8 of 2000, the United

States Marine Corps claimed in their own press release:

``The pilots' drive to accomplish the mission appears to be the fatal factor.''

Mr. Speaker, the Osprey, for those that might not be familiar, is the helicopter that goes from the helicopter mode into an airplane mode. At the time of this crash the V 22 was still an experimental plane. What needed to be asked by the Marine Corps was for Bell-Boeing to do more testing--and more testing would have probably meant that they would have understood an issue that's called vortex ring state, or VRS. It is well known in most helicopters, but in the Osprey that has the twin engines they did not know how the vortex ring state would impact one engine or the other engine. And that's what caused this tragic accident in April of 2000. Again, there were 19 marines killed and burned to death.

Mr. Speaker, in this 10-year journey that I have been on to clear the names of the two marine pilots--and the picture on my immediate left is Colonel John Brow. His lovely wife, Trish, and their two children, Matthew and Michael, live in California, Maryland.

The other young marine beside Colonel Brow's photograph is the copilot whose name is Major Brooks Gruber. Major Gruber's wife, Connie, lives in my district. She's the one who brought this to my attention.

In these 10 years, in addition to the JAGMAN report I just quoted that says that these pilots were not at fault, I have reached out to so many people that it's unbelievable, including the former Assistant Secretary of Defense Phil Coyle, and I would like to read his comment:

Major Gruber should not be blamed for an accident caused by

loss of lift due to the aircraft entering vortex ring state,

phenomena which no one in the Marine Corps adequately

understood in relation to the Osprey at the time of the

accident. Not only did the Marine Corps not understand Osprey

performance under VRS, the root cause of the accident, but

neither the contractor nor the Marine Corps had not tested

the aircraft at near VRS conditions--something which,

following the accident, it later took the Marine Corps years

to accomplish. Surely, Major Gruber cannot be blamed for

something that the Marine Corps itself did not grasp until

years after his death.

Mr. Speaker, I further quote Phil Coyle:

Considering that it was ignorance on the part of the Marine

Corps that caused the April 2000 accident, the Marine Corps

should make it clear to Gruber's family--with no if, ands or

buts, that Gruber was not responsible for the accident. I

don't suppose the Marine Corps ever apologizes, but

considering that the accident was their fault, and not major

Gruber's, an apology to the family would be in order also.

Mr. Speaker, I don't really like reading that because I have such great respect for the Marine Corps, but I must say today on the floor that I am very disappointed in the Marine Corps; because before I finish in just a few minutes you will understand why I am disappointed because the two wives have asked for something very simple, and I will explain that before I close.

Another one of the experts who has joined us, former adviser to the Secretary of Defense, Rex Rivolo, stated:

The failure of the manufacturer, Bell-Boeing, and the Navy

to characterize the slow speed, high rate of descent handling

qualities of the V 22 through flight testing, to describe

them for the aircrew in the NATOPS, and to provide an

adequate warning system were the causes of the mishap, not

aircrew error.

With the passing of 10 years, and the future of the

aircraft now secure, I sincerely hope that the names of

Lieutenant Colonel Brow and Major Gruber can now be

exonerated and cleared for posterity. I strongly support any

and all measures to this end, and request this letter be

included in any official record regarding the causes of the

MV 22 mishap at Marana, Arizona, on April 8 or any resolution

attempting to clear the names of Lieutenant Colonel John Brow

and Major Brooks Gruber.

Mr. Speaker, so many people in this 10-year effort have joined, it's just unbelievable. I have just read from two of those individuals who are well known to the defense industry.

Another person who was in the air in the third Osprey, Lieutenant Colonel James Shafer, a dear friend of Brow and Gruber's who was in the air with them that night in a separate plane, agrees with me and has gone above and beyond in his quest to clear his friends' names. I want to thank Lieutenant Colonel James Shafer for stepping out. He's a great marine. He loves the Marine Corps, but he know that these two gentlemen should never be seen as being at fault.

I've gotten to know the two attorneys who defended the families. Jim Furman in Texas was the attorney for the John Brow and Brooks Gruber families. In New York, the attorney was Brian Alexander. He and his associate defended the 17 marines and their families who were killed in the back of the plane. Both these attorneys, Mr. Speaker, have written to the Commandant of the Marine Corps and made it perfectly clear that the lawsuits are all settled and nothing--should the Marine Corps decide to give the two wives what I'm going to describe in just a few minutes, a letter stating clearly that their husbands, Colonel John Brow and Major Brooks Gruber, should not be seen at fault. They have stated in writing and I have copies, Mr. Speaker, that there will be no lawsuits. The lawsuits are over.

This is what Connie Gruber wrote me back in 2002. I want to read part of this for the record:

I contact you in hopes that leaders of integrity, free of

bias, would have both the intelligence and the courage it

takes to decide the facts for themselves. If you do that, you

will agree the human factor/pilot error findings should not

stand as it is in the military history. Again, I respectfully

ask for your support. Please do not simply pass this matter

along to General Jones without offering the support my

husband and his comrades deserve. Please remember, these 19

marines can no longer speak for themselves. I certainly am

not afraid to speak for them, and I believe somebody has to.

Even though it is easier put to rest and forgotten, please

join me in doing the right thing by taking the time to

address this important issue.

Over the years I have received some help from the United States Marine Corps, but the Commandant is the person now, Mr. Speaker, that could give the wives what they are looking for, and that is just a simple letter I'm going to read for the record. That is:

On July 27, 2000, the United States Marine Corps issued a

press release about the April 8, 2000, MV 22 Osprey crash

that killed 19 marines near Marana, Arizona. In that press

release, the Marine Corps cited human factors as the cause of

the accident. Furthermore, the release included a statement

saying ``the pilots' drive to accomplish that mission appears

to have been the fatal factor.'' Since that press release,

there has been a mistaken perception in the news media and

written history that cause of the accident was pilot error.

That perception dishonors the pilots who died that night,

Lieutenant Colonel John Brow and Major Brooks Gruber. I would

like to set the record straight on this matter. The July 27,

2000 press release unfairly placed the blame for the accident

at the pilots' feet. It is morally wrong to place the blame

for that accident on John Brow and Brooks Gruber. The mishap

was not a result of pilot error, but was the result of a

perfect storm of circumstances. Any accident is a result of a

multitude of factors. The primary causal factors of this

accident were:

One, insufficient developmental research and flight

testing;

Two, no knowledge of the possible sudden onset of an

asymmetrical flight condition and loss of control during

vertex ring state;

Three, inadequate MV 22 NATOPS VRS discussion, warnings,

and procedures;

Four, no VRS avoidance training.

With no knowledge, training, or warning concerning the

possible consequences of VRS, John Brow and Brooks Gruber

were essentially on their own in uncharted territory. The

official investigation into this mishap explicitly states,

``During this investigation, we found nothing that we would

characterize as negligence, deliberate pilot error, or

maintenance/material failure.'' I wholeheartedly agree with

the investigation. Any publication that is contrary to the

official Marine Corps investigation and reflects the mishap

was a result of pilot error should be corrected and recanted.

Lieutenant Colonel John Brow and Major Brooks Gruber were

aviation pioneers in the truest sense. The ultimate sacrifice

made by all 19 marines aboard the aircraft that night led to

a critical advancement in MV 22 safety and capability and

overall readiness of the United States Marine Corps. It is

because of their sacrifice that the MV 22 is successfully

carrying marines in and out of combat today.

Mr. Speaker, the letter I just read has been approved by the marines who wrote the investigation, Colonel Mike Morgan, Colonel Ron Radich and Major Phil Stackhouse, and has been approved by the widows, Connie Gruber down in Jacksonville, and her daughter Brooks, and Trish Brow in California, Maryland, and her two sons, Michael and Matthew. The letter does not go against any word in the investigation. The commandant should send these letters to the two wives.

Mr. Speaker, I have said to the commandant a few months ago: Sir, if you

would call a press conference at marine headquarters in Washington, D.C. and you would invite the families of John Brow and Brooks Gruber, you would present the two wives, Connie and Trish, on your stationery, exactly, Mr. Speaker, what I just read, this would bring a tragedy to a close.

I'm going to continue to beat this drum, Mr. Speaker, for as long as I can because the dead cannot speak for themselves. If we the living do not speak for the dead and tell the truth, how can you ever correct a mistake if we don't take this upon ourselves?

Mr. Speaker, the last point before I close, I want to read this. This is from the attorneys Brian Alexander and Francis Young. These two attorneys went to an administrative judge, and the lawyers for Bell- Boeing were there, and they made this point on April 8, 2000:

There was no emergency procedure or recovery technique for

asymmetric VRS. The pilot manual lacked adequate content,

accuracy and clarity. Because of incomplete development

testing there was insufficient explanatory or emphatic test

to warn pilots of the hazards of operating in this area. The

pilot manual was plagued with inaccuracies that degraded

flight operations and contained performance charts provided

by the developers which did not reflect actual conditions.

Mr. Speaker, Bell-Boeing, after the lawsuit, had an experimental pilot named Tom McDonald who spent 700 hours in the air trying to figure out how you respond to vortex ring state. He figured it out. He won the Kincheloe Award, which is only given to one experimental pilot in this country per year, because he solved the problem of vortex ring state--VRS--what pilots are supposed to do when they hit that VRS state.

Mr. Speaker, I hope that the commandant of the Marine Corps, who I have great respect for, will do what is right for John Brow, Brooks Gruber, and actually the 17 marines in the back of the plane that crashed and issue the letter that I just read for the record to the two wives, do it in a public setting, bring the press in and say that the Marine Corps does not forget its dead.

It is so simple, Mr. Speaker, that you will never believe how many people have said to me in this 10-year journey: Why doesn't the Marine Corps do it? I can't explain it. The lawsuits are over. The plane is safe. The V 22 is safe. Nobody's trying to take it out of the program. But for the families of John Brow and Brooks Gruber, this is the right thing to do. In my humble opinion, the Marine Corps is so well respected and thought of in this Nation that they would be even revered more if they would say to Colonel John Brow, to Major Brooks Gruber and their families, you did your job, you did it to the best of your ability. We regret that you were not prepared, but it was not your fault that you were not prepared. It was a rush to get this thing completed by Bell-Boeing and the United States Marine Corps.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the staff for staying later tonight. I knew that I could convey my heart in about 25 minutes.

Mr. Speaker, I will continue to be on the floor from time to time with the photographs of these two young marine officers. I wish I had the 17 that were in the back of the plane, but I don't.

With that, Mr. Speaker, as I always do when I think about our troops over in Afghanistan and Iraq, I close by asking God to please bless the families of our men and women in uniform. I ask God to please bless those who have given a child dying for freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq. And I'm going to ask God tonight to please bless this effort to clear the names of John Brow and Brooks Gruber. I'm going to ask God to please bless the House and Senate, that we will do what is right in the eyes of God for his people in America. I ask God to please bless Mr. Obama, that he will do what is right in the eyes of God for the American people. And three times I will ask God, please, God, please, God, please continue to bless America.

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