Spencer Bachus

Mr. BACHUS

Mr. BACHUS. I will yield on the gentleman's time.

Mr. BACHUS

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, when Congress makes a commitment to give Americans tax relief, it should honor that commitment. To put it plainly, Americans should get the tax cuts that they have been promised. Americans should have the tax relief that they desperately need. Passage of President Bush's tax cut late last year was a historic bipartisan achievement. Only three times since World War II have we had an across-the-board tax cut: President Kennedy's tax cut in the 1960s, President Reagan's tax cut in the 1980s, and now President George W. Bush's tax cut. But now some want to break the agreement. Some argue that we should repeal or delay the tax cuts. The gentleman from Illinois who addressed the House a few minutes ago and I believe that this is a debate worthy of having. If Members of Congress truly believe we should raise taxes, our resolution gives them an opportunity to record their votes in favor of a tax increase. Our resolution states, the tax cuts should not be repealed or delayed. If they want to raise taxes, they need to vote against the resolution offered by the gentleman from Illinois and me. Every American deserves to know where their Representative and Senators stand on this important issue. Some in Congress, Mr. Speaker, lately have tried to maneuver and scheme for political advantage by blaming the President's tax relief package for the deficit and recession. They are not telling the truth. These tax supporters try to sell the myth that we must increase taxes just 6 months after we promised Americans they would start receiving their rebate income tax checks in the mail. The ink on the new tax relief package has barely dried. Now they want to repeal it or, as they say, delay or postpone it. They said the same thing about the economic stimulus package: let's take a long look. Let's delay it a week. Let's postpone it a month. Today they killed it, which really killed the chances that many of my constituents and their companies have to rebound from this recession. As the chart I prepared shows, economic conditions account for 72 percent of projected 2002 deficits. Spending accounts for 16 percent. Tax relief only contributed 12 percent. Yet there is a growing cry to delay or postpone, we know in Washington that means kill, the tax cuts. We have got to revitalize our economy. Tax cuts spur economic growth and create jobs. The bottom line for President Bush and this Congress ought to be jobs, preserving jobs and creating good jobs. Senate inaction on the economic stimulus plan cost us 800,000 jobs. The House passed a stimulus many months ago; but it is not only stuck in the Senate, it is dead in the Senate today. Now these same obstructionists want to repeal the tax cuts we have passed last year. Our resolution reaffirms that promise to the American people. It reaffirms the tax relief. It reaffirms the tax cuts. We cut taxes because it is the right thing to do, it is the fair thing to do, it is the compassionate thing to do for families struggling from paycheck to paycheck. In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, as the gentleman from Illinois has so adequately said, our choice is simple. Do we leave the money in the pockets of the American workers and families, or do we bring it up here and spend it as we see fit?

Mr. BACHUS

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss) said it best when the gentleman said we are sorry that we are here. We are sorry that Johnny Micheal Spann had to die for his country. But we are very proud of him. We are proud of his family and the way that they have responded to this tragedy. We honor the memory and the sacrifice that he made for his family: The first American killed in combat by our enemy in Afghanistan. Mr. Speaker, yesterday Mike Spann was given a well-deserved hero's burial at a place where many of our heroes are buried, Arlington National Cemetery. The Nation was focused on his death and on the ceremony. Mr. Speaker, in that, the fact that the Nation has followed this event and has paid respect to this fallen warrior, I think is good. It has not always been that way. Mr. Speaker, I remember back in 1994 when two Army rangers were posthumously given an award at the White House after they fell in Somalia. I remember that weekend, there was a car chase in Southern California. Members may remember that. It led to a famous murder trial. Mr. Speaker, there was no coverage of that ceremony at the White House, no coverage of the burial. There was an article on page D5 of the paper in Washington, D.C., a short article. Mr. Speaker, the Nation has changed in many ways since September 11; and one change for the better, Mr. Speaker, is that the Mike Spanns, and the hundreds of thousands of young men and women like him, are finally given a priority, a priority they should have had. Captain Spann reenlisted in the Marines. He served the CIA, and he did that, although his country did not make it a priority, but thank God he made it a priority to serve and defend his country. Shortly before his death he sent an e-mail to his family which read, ``What everyone needs to understand is these fellows hate you. They hate you because you are an American. Support your government and your military, especially when the bodies start coming home.'' Little did he or his family or we know that the first body brought home would be his. Mr. Speaker, my oldest son graduated from Parris Island. He is a Marine. I can understand the pride that this family has in Mike; but I cannot imagine what they are going through now. Their worst fears have been realized. To lose a son, it is the natural order turned upside down. We expect to die before our children, but the Spanns have shown great character, great courage and great patriotism, and we can tell where Mike got a lot of his courage and bravery and patriotism. As the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss) and others have said, this is shattering experience for a young wife, two little girls and a baby boy. To the family I say, they can never take one thing away, and that is, that he was the best. I conclude by saying what the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) quoted Mrs. Spann as saying, Mike was a hero not because of the way he died, but rather because of the way he lived. Mr. Speaker, he was a good son, a good husband, a good father to his young children, a good U.S. Marine, a good CIA agent, and a God- fearing, patriotic American. Semper fi, Mike Spann.

Mr. BACHUS

Mr. BACHUS. I would say this to the gentleman. I will answer the question and he can correct me if I am wrong. Section 11 of his amendment, a requirement to provide terrorism coverage, and it says that this coverage may not be eliminated, waived or excluded by mutual agreement, request or consent of the policyholder or otherwise. That is what it says. It says you cannot exclude coverage for that. It may not be eliminated, may not be waived, may not be excluded from a commercial policy even by mutual agreement or by request or consent of the policyholder. That is what it says. It is the plain wording. I would hope the gentleman did not intend to say that to every American who has an insurance policy on a piece of property. There is an option. The option is that you just do not get insurance. But I think the gentleman from New York is saying if you do get insurance, you will have to have terrorist coverage and you will have to pay for that coverage. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I think we received the answer to our question, and that is that this amendment attempts to require all Americans who own businesses to take out terrorist coverage and to pay for that coverage. In other words, if you have got a beauty shop, the gentleman from New York, his amendment if it passes, you will be required to take out terrorist insurance. If you have got a restaurant, you will be required to take it out and to pay for it. So I think we have our answer there. As the gentlewoman from Texas says, we want to spread the risk to people that even may not have any risk, may not choose to need insurance. What we are basically telling them is, Not only do you need it, but you'll pay for it, whether you want it or not. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley) be permitted to control the remainder of my time for consideration of this amendment.

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment in the nature of a substitute.

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, there are several problems that the membership ought to have with this amendment, things that I hope that the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce) will respond to, concerns which we have. My first concern is that we are mandating that anyone who takes out commercial insurance must also take out coverage for terrorism. Now, in the towns and the cities and rural areas that I represent, there are a lot of small businessmen who do not think that they need insurance to ensure against terrorism. Actually, I have farmers in my district. They have chicken houses, I would say to the gentleman from New York. Those farmers do not feel like those chicken houses and those chickens need insurance against terrorism. They do not believe that there is much of a possibility of a terrorist planting a bomb in one of those chicken houses. I have a lot of repair shops in my district that repair used automobiles. The people that own those businesses and that pay liability insurance and take out coverage on those businesses, they do not believe that they need to be paying for insurance to cover that auto body shop or that beauty shop. I have a lot of beauticians, I would say to the gentleman from New York. I have a lot of beauticians in my district. They have a lot of beauty shops. They really do not believe that they ought to be compelled by the Federal Government to take out insurance to insure against terrorists. In fact, they may not be able to afford it. But what this substitute does, it requires anyone that takes out a commercial policy on any business, whether it is a beauty shop, a barber shop, an auto mechanic store, a chicken house, a small grocery store, it requires you to take out and insure against a terrorist act. I have a lot of businesses in my district that quite simply are having trouble paying for the insurance that they have. There is no opt-out. I can insure against theft, I can insure against fire, I can insure against vandalism; but I may not want to insure against terrorism. I may own a small business. I may get a quote of $12,000 a year for basic coverage and another $1,000 or $1,500 a year to insure against terrorism. I may say, I don't want terrorism covered. I would say to the gentleman from New York, it is my understanding that his amendment, and correct me if I am wrong, but it is my understanding that his amendment requires anyone who takes out a commercial policy to protect their place of business, that they must also insure against terrorism. I would stop right there and I would reserve the balance of my time and ask the gentleman so we can have a coherent discussion of this, is in fact he mandating that every American that takes out insurance coverage on their place of business, that they must insure against terrorism no matter what the cost of that premium? Mr. Speaker, I will reserve the balance of my time and let the gentleman address that question.

Mr. BACHUS

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, there is one story that has not been in the papers of this country. That is the fact that the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica) were not stampeded into passing a bill 3 weeks ago; but they made important changes to that bill, changes that the American people will thank them for in years to come, changes that will save lives. The gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk) mentioned that all screeners will be American citizens. I thank the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young). That needed to be made. That change needed to be made. The press has ignored it, but I have not and the American people have not. Two other changes: Prior to the changes made by the House, one could walk up and they would search their grandmother's change purse, but a foreign visitor to this country could take a footlocker and could check it on an airplane, and it would not be searched. I thank the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), and I thank the committee for putting in screening of baggage. That would have been a gigantic loophole. Finally, and I have heard nothing said about this, but I thank the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) and I thank the House, because there were no provisions to secure the Tarmac. Think about that for a minute: someone could have walked up to the Atlanta Airport, as they have done on several occasions, and stolen baggage. They could have come up to those same wagons that we have all seen when we looked out of the airplanes, and they could have put baggage on that wagon; and that could have contained a bomb, and it could have been on the planes that our mothers, fathers, daughters, or wives were on. I thank the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young). The press has not covered that, those that have criticized the House have not covered that, but thank goodness for this House of Representatives. Thank goodness for this Committee on Transportation that did those things. The American people may never know about those things, but we know about them and we know they will save lives. I thank the gentleman again.

Mr. BACHUS

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation, and to include extraneous material in the Record.

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1408) to safeguard the public from fraud in the financial services industry, to streamline and facilitate the antifraud information-sharing efforts of Federal and State regulators, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1408, the Financial Services Antifraud Network Act of 2001. This bill is the product of long and careful deliberations in the Committee on Financial Services and the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit, which I have the honor of chairing. I want to thank the subcommittee's ranking member, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters), for working with me in the spirit of bipartisanship to develop legislation that commands the broad consensus in the committee and deserves similar support on the House floor today. Let me also commend the chairman of the full committee, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley), who made this bill one of the committee's highest priorities upon assuming his chairmanship at the beginning of this year, and then fought tenaciously to see it through to completion. The gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Rogers), more than anyone in this House, deserves enormous credit as both the principal architect of the legislation and its most forceful advocate in the committee. As former FBI special agents who have investigated at the street level, both the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Oxley) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Rogers) are as well qualified as anyone in this body to lead an effort to shore up the antifraud capabilities of our Federal, State, and local authorities. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Rogers), the chief architect and chief sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, better coordination of the antifraud efforts of the more than 250 Federal, State, and local agencies that regulate the banking, securities, and insurance industry is long overdue. As my colleagues know, it is often society's most vulnerable members, including our senior citizens, older veterans, and the terminally ill that are the targets of financial scam artists. In fact, they fashion their pitch towards these groups. They also feed on charitable schemes where they misrepresent that they are raising money for charity. In light of what happened September 11, I think this country has no toleration for those who go out as a financial scam and take advantage of tragedies such as September 11 to raise money with no intention of giving that money to help in the cause. The cost of these outrageous scams is estimated to exceed $100 billion annually in this country. By breaking down the barriers to information exchange that have hampered antifraud initiatives at the national level and among State regulators, H.R. 1408 will go a long way in reducing the risk to average American consumers and investors of losing their life savings due to financial fraud. As I mentioned at the onset, this legislation was the subject of extensive consideration over a 4-month period by the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit. In addition, the Committee on the Judiciary, on which I serve, marked up the legislation after it was reported by the Committee on Financial Services. The gentleman from Wisconsin (Chairman Sensenbrenner) is entitled to praise. He was committed to bringing this bill to the floor. It would not be on the floor today if we did not have a commitment and the cooperation of the Committee on the Judiciary. I thank the Committee on the Judiciary and its staff, as well as the staff of the Committee on Financial Services. What emerged from this cooperative effort, both between committees and between the minority and the majority, is a bill that enhances the capability of regulators to put financial defrauders out of business, while at the same time guaranteeing, as the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Rogers) said, due process rights of the accused, and safeguarding the information shared by regulators against improper disclosure or other misuse. Evidence has emerged in the wake of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon that terrorist cells in this country may be financing their operations in part through financial crimes possibly and specifically involving stolen or false identities. Facilitating the exchange of information on these activities, shutting down funding for terrorists not only protects American consumers but it may also help regulators and law enforcement authorities identify and apprehend potential terrorists and those who provide them with the financial support they need before further acts of mass murder can be committed against innocent U.S. citizens. As I mentioned before, at the State, Federal and local level there are more than 20 different agencies charged with regulating banks, security firms, and insurance companies. However, to date, there has been little coordination among them. This lack of coordination was evidenced when recently indicted financier Martin Frankel, after being barred from securities activities, slid over to insurance where he proceeded to bilk the industry of some $200 million over 8 years. Frankel's ability to move from securities to insurance and from State to State and ease with which he flaunted financial regulators may have been deterred. In fact, we had testimony before our committee that it was handicapped because of lack of communication among State regulators and between agencies, both local, State, and Federal. The antifraud network established by this legislation will help level the playing field between the Martin Frankels of this world and the financial regulators charged with policing fraud and protecting consumers. We also had testimony, Mr. Speaker, of situations where someone would start a financial or insurance or securities game in the State of Iowa. They would then be barred from the State of Iowa from further activity. The State of Iowa would understand the scheme; they would move against it; they would bring criminal charges against this person or this group of people. What also happens is even though there is a conviction against one person, another person sort of takes up the mantle and they would move to another State. They would start this all over. There would be another round of fraud. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley), the chairman of the full committee. (Mr. OXLEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I do not know that we have any other speakers wishing to be heard. I want to again second what the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley), the chairman of the full committee, said. The cooperation that we have received from the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Shows), from the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce), from the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) has been tremendous. The gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Shows) was an original cosponsor of this legislation. This truly is a bipartisan, or nonpartisan, effort; and I think it shows what this Congress can do when they put aside their petty differences on many occasions and work for the common good of the people, and they have done that.

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, there being no further requests for time, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. BACHUS

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, America has proven time and time again that when we as a people are challenged and we dedicate ourselves to meeting that challenge, nothing can stop our Nation and nothing can stop our people. On September 11, our country was challenged yet again, challenged to defend our democracy, challenged to fight for our freedom and our way of life. When we as America accept a challenge, we are usually up to that challenge. That is the history of our forefathers; that is the history of our Nation. As Americans, we are best when challenged. We proved that during World War I, our grandfathers; our fathers proved that during World War II. Now, in our own time, passengers aboard United Flight 93 proved that when they sacrificed their own lives to save more lives on the ground. Hundreds of firefighters, police officers, and paramedics, before our own eyes, rushed to save thousands of fleeing persons from the World Trade Towers. They were up to the challenge. They proved that when it was their time, they were ready, ready to face danger, ready to sacrifice, ready to put others first. At the Pentagon, we saw that same courage, that same willingness to sacrifice. In Afghanistan, and the throughout the world, our servicemen and women are accepting the challenge of protecting the country. When they do serve our Nation, they put themselves at risk; and they are willing to take that risk. That is a tradition we should be proud of; it is also a tradition that we in this House should live up to. It is that time now. We in Washington, we across America, are now confronted with a new mode of terrorism in the form of anthrax. It is yet only the latest in a series of a different mode of attack upon our country and upon our democracy and upon our freedom and upon this very institution. We should take as an example past generations, their sacrifice, their willingness to risk, their willingness, if necessary, to face danger. In the past, they have fought to protect our land. Let us take as an example their sacrifice, that of the passengers of United Flight 93, that of the firefighters in New York, that of our brave troops around the world. Let us not back down from the challenge. Let us meet it head on. Let us not give in to the terrorists. Let us not give them the pleasure of seeing this House flinch at shadows. With the words of FDR as an example, that ``the only thing we have to fear is fear itself,'' a nameless, unreasonable, unjustified terror, let us not give in to that fear. President Roosevelt said those words in 1933, but they are still true today. Let us not be paralyzed in needed efforts to advance against our enemy. Let us not retreat from the floor of this House. Let us also be willing to sacrifice as we have seen others sacrifice. Let us keep this floor open for business. Yes, it may entail some risk. Yes, it may entail some danger. But let us think of our troops in Afghanistan, what they face; let us think about those firefighters; let us think about that crew and the passengers on United Flight 93; let us think of our fathers during World War II and our grandfathers during World War I. Let us take up that same tradition. Fear is the currency of terrorism. Let us not contribute to that fear by shuttering the doors of this House. Let us, instead, convert temporary retreat into long-term advance. Let us not tremble and be afraid. Let us be strong and courageous.

Mr. BACHUS

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, we learned something 6 weeks ago. It was a very painful lesson. We learned that legislation was needed to provide law enforcement and intelligence additional tools that they needed to address the threat of terrorism and terrorists. Mr. Speaker, we may not have understood and appreciated the word ``terrorism'' and what terrorists were before September 11, but we certainly do today. We know who they are, we know what they are capable of. We may not have appreciated the need for this legislation before September 11, but surely today we appreciate the need for this legislation and the urgency of such legislation. Mr. Speaker, we may not have thought too much about giving law enforcement stronger tools for combatting international terrorism before September 11, but today we think a lot about that. We realize that that needs to be done. We did not investigate terrorists and identify them on a real-time basis before September 11. We sometimes overlooked the urgency. We know that urgency today. Finally, Mr. Speaker, we now know that we need to cooperate not only between agencies, law enforcement agencies, but between countries and between the private sector and government to track terrorists, to track their assets, to monitor their activities. If we did not realize that before September 11, surely we know now the price we pay when they exploit our vulnerabilities. They exploited our vulnerabilities, our free society, and the losses were great. It is time to close those vulnerabilities.

Mr. BACHUS

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, the tragedy that has befallen our nation is unspeakable. Thousands of lives tragically cut short, right here in our homeland. For each of those lost lives, thousands more are left behind--family, friends, colleagues--suffering and trying to cope. One of those families is the Williams family. Army Major Dwayne Williams, originally from Jacksonville, Alabama, was killed as he performed his duty to his country at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Although I never had the honor of meeting Major Williams, I have come to know him through a heartfelt newspaper column written by one of his brothers, Birmingham News staff writer Roy L. Williams. With unanimous consent, I ask that this column be re-printed in the Record after my statement. Mr. Speaker, Major Williams was unquestionably a noble patriot, an honorable son and a much beloved husband, father and brother. His life was robbed from him, and from us, because he was a living symbol of American greatness. Major Williams was not taken from us so tragically because he, as an individual, was hated, but because he represented our country's strength, determination and honor. We owe Major Dwayne Williams for paying our price for freedom. We must forever honor his memory and keep his family in our thoughts and prayers. God bless Army Major Dwayne Williams. God bless his family, and God bless America. [From the Birmingham News:] Terrorist Attack Can't Destroy Spirit, Faith of Our Family (By Roy L. Williams) Like millions of Americans, I was in a state of disbelief watching televised images Sept. 11 of airplanes striking the World Trade Center. My heart sank as I thought of the pain and anguish relatives of those killed or missing must be experiencing. Never did I imagine that my own family would be going through that same emotional turmoil less than an hour later when another jet struck the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., where my oldest brother, Army Maj. Dwayne Williams, worked. I was sitting at my desk watching scenes of the World Trade Center towers on fire when I received a frantic phone call from my mother, Pearl Williams. She told me a plane had just struck the Pentagon and expressed worry about Dwayne. I told her she was mistaken; the planes struck the World Trade Center, not the Pentagon, and assured her Dwayne was OK. After hanging up the phone, I looked up at the first televised images of the plane crash at the Pentagon. I immediately called my mother and informed her I would check on Dwayne's status. The next few hours were mired by frustration as phone calls to Dwayne's office in the Pentagon and home wouldn't go through. I finally reached Dwayne's home around noon and left a voice message for his wife, Tammy, to call me with word that my brother was OK. At 2 p.m., five hours after the Pentagon attack, I reached Tammy's mother and was told that she had spoken to her daughter, who was worried sick because Dwayne had not called. That was unlike Dwayne: He would have called his wife and children. worst fears confirmed Shortly before midnight with still no word from Dwayne, I couldn't sleep and turned on the television for the latest news on the Pentagon. What I heard confirmed my worst fears: The jet had struck a section housing Army offices where Dwayne worked. The next morning, I reported to work but wasn't able to concentrate. Tears flowed as I imagined the horrors my brother and other victims in the Pentagon and World Trade Center experienced. The Army and Pentagon had my brother listed as missing and feared dead. Nine days went by with no official word on Dwayne's fate, and our pain got agonizing worse as time went by. On Friday, Sept. 21, 10 days after the Pentagon attack, the news I had dreaded finally arrived: Dwayne had been declared dead. The bad news came around 1:45 p.m. with a call from my sobbing mother: ``It's official: Dwayne's been identified as among the dead,'' she said. He had apparently been among the 150 unidentified dead victims lying at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. I didn't want to belief it, and hours later remain in a state of disbelief. Yet at the same time, I'm glad the waiting is over and the Williams family can move on in our grief. I will never be able to fully accept the fact that my brother's life was taken in such a despicable manner, but I am at peace in knowing that Dwayne was a Christian and is at home with the Lord. In my mind, I see God's angels descending upon the Pentagon and snatching Dwayne and the other innocent victims from the building just as the plane hit, carrying them home to that peaceful place we all want to go: heaven. The hardest part about this whole ordeal was the wait. We wanted closure by receiving word that Dwayne has been found. Our prayer was that he would be found alive amidst the rubble. Though chances of survival were slim, my family never gave up hope until receiving the final word of I've gone through a wave of emotions--anger and bitterness toward the terrorists; sadness and sorrow; disbelief and shock; denial and an unwillingness to accept the fact that Dwayne is dead. But closure now allows the family to move into the grief process. god's angels Although I constantly worry about the fate of my missing brother, I am at peace in knowing Dwayne is a Christian and that God's angels are protecting him. Much of the grief my wife, Patrice, and I are experiencing has been lessened by the comforting words of my pastor, Jim Lowe of the Guiding Light Church in Roebuck. For the past three months, Pastor Lowe has been preaching a sermon series on how to cope with trouble and strife. I didn't know those sermons would apply so deeply and personally in my own life. I have a horrible aching pain in the pit of my stomach that grows worse day by day. Leaning on the Lord is the only thing that can sustain someone going through a traumatic event like this. The prayers of the Guiding Light church family, relatives and friends are enabling us to cope with this tragedy. In this world that we live in, you are either going into a personal storm, in the midst of a storm or coming out of one. How you cope with the situation is determined by your faith in God. We must learn to look beyond the circumstances of this world to the powerful, comforting presence of God. Patrice and I are not only suffering anguish in the possible loss of my brother, but also one of our best friends. Dwayne served as my best man in our wedding 10 years ago and we communicated with him and his wife, Tammy, almost weekly either via e-mail or telephone. Patrice is expecting our second child in February and I am trying my best to keep her calm, but she feels and shares my pain. I thank God that our daughter, Naja, is just 2 and too young to fully comprehend what is going on. I thank God, also, that Naja did get a chance to see her Uncle Dwayne again this past June when his family stopped by to visit us on the way to report to the Pentagon. Dwayne and I, along with our wives, vacationed together to Cancun, Mexico, three years ago and while he was stationed in Egypt in 1997, we viewed the awesome wonder of the Great Pyramid and Sphinx together. Even though the terrorists attack killed Dwayne, we still have comfort in knowing that God has called him home to heaven. A terrorist attack may be able to destroy this earthly body, but cannot destroy Dwayne's spirit, which is alive and well in all of his family members and friends. What makes this so excruciatingly painful to cope with is that Dwayne had just completed the Army Command and General Staff College in Kansas and got the assignment to the Pentagon just three months ago. It was to be the highlight of his career. One would think the military headquarters building would be the safest place in the world to serve. Dwayne served in the Persian Gulf War and spent two years in Egypt, a scene of many terrorists'attacks, yet came home unscathed. Then this happened. Dwayne is one of three of my brothers serving this great country in the military: the others are Army Sgt. 1st Class Kim Williams and my identical twin brother, Air Force Staff Sgt. Troy L. Williams. In the back of More than a statistic Let me paint a picture of Dwayne to show that my brother is more than a statistic in this senseless tragedy that killed and injured more than 5,000 innocent people. An 18-year Army veteran who got his start as a paratrooper and ranger at Fort Benning, Ga., Dwayne served in the Persian Gulf War in 1991 and is a highly decorated soldier. Dwayne is a loving husband to his wife, Tammy, and a devoted father to a 13-year-old daughter, Kelsie, and 17- year-old son, Tyler. He is the beloved son of my parents, Horace and Pearl Williams, of Jacksonville, AL. He is a protecting big brother to me and my other two brothers. He is a star athlete, having lettered in high school football and basketball, then later played for four years on the University of North Alabama football team as a pass receiver. An avid softball player, he helped lead his Army team to victory in competition while in Egypt. He is a man of strong moral character, who rarely displayed much emotion but is quick to express love in his own quiet way. And he is a friend to many. To get a true picture of the horrible ordeal and anguish this country has been going through during the past week, simply multiply the devastation my family is experiencing by 6,000--the number of other victims either killed or still missing in these attacks. It's a numbing, horrible feeling I pray that no other family has to experience themselves. Please pray for all of the victims of these terrible attacks. God bless America.

Mr. BACHUS

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, this is a time of heroes for America. The world has applauded the heroism and dedication of the rescue workers in New York and at the Pentagon. Now, sadly, Alabama has its own heroes deserving of our recognition and applause. When three Alabama coal miners became trapped a mile underground last Sunday, ten of their colleagues--fully aware of the danger--rushed into the mine to rescue them. Tragically, all 13 miners died. We stand in awe of such demonstrated bravery, valor and personal sacrifice. But on the other hand, none of us should really be surprised because, after all, they were coal miners. Those who died trying to rescue their fallen comrades were upholding a proud tradition of American coal miners. They put their own lives at risk to save each other from disaster. Those who rushed to the aid of their fellow miners were doing what coal miners have done for ages. Our prayers and thoughts go out to their families. I am mindful of a James Michener quote contemplating American heroism--brave acts by Americans whose fate pulls them from ordinary lives and places them in extraordinary circumstances: ``Where do we get such men?'' Men at ground zero in New York, at the Pentagon, and in the mine in Alabama, grace us all by their response and sacrifice in times of peril. Mr. Speaker, this tragedy should give us renewed respect and appreciation for our nation's coal miners. They are true patriots. They literally provide the fuel for our economy and our strength. God bless them all.

Mr. BACHUS

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, a formal authorization for use of force now is just that, a formality. We have now been in war and have been since Tuesday morning. As Americans, we did not seek this war, but we will not shirk from defending our country. Let us go forth with confidence; let us go forth with resolve, to seek down these murderers, to destroy them, and to destroy their ability to repeat Tuesday's dastardly attack. Our response must encompass not only those who perpetrated the crime, but those who supported it, and all those who have sheltered and provided resources to these killers. In this, I am confident all America is united. May God be with us.

Mr. BACHUS

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, in moments of tragedy such as we are now witnessing, stories of sacrifice and heroism always emerge to make us proud. That will continue to be the case as we dig out from the rubble of this cowardly assault by yesterday's terrorists. However, disaster always breeds acts offensive to all honest and patriotic Americans. Sadly, we are also witnessing examples of such behavior here in America. Instances of gas price gouging come from all over the Nation. In my home State, a patriotic State, prices of over $4 are reported. Throughout the Midwest, prices exceeding $5 a gallon were reported after the bombing. Most national oil companies have announced they are freezing gas prices, indicating much of this is by the unscrupulous operators at the gas station. They must be held accountable.

Mr. BACHUS

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Chairman, I could not agree with the gentleman from Louisiana more. This is about increasing our energy supply and doing it domestically and doing it in an environmentally friendly way. If you want to depend on OPEC, then Social Security is going to be threatened. Contained in the manager's amendment is a study by the Department of Energy on how to best promote turning municipal solid waste and sewer sludge into ethanol, or simply turning garbage into ethanol. Now, what do we do today? We bury our garbage, we spread it across the land, we spread our sewage across the land, we take it on barges and dump it in the ocean, we ship it 500 miles, resulting in air pollution, water pollution. There is a better way, and that is to take our garbage, convert it into ethanol, and burn it as a clean burning fuel to replace MTBE fuels which pollute the water. The one thing that this bill has that is a revolutionary step that will prove 10, 20, 30 years from now to be one of the best things we did, is to start turning a problem into a solution, and that is garbage into ethanol, something we have too much of, to something we do not have enough of. I commend the chairman for including this study. We will look back on this day and thank ourselves.

Mr. BACHUS

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. W. George Hairston III for his outstanding contributions to the U.S. commercial nuclear industry and, by extension, to the nation as a whole. Mr. Hairston currently serves as president and CEO of Southern Nuclear Operating Company, and was recently inducted into the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame in recognition of his accomplishments. Mr. Hairston's resume is extensive and distinguished. He is a veteran of the United States Army Corps of Engineers and of the Vietnam War. His degrees were earned at some of the top engineering universities in the country; such as his undergraduate engineering degree from Auburn University and his Master's in Nuclear Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Additionally, in 1991, he successfully completed the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Program for Senior Executives. Mr. Hairston is also active in his community, holding positions on the Board of Directors for the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO), where he also served as chairman of the INPO National Nuclear Accrediting Board, and the WANO-Atlanta Center Governing Board. Mr. Hairston is currently a member of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and the Nuclear Strategic Issues Advisory Committee (NSIAC). He also serves as Chairman of the NEI Government Relations Advisory Committee. It is clear that such honors and qualifications are more than most individuals could obtain in a lifetime. However, Mr. Hairston continues to strive for excellence not only in his work but also in his community. He stresses the importance of equality in the workplace and focuses on minority recruiting. Additionally, he understands the importance of cultivating in the nation's youth an understanding of and an interest in the field of engineering. By serving on the Board of Directors for Junior Achievement in Birmingham and the Auburn Alumni Engineering Council, and by chairing the INROADS/Birmingham Advisory Board, Mr. Hairston positions himself as a mentor for bright, young engineers. His refusal to remain content with serving and influencing any one area or group is both admirable and challenging. While his accomplishments are many, it is his concern for his fellow citizens and his country that truly set him apart. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Mr. W. George Hairston III, an outstanding businessman, leader, and servant to the community.

Mr. BACHUS

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Callahan) for yielding me this time. Mr. Chairman, the steel industry in Alabama is struggling. We have just lost two steel mills. That means that steel workers, iron workers, boiler makers, electricians, sheet metal workers, railroad crafts have been put out of work. The Davis amendment allows the construction of a natural gas pipeline from Alabama to Florida. We just heard the gentleman say that contracts have already been let. That pipeline is to be constructed largely with imported steel. That adds insult to injury for those of us in Alabama. For that reason, the members of the steel caucus, those who have those crafts in their States, should be aware that a yes vote on the Davis amendment will allow the continued use of imported steel and steel products for the construction of this pipeline. That is why yesterday the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. English), chairman of the Congressional Steel Caucus, sent a letter to all members of the steel caucus and I want to reiterate to anyone who has a steel industry in their district to take a long look and vote no on this measure.

Mr. BACHUS

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?