Dan Burton

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, the Iranian regime is one of the most prolific state sponsors of terror in the world. Iran has defied the United States, the U.N. Security Council and the IAEA, and it continues its quest for nuclear technology. A nuclear Iran would pose a grave danger to American citizens at home as well as to our service men and women and to our United States citizens abroad. Focusing on Iran should be a top priority of the United States Congress. Every minute we wait to address this issue the world becomes a more dangerous place. The State Department has not had an authorization bill since fiscal year 2003, and it has continued to operate. While the authorization is important, stopping Iran from attaining a nuclear weapon is far more important. The Republican motion to recommit would replace the authorization bill with the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions bill that Mr. Berman introduced earlier this year along with Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. This bill would impose badly needed sanctions on Iran. We feel that this bill is the right way to proceed and should be acted on immediately. The legislation currently has 155 cosponsors with wide bipartisan support. This legislation would mandate the State Department to open immediate investigations into alleged violations of the Iran Sanctions Act. This legislation would implement sanctions on companies that do business in Iran. This legislation implements sanctions on those who supply refined fuels to Iran. This legislation expands sanctions on Iranian exported petroleum and petroleum byproducts as well as on those who helped facilitate their export. Iran can only finance its threatening activities against us and the world because of the foreign investment in its energy sector. Depriving the regime of refined petroleum and of foreign investment will severely undermine Iran's economy, and it will increase pressure on the mullahs to abandon their dangerous course. We need to impose serious sanctions on Iran, and we need to do it now without delay. We've been delaying long enough. The bill has been introduced for some time. I've talked to the chairman of the committee about it, and there is no reason not to move on it today. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. I am, in its present form.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. I will.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. And then, of course, it has a sexual orientation amount of language in it which would require the tracking of discrimination related to sexual orientation for actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity violations. And then, finally, it increases the U.N. spending by so much and the contributions we would have to give by 32 percent over the 2009 levels. This is not a good part of the bill. We would like to support the bill, but unfortunately, there is too much junk in it, Mr. Chairman. I wish we didn't have to say ``no'' to this.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. I want to thank the ranking member on her opening statement. My goodness, I think you covered just about everything and you did it very well. And I want to compliment your staff for working so hard on that statement. I'm perplexed on this bill because there is some language in there that I like. For instance, the commitment to Israel, giving them support for their missile defense system, I think that's a positive. But there are so many negatives in this bill that it's going to make it very difficult for those who would like to support it to not be able to. Let me just give you a couple of examples, and the ranking member just mentioned that. North Korea should be called a terrorist state. They're launching missiles and threatening the security of the entire region as well as giving nuclear technology to other countries. In addition to that, there's money in here, our tax dollars, that are going to defend Mr. Sevan, who is hiding out in Cyprus right now because he's been indicted and the U.N., using our tax dollars, is going to pay for his defense, which is almost $1 million. We shouldn't be using taxpayer dollars for that, and we ought to let the U.N. know it. In addition to that, the bill is increasing spending by 12 percent to $41 billion over a 2-year period. There's a pay raise in there, and I understand these people work very hard, but we are having difficult times here at home. People in this country are suffering, and they want to give a 23 percent increase in pay to overseas Foreign Service officers. I just don't get that. Maybe a pay raise of some size should be realized, but 23 percent when this country is really suffering economically makes no sense. It also creates an Office for Global Women's Issues. And it's highly likely that this office will include, in its mission, the advancement of abortion advocacy abroad. And I don't think this body ought to be doing that, especially those who believe so strongly in the right-to- life provisions that we have supported in the past.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Madam Speaker, Members of Congress in the House and the Senate get literature sent to them every single day. In fact, we probably get four or five books a week. I don't know how many little leaflets and pamphlets we're asked to read, but we don't have time to read them all. We ask our staff to read some of them, but we don't have a chance to really get into the minutiae of some of these brochures. Our colleagues in both the House and the Senate got this little booklet called ``The State of the Union's Finances, a Citizen's Guide.'' These are going to be given, I guess, to people all across this country. I hope every one of my colleagues and everybody in America gets a chance to read this little booklet. Now, this was sent to us by our colleagues Frank Wolf, Republican of Virginia, and Jim Cooper, Democrat of Tennessee. I just want to read to you a little bit about the situation that America faces, because Americans right now, I don't think, are really aware of the fiscal problems we're facing. As of the fall of 2008, we had $12.2 trillion in explicit liabilities. That's publicly held debt, military and civilian pensions, retiree health benefits, and others things related to that. We had $1.3 trillion in debt for Federal insurance, loan guaranties, leases, and so forth, and we had a $42.9 trillion debt from Medicare hospital insurance, Medicare outpatient services, Medicare prescription drugs, and Social Security. That's a total of $56.4 trillion in debt that we have right now, today. That amounts to $184,000 of debt for every man, woman, and child in this country; it amounts to $435,000 of debt for a full-time worker; for each household, it amounts to $483,000 in debt. That's the national debt today. George Washington said we should avoid ungenerously throwing upon posterity, our kids, the burden we, ourselves, ought to bear. In 1796, they had a deficit, and George Washington said that we can't allow this to happen because we don't want to leave a burden to our kids and to our grandkids by spending too much money. I'm telling you right now, colleagues and anybody else who is paying attention, what we're going to leave our kids and our grandkids is something that they will curse us for because they're going to have to pay extremely high taxes, and the inflationary problems that they're going to face are going to be insurmountable. I can't believe that we're doing this right now. We're talking about a national health care program that's going to add additional trillions of dollars. We're talking about bailouts to the financial institutions and to the auto industry. We're talking about a cap-and-trade program that's going to increase the cost of every family in America between $3,000 and $4,000 to turn on their lights or to buy gasoline at a service station or anything else that produces energy. We're adding about $2 trillion a year to this debt, and it's unsustainable. It is going to affect every man, woman, and child who is living in America today, but what it's going to do to future generations is unbelievable. We can destroy this Republic if we don't get control of spending. This is a political hyperbole. I'm telling you right now that we can destroy this form of government and this civilization we have, just like Rome did, if we don't get control of spending. It is out of control. It is out of control. We're $56 trillion in debt today, and we're adding $2 trillion a year, plus all of these additional programs we're coming up with. In the next 5 years, they say we're going to spend an additional $5 trillion. We don't have it, so we're putting this burden on our kids and on our grandkids. It's wrong. We have to do something about it. We have to do it now. We have to start getting our spending in order. My Republican and Democrat colleagues understand that. Mr. Wolf is a Republican who sent this out, and Mr. Cooper is a Democrat. They understand it. We all ought to understand it.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the students of Hamilton Southeastern High School for receiving Honorable Mention at the annual ``We the People'' Contest recently held here in Washington, D.C. The ``We the People'' contest is a grueling 3- day-long event where teams of students from every State of the Union and several U.S. Territories compete in a series of simulated congressional hearings to apply constitutional principles and historical facts to contemporary situations. The event culminates with the Top Ten teams conducting their mock hearings right here on Capitol Hill in either a Senate or House hearing room. I am proud to say that Indiana teams have made the Top Ten almost every year the competition has been held; and this year will mark Hamilton Southeastern High School's second trip to the Top Ten. I ask all my colleagues to join me in recognizing the outstanding Hoosiers of Hamilton Southeastern High School, students and staff, for their hard work and dedication to academic excellence. And I ask my colleagues to join with me to congratulate the Hamilton Southeastern High School Team--Teacher Jill Baisinger, and students, Kellie Devore-Gogola; Adam Gauthier; Alex Gillham; Caitlin Graovac; John Holt; Alana Kane; Matthew Knafel; Jaclyn Lauer; Matthew Lymbcropoulos; Mark Mace; Samuel Morgan; Eric Ogle; Jonathan Sorg; Julia Strzeskowski; and Mitchell West--for their outstanding performance at the 2009 ``We the People'' contest. I look forward to next year's competition when I'm sure that Hamilton Southeastern High School will not only be back in the Top Ten but win it all.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, it was reported today in the New York Times that the Federal Government mistakenly made public a 266- page report marked ``highly confidential,'' and it gives detailed information about hundreds of the Nation's civilian nuclear sites and programs, including maps that show the precise locations of stockpiles of fuel for nuclear weapons. Can you believe that? A confidential document that is supposed to be kept secret was publicized, and every terrorist in the world now knows exactly where our nuclear supplies are stored and maps showing where, in detail, these nuclear supplies are stored. Now, hopefully, they're very secure and there's a lot of guards around there to protect us. But I think it's tragic that top secret information, highly classified information, is being made public at a time when we're fighting a war against terrorism. It makes absolutely no sense. And those who are responsible for making this public should be held accountable.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, the freedoms and the quality of life of Americans is being threatened right here at home not necessarily just by those outside the country but here at home. And I want to tell you why tonight. We're talking about a socialized approach to medicine called national health care that's going to cost billions and billions and probably trillions of dollars. It will take away from people their right to pick their own doctor in many cases; and it will cause the rationing of health care, which will put people, particularly seniors, at the back of the line when it comes to very important things that have to be done to them to keep them alive and healthy. It's going to cost trillions of dollars; and in the budget that we passed earlier, this last month, they put $635 billion in there as a down payment, the first tranche, on socialized medicine which will take away a lot of the freedoms that people have in choosing their own doctor and getting qualified health care. The second thing that is being threatened is the control of our financial institutions. We passed a TARP bill that bailed out a lot of Wall Street companies and banks. And because of that, a lot of those financial institutions are now directly or indirectly controlled by the Federal Government. I don't think the American people want that. They don't want socialism in this country. They don't want a government- controlled economy or financial institutions. So we have national health care that is going to be controlled by the government. They don't do a very good job of controlling other things in this country, as many of us know, but national health care and now financial institutions. And then next we have the automobile industry. The government just acquired 61 percent of the control of General Motors, which we should be calling I guess now Government Motors or Obama Motors because it is, in effect, controlled by the government even though the President said that he really didn't want to control the auto industry. In fact, that's what's being done. Finally, we're talking about the energy section of our economy. We have a bill that's come out of committee that's going to be on the floor before too long called cap-and-trade. It's going to cost every single family in America between $3,000 to $4,000 in additional expenditures for electricity, additional taxes on gasoline that's passed on to them and other forms of energy because of CO2 emissions. Now we have a terribly difficult economy right now. Can you imagine the average family, having to load on their backs an additional $3,000 to $4,000 in expenses for energy every time you turn on a light switch or anything else? But that's a fact. It's going to happen if that bill becomes law. In addition to that, we're going to lose millions of jobs because China has already said they would not comply with the same environmental standards we're talking about and neither would India or many other countries in the world that are competitors of ours. So they won't have to pay for those costs that the American people are going to have to pay for, that American industry is going to have to pay for. So those jobs will be going overseas, millions of them, because we're loading on the backs of individuals and American industry additional taxes and expenses that our competitors around the world will not have to pay. So when they make a car, a truck or a refrigerator, they'll be able to do it with less expense because they don't have to live up to the same environmental standards that we do. This is a very difficult time for America. We're losing jobs. We see people suffering all across this country. But I'm concerned not only about today, but I'm concerned about tomorrow. We don't want to see this governmental structure that we hold so dear and the freedoms we hold so dear go right out the window, and that's what's happening today right before our very eyes. We see the government taking over the health care industry, the financial institutions, the automobile industry; and now they're going to try to take over the energy industry as well. I hope my friends across this country and my colleagues are paying attention because this government is turning very rapidly toward a controlled economy which is called socialism, and that's anathema to this country and should be anathema to every single American.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Madam Speaker, the CIA and our other intelligence agencies have protected this country from every attempt at a terrorist attack since 9/11. And yet the Speaker of this House recently said that the CIA had been lying to her and to Congress. According to title 18 of U.S. Code, that is a felony. And if the CIA lies to the Congress, there should be a penalty. They should go to jail. But the Speaker will not allow, and the Democrats will not allow, there to be an investigation as to whether or not the Speaker's allegations are accurate. And it's very sad because she is impeding and impairing the CIA from doing its job. We haven't had a terrorist attack in 7\1/2\ years because of their intelligence capability, and because they've done their job. And they have been hurt, severely, by the accusations leveled by the Speaker of the House, and she is not willing to prove that. Today we introduced a resolution to investigate this, and every Democrat in the House voted against it. I think it's tragic. This country is at war with the terrorists. We need to do everything we can to protect our intelligence agencies. And if she said they lied, then she has to prove it.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Madam Speaker, President Lincoln said, ``Let the people know the facts, and the country will be saved.'' Today, I listened to former Vice President Cheney give the facts to the American people about the war against terror. I think my colleagues who didn't get to hear it today really ought to hear some of the things that he has said that were very, very important and relevant to the war against terror. So I would like to read a few excerpts from his speech tonight so I hope my colleagues will take these to heart and hopefully put them on their Internet sites. First of all, he said, ``I was and remain a strong proponent of our enhanced interrogation program. The interrogations were used on hardened terrorists after other efforts failed. They were legal, essential, justified, successful and the right thing to do. The intelligence officers who questioned the terrorists can be proud of their work and proud of the results, because they prevented the violent death of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of innocent people. ``Attorney General Holder and others have admitted that the United States will be compelled to accept a number of the terrorists here, in the homeland,'' in America, ``and it has even been suggested U.S. taxpayer dollars will be used to support . . . '' the terrorists here in America. ``The administration has found that it's easy to receive applause in Europe for closing Guantanamo. But it's tricky to come up with an alternative that will serve the interests of justice and America's national security. ``Now the President says some of these terrorists should be brought to American soil for trial in our court system. Others,'' he says, ``will be shipped to third countries. But so far, the United States has had little luck getting any other countries to take hardened terrorists.'' I think only one of them has been given to another country. He says, ``The administration seems to pride itself''--the Obama administration ``seems to pride itself on searching for some kind of middle ground in policies addressing terrorism. They may take comfort in hearing disagreement from opposite ends of the spectrum. If liberals are unhappy about some decisions, and conservatives are unhappy about other decisions, then it may seem to them that the President is on the path of sensible compromise. But in the fight against terrorism, there is no middle ground, and half-measures keep you half exposed. You cannot keep just some nuclear-armed terrorists out of the United States, you must keep every nuclear-armed terrorist out of the United States. Triangulation is a political strategy, not a national security strategy. When just a single clue that goes unlearned, one lead that goes unpursued can bring on catastrophe--it's no time for splitting differences. There is never a good time to compromise when the lives and safety of the American people are in the balance.'' He went on to say, ``It is much closer to the truth that terrorists hate this country precisely because of the values we profess and seek to live by, not by some alleged failure to do so. Nor are terrorists or those who see them as victims exactly the best judges of America's moral standards, one way or the other. Critics of our policies are given to lecturing on the theme of being consistent with American values. ``But no moral value held dear by the American people obliges public servants to sacrifice innocent lives to spare a captured terrorist from unpleasant things. And when an entire population is targeted by a terror network, nothing is more consistent with American values than to stop them. ``Somehow, when the soul-searching was done and the veil was lifted on the policies of the Bush administration, the public was given less than half the truth. The released memos were carefully redacted.'' They crossed things out ``to leave out references to what our government learned through the methods in question. Other memos, laying out specific terrorist plots that were averted, apparently were not even considered for release. For reasons the administration has yet to explain, they believe the public has a right to know the method of the questions, but not the content of the answers.'' And the bottom line, Madam Speaker, is our intelligence agencies have done a great job in protecting this country for the past 8 years ever since 9/11. We should not be hamstringing those, and today I think former Vice President Cheney really told the story the way it ought to be told, and I hope all of my colleagues and every American is paying attention.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, on July 28, 1787, there was a real problem with the Constitutional Convention. They couldn't reach agreement on a Constitution. So Benjamin Franklin stood up in Constitution Hall and he said this. Let me read what was going on. I want to draw you a picture first. The Constitutional Convention was on the verge of breaking apart completely over the issue of representation, a stalemate created by the concern of smaller States that they would be overpowered by the larger States, and the concern of larger States that smaller States would be given representation out of proportion to their relative size. Tempers were short, and the ship of state seemed headed for the rocks before its maiden voyage had barely begun, when Benjamin Franklin rose and said these immortal words: ``In this situation of this Assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understanding? ``In the beginning of the Contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room for Divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in a struggle must have observed instances of superintending Providence in our favor. ``To that kind Providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful Friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance?'' And this is the part that I think every American remembers, when he said, ``I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?'' Tomorrow is National Prayer Day. And I hope that everybody in this country during these perilous times with our economy and the problems around the world will join together, regardless of their faith, and pray that we solve these problems and that there is peace and prosperity in America and around the world. The President of the United States, President Obama, will be signing a proclamation tomorrow observing National Prayer Day. And we appreciate that he is going to do this. And if he has time tomorrow, I hope the President will manifest his support for this great day by showing publicly his support by praying with a number of his members at the White House. I think it would be a great example.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Madam Speaker, I rise tonight to express my appreciation and thanks to the faculty of Dongguk University for the Honorary Doctorate in Political Science they bestowed upon me during my recent visit to South Korea. I wish to also recognize my friends in Korea and at Dongguk University who help make the conferral of this Honorary Doctorate possible. These individuals include: President Young-Kyo Oh and President Dong-Jin Sohn of Dongguk University, Governor Kwan-Yong Kim of Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, Mayor Sang-Seung Baek of Gyeongju City, former Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Tae-Sik Lee and Mrs. Lee, Mr. and Mrs. Il-Hwan Cho and Mr. and Mrs. Dong-Suk Kim of the Korean American Voter's Council in New York. I have always believed that the Republic of Korea is one of America's most committed friends and allies, and the warmth and hospitality extended to me and my wife during our stay in April reinforced my belief that the bonds that bind the people of the United States together with the people of South Korea are as strong today as they have ever been. Even so, I believe we should always look for opportunities to strengthen our alliance and friendship and one of the key areas of opportunity is passage of the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement. During my stay, I had the privilege of meeting with Foreign Minister Myung-Hwan Yu, National Security Advisor Sung-Hwan Kim, Chairman Jin Park of the Korean National Assembly Foreign Affairs Committee, our U.S. Embassy senior officials and the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea. In practically every meeting, the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement was high on the agenda. No agreement or treaty is ever perfect, as it is always a product of compromise. And I agree that Congress has a legitimate right to debate the merits of the agreement; so let's have that debate; let's take this agreement out of legislative limbo, bring it to the House Floor, have an honest up or down vote, and let the chips fall where they may, Madam Speaker. I think we owe our South Korean friends that much respect because there's more at stake here than just economic growth; this Free Trade Agreement recognizes our special relationship with South Korea and reinforces the message that the United States stands squarely behind our friends and allies. Madam Speaker, I would like to ask unanimous consent to place in the Congressional Record a copy of the remarks I delivered at Dongguk University, entitled: ``The Korea-U.S. Alliance Partnership.'' And I would also ask all of my colleagues to join me in recognizing the historic significance of the U.S.-Korea alliance and its growing importance in the years to come. President Young-Kyo Oh, distinguished members of the faculty, and students of Dongguk University, ladies and gentlemen and friends: Thank you for your kind introduction. It is a great pleasure to be here today in the heart of Korea's ancient capital city. We are surrounded by history, culture and the memories and friendship that our nations have made together through battles and treaties, commerce and trade. When I think about this partnership, one particular Korean- American friend comes to mind. His name is Johnny Yune. When Johnny was eleven years old, his family's home town was bombed by communist forces. As they attempted to flee, a particular blast knocked Johnny off his feet and sent him tumbling to a ditch where he was left to die. An American soldier named Private Brown found Johnny, rescued him from the ditch and saved his life that day. In the weeks and months that followed, the Yune family got to know this Private Brown very well. Johnny remembers how he used to come over to his home, unshaven, with a guitar on his back and a truck full of rationed food. Private Brown would sing and teach them American songs like ``Oh Susanna'' and give them candy. Johnny is alive today because of that American soldier; and, although he never saw the Private once his unit had moved on, Johnny never forgot his kindness. In his career as a television and movie star, he often speaks of the war hero. The virtues of the personal relationship between Private Brown and Johnny are not limited to this experience. In a greater sense, The United States and Korea also share a very special relationship. The United States and the Republic of Korea first became partners more than 125 years ago, when we signed a treaty of amity and commerce in 1882. This partnership was forged on the battlefield during the Korean War. The South Koreans fought bravely to stay free from the chains of tyranny and communism and have remained a beacon of light and democracy ever since. For more than half a century, we have been diplomatic, political, economic, and cultural partners and great friends. In the early years, the United States reached out a hand to South Korea, assisting as the nation transformed itself from a war-torn ``basket'' economy into what it is now: a full- blown democracy with the world's 13th largest economy. South Korea is now an indispensable partner in promoting democracy and extolling the benefits of free market economies. Today, South Korea is the United States' seventh largest export market and the fifth largest market for U.S. agricultural products. South Korea is committed to the freedom of its people, even when threats grow daily, and especially in light of the North's recent missile launch. The nation is a key partner in the Six-Party Talks to resolve North Korea's nuclear issue, despite the constant fear of war that clouds the peninsula. South Korea is an important military ally with over 29,000 U.S. troops stationed in the country and plays a vital part in securing peace and stability in the region. The United States is committed to the strengthening and survival of freedom on the Korean Peninsula. South Korea has also reached out a hand to the United States in times when we have been threatened. It is one of only three nations which stood alongside the U.S. in all four major conflicts that the U.S. has faced since the Korean War. The nation has been a strong ally in the U.S.-led War on Terror, having committed troops to Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon. Korea is a true friend of the United States. We are committed together to defending freedom and liberty throughout the world. Over the past several years, the relationship between the United States and Korea has grown even stronger. As a Member of Congress and, especially, a Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Korea, I have been able to observe and participate in legislative actions that have contributed to consolidating the U.S.-Korea alliance. The Embassy of Korea in Washington and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Seoul have played a larger role in recent years in bringing to the attention of Congress those issues of importance and concern to the Korean people. This has informed congressional action and improved the legislative process. Of the important legislative achievements of the past few years, the inclusion of Korea in the Visa Waiver Program, which makes it easier for Koreans to visit the United States for business, leisure, or family purposes, deserves special mentioning. In early 2006, there were about two dozen countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program administered by the U.S. Department of State. Most of them were European allies and trading partners. While responsibility for expanding or contracting the Visa Waiver Program lies with the Executive Branch, Congress took the lead in persuading the Bush administration to include Korea in the program. My colleagues and I argued that, by allowing South Korea to participate in the Visa Waiver Program, we would not only be adhering to its stated goals, but at the same time we would build upon a strategic partnership with our close friends in East Asia. Although it took some time, legislation to open the door for Korea to accede to the Visa Waiver Program passed in July 2007, and in November of last year, Korea officially joined the program at long last. It was a major accomplishment for our bi-lateral alliance. A second great achievement was the upgrading of Korea's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) status to NATO+3. As I have already noted, Korea and the United States have a close and integral military alliance. But for years, Korea was treated in an unfair fashion by U.S. laws related to the sales of military equipment. So the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate sought to correct this problem by raising Korea's Foreign Military Sales status to something known as NATO- plus-3. This status elevation was long overdue and absolutely necessary to reverse the unfair exclusion. In doing this, we acted on our firm belief that the Republic of Korea has been one of our most important and staunchest allies in the Asia-Pacific region. Our mutual alliance is dynamic and comprehensive, encompassing political, economic, military, security, cultural, and social spheres. By the end of last year, Congress had approved the upgrade in status for Korea and it now stands at NATO+4. I am convinced that both of our countries will benefit from the greater partnership that this status upgrade brings. Finally, we were able to see the passage of a resolution bringing world attention to the plight of the ``Comfort Women'' who suffered at the hands of the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second World War. In 2007, the House of Representatives at long last passed House Resolution 121, which I co-sponsored and which received bipartisan support and worldwide attention in the news media. In fact, Congress took the lead in raising the issue of the ``comfort women.'' We invited survivors from Korea to tell their stories in front of television cameras on the record. After the United States Congress acted on this critical human rights issue, other legislative bodies around the world took notice and acted themselves. Thus, the plight of Korea's comfort women became an issue of international concern that, we hope, will serve as a reminder to future generations that such horrific violence shall never occur again. While some cynics dismissed the resolution as simply revisiting a tragedy of the distant past, I believe a relevant assertion of the importance of respecting human rights is timeless, and the world should never again deny women the right to be safe and secure and to maintain their dignity. Though these accomplishments are notable, I believe there are even greater accomplishments in our future. In the coming months I hope we can pass the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement of which I am a strong supporter. As most of you undoubtedly know, the United States and Korea signed a free trade agreement in June of 2007, after months of diligent negotiations. The agreement has not yet been ratified and, to be candid, action on the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement may not take place for some time. It is no secret that there are members of both the United States Congress and the Korean National Assembly who oppose the Free Trade Agreement. But there are also those of us--and I include myself among them--who believe that free trade among free peoples is a positive good, and those agreements or treaties that advance the principles of free trade bring more benefits than risks, promote future prosperity, and provide a stronger foundation for peace and stability around the globe. Just last month the World Trade Organization warned of a rising threat of trade protectionism around the world. This threat has emerged because of the general decline of the global economy over the past two or three years. Governments are doing what they have done for centuries in the face of economic contraction: they look inward. This is, in my opinion, a mistake, and it is a mistake borne out by the lessons of history. The benefits of a U.S.-Korean Free Trade Agreement are manifestly clear. This agreement, once it is ratified, will constitute the largest and most commercially significant Free Trade Agreement the United States has negotiated in 15 years. The numbers are truly impressive. Korea is the 13th largest economy in the world with a GDP of nearly one Trillion U.S. dollars and a per capita income of over $20,000. It is the United States' 7th largest trading partner and our 5th largest market for U.S. agricultural export products. Trade between our two nations is nearly $80 Billion and includes important goods like computer chips, industrial machinery, organic chemicals, agricultural produce, civilian aircraft and, of course, beef. A Free Trade Agreement would bolster U.S. exports to Korea, open duty-free access for Korean goods in the U.S. market, and stimulate job growth in both of our countries. A Free Trade Agreement would also benefit the great State of Indiana, which I proudly represent in Congress. Korea is Indiana's 10th largest export market, and Indiana exports $303 Million in goods to Korea annually. Not only that, but almost 10,000 Korean-Americans reside in the State of Indiana and more than 2,000 Korean students study at Indiana's prestigious academic institutions. This new partnership between the United States and South Korea is sure to be a win-win for both of our countries. I pledge that I am committed to working closely with the U.S. and Korean negotiators as FTA talks proceed, so that we can ensure the best opportunities for Americans and Koreans alike. Unfortunately, the political mood in the United States right now is not conducive to the ratification of the U.S.- Korea Free Trade Agreement, or any other such trade agreement. I can assure you, however, that my colleagues and I who believe strongly in the principle of free trade and specifically in the importance of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, will not let this agreement die for lack of action. We will continue to fight for its approval by Congress, we will press the White House to fight for it, and we will go directly to the court of public opinion to persuade American consumers, business leaders, and workers to support it. I know that, with time and wisdom on our side, the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement will be ratified and the relationship between our countries will become even stronger because of it. In closing, I am reminded of the look on my good friend Johnny Yune's face, and the way his voice cracked as he re- tells the story of Private Brown. It is the same affection I have experienced on my visit here and the affection I have felt toward my old and even new Korean and Korean-American friends. Our friendship is different from the relationship of any other country with the United States. I would say to my Korean friends that we should continue to focus on what keeps our relationship strong and more unique than any other alliance in world history. It is my fervent belief that the U.S.-Korea alliance is worth protecting and strengthening. That is why the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement is so important to me. Once again, I have been struck personally by the extraordinary warmth and hospitality of the Korean people since my arrival here in this beautiful country. This has been true not only among my formal hosts, but with everyone I meet. I am honored and humbled to accept this honorary degree at this historic institution, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. May we never cease to find ways to strengthen and deepen the ties that bind our two nations together. President Oh, distinguished faculty and students of Dongguk University, friends and colleagues, it is my distinct honor to accept this degree. I will always cherish this moment with great humility and I pledge to do all I can to see that our very special alliance to grow even closer in the coming years. Thank you, and ``GAHM-SAH-HAHM-NIDA!''

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a bill titled, ``The Energy Independence Now Act of 2009.'' Few things affect American consumers like high energy prices. During the summer of 2008 with the price of oil hovering near $150 a barrel, Americans faced record prices at the gas pump--in many cases well over $4.00 per gallon. These high prices contributed to a downturn in economic growth, an increase in inflation and forced many American families to make difficult financial choices. According to the latest figures from the Energy Information Administration, gasoline prices are down to around $2 per gallon and the price of oil is close to $50 per barrel. Though the price of gasoline has decreased significantly, many are still concerned that it will rise again and quite possibly because of the disproportionate amount of oil that we import from regimes that are unfriendly to us. The old adage goes that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Apart from creating the Strategic Petroleum Reserves after the oil embargoes of the 1970s, the United States did painfully little to make sure that oil could never again be used as a weapon against us. If anything, we put ourselves further under the thumb of foreign oil. In 1972, we imported approximately 28 percent of the oil we consume from foreign countries; today the United States imports 62 percent of its oil from other nations. While half of that amount comes from our friends in Mexico and Canada, the other half of our imported oil travels from unstable, undemocratic or unfriendly regimes. That means that every time I fill up my gas tank--whether the price is $2 a gallon or $4 a gallon--at least half of my money goes into the economies of Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Nigeria, and Angola. And while the tactics of oil manipulation may change--price spikes versus an outright embargo--the results are eerily the same. That is why I am introducing this bill, to continue to move our country forward on the path toward breaking America's dependence on foreign sources of oil while at the same time investing in a renewable energy future. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle are looking to pass a costly cap-and-trade program that will only serve to increase the price of energy for the American consumer and devastate energy companies in my home State of Indiana. Now is not the time to burden families with higher energy costs, when many of them are already struggling to find and keep jobs, pay for college and provide for their families. I believe that in the long-run we need to get off oil and that requires more investment in alternative energy and energy conservation technologies. My bill addressed this through provisions that would increase alternative energy sources and diversify the energy grid with currently available alternative energy technologies. As a nation, we waste far too much energy with inefficient engines and machines. That is why my bill would provide tax incentives for companies to produce fuel efficient vehicles. In fact, it provides a $500 tax credit for individuals who purchase hybrid cars made by American-based companies. However, while we are discovering new, clean and cost-effective ways to increase the American energy supply, we must recognize that oil will remain a part of our energy mix for some time. The good news about this is that we have plenty of it. The Department of the Interior, DOI, conducted a comprehensive inventory of oil and natural gas resources located off our coastlines within the last several years, and according to the Department's figures there is an estimated 8.5 billion barrels of known oil reserves and 29.3 trillion cubic feet, tcf, of known natural gas reserves along our coastlines; with 82 percent of the oil and 95 percent of the gas located in the Gulf of Mexico, GOM. However, even more importantly, the Department of the Interior estimates that there are untapped resources of about 86 billion barrels, 51 percent in the Gulf of Mexico, and 420 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, 55 percent in the Gulf of Mexico, out there. My bill would open up these areas to access these resources. Domestic production of these resources would provide much-needed real energy jobs without any cost to the taxpayer. In addition, my bill opens up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, ANWR, which holds the single largest deposit of oil in the entire United States. Its 10.4 billion barrels of oil is more than double the proven reserves of the entire State of Texas and almost half of the total proven reserves in the U.S., 22 billion barrels. Had President Clinton not vetoed ANWR energy production in 1995, the United States could be getting nearly 1.5 million barrels of oil per day from the arctic right now. In addition, the U.S. has been called the Saudi Arabia of oil shale. It has been estimated that oil shale deposits in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming hold the equivalent of as little as 1.8 trillion barrels of oil and potentially as much as 8 trillion barrels of oil. In comparison, Saudi Arabia reportedly holds proved reserves of 267 billion barrels. Unfortunately, oil-shale is rough equivalent to diesel fuel and a number of Clean Air Act regulations--such as low-sulfur diesel--and federal motor fuel taxes--which favor gasoline over diesel fuels--have created a strong financial disincentive regarding the production and use of oil-shale fuels. Many of these deposits are on public land making it more bureaucratically complicated to exploit this resource. My bill would provide a financial incentive for companies to invest in and produce more oil from oil shale. Getting more domestic oil on the market is only half the solution. We haven't built a new refinery in this country in more than 25 years because the approval process for new refinery construction is estimated to require up to 800 different permits. While existing refineries have undergone significant expansion over the years, even as others have been shuttered, our aging refinery infrastructure leaves little margin for error. If we begin to produce more domestic crude oil we would need to turn it into home heating oil, gasoline, or diesel through the refining process. The ability to refine oil must keep pace with the demand for gasoline and diesel. My bill would create an expedited process for the construction of new refining capacity by streamlining the permitting process and opening up closed military bases for construction. Clearly, developing new oil fields and refineries will take some time. In the interim my bill also helped promote the production of non- food sources for biofuels. It also opens up Federal land for the production of biofuel crops in order to provide relief from high food prices that have resulted from ethanol production. Madam Speaker, I believe in conservation, I believe in energy efficiency, and I believe in diversifying our energy supply by using wind, solar, coal-to-liquid technologies, ethanol and other renewable energy sources. But the fact of the matter is that oil and natural gas are still going to be a part of our energy mix for a long time to come and we must be able to access our own resources rather than becoming more dependent on unstable parts of the world. I would like to urge my colleagues to join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation to help America get on the road towards energy independence and to create real jobs at no cost to the taxpayer.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, a couple of days ago America lost one of its greatest patriots, and I mean that. Jack Kemp served in this body, and I had the pleasure of knowing him for a long, long time. He started out his career, as far as I can remember, as a football player. He was at San Diego where he played. As I understand it, the football team out there really didn't think he had what it took to become a starting quarterback, and they sold him to the Buffalo Bills for $500, I believe. He always laughed about that. And for $500, the Buffalo Bills got an all-star quarterback. They won several conference titles in the AFC, and he was an All Pro. Jack Kemp was all pro his whole life. When he ran for Congress and came to this Chamber, everyone who knew him and met him knew immediately he would become one of our leaders. He became our conference chairman and a leader in so many ways. Ronald Reagan tapped him to work with him on cutting taxes, which stimulated the longest period of economic growth in our country's history. Jack Kemp, along with Mr. Roth in the Senate, wrote the Kemp- Roth bill, which was the catalyst for the economic recovery under the Reagan administration. Jack Kemp was a lot of fun to be with. He wasn't just a stuffy guy. He was the kind of guy that you liked to be around, an all-American person as well as an all-American football player and all-American political leader. He ran for Vice President with Bob Dole, and I truly believe he would have been an outstanding Vice President had he been elected. I also campaigned for him up in New Hampshire when he was running for President. I will never forget the Styrofoam footballs with his name that he threw to us on the plane. I think it was in January, and it was so cold. The thing I remember the most was Jack put me on a plane. He had three planeloads of congressmen, and the only one that didn't have heat was the one I was on. But he was worth it. He was worth campaigning door to door, store to store in New Hampshire because he would have been an outstanding President. I came down tonight to pay homage to a good friend whom we will all miss, a man who was a great American, a great father and husband, and he is somebody who will be missed by not only the people in this Chamber and the other Chamber and the White House, but he will be missed by everybody in America who knew him. He was a great, great man. I just want to say to Joanne and his four children, You have our deepest sympathy. Everybody in this body sends their best regards to you and their sympathy to you for this very trying time you are going through. If anyone gets to heaven, Jack will be up there, and he probably has a football in his hands. I can't wait to see him again.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, over 2 years after disappearing on Kish Island in Iran, Robert Levinson, who my colleague has just described as a U.S. citizen and a resident of Florida, remains missing. During that time, the regime in Iran has continually obstructed efforts by the United States Government to investigate Mr. Levinson's disappearance. As Senator Bill Nelson stated on January 13 of this year at a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in Iran ``the door has been closed at every single turn.'' Mr. Levinson is a 28-year veteran of the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration. He and his family, including his wife and seven children, deserve our every effort to determine his status and hopefully to secure his freedom and safe return home. Therefore, I strongly support House Concurrent Resolution 36, which urges the Iranian Government to intensify its cooperation on Mr. Levinson's case, with the Swiss Embassy in Tehran, and to share the results of its investigation with the FBI. This legislation also urges the President and U.S. allies to raise Mr. Levinson's case in all appropriate multilateral and bilateral forums and expresses our sympathy to Mr. Levinson's family during this very difficult and trying time. I thank my good friend and colleague Mr. Wexler, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, for introducing this resolution. This is the kind of thing, Mr. Speaker, that everybody in the world ought to be concerned about. We have a young reporter who has disappeared over there and is unaccounted for. Mr. Levinson is unaccounted for. This Government of Iran should join the family of nations and start being like everybody else and admiring and living up to the human rights that we all respect and admire. With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. BURTON of Indiana asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to thank my colleague from Georgia, David Scott, for cosponsoring this resolution. I think everybody in this body is very concerned about the tragedies that befall human beings here and around the world. As my colleague said, this past January two significant natural disasters wreaked havoc on the Central American nations of Costa Rica and Guatemala and took a terrible and destructive toll on people in these communities. In Guatemala, as coffee workers were returning from long days of work in the Alta Verapaz region, thousands of tons of mud and rock fell in a landslide. As a result of this catastrophe, the nation mourned the deaths of as many as 36 while over 60 are still missing. Only 4 days later, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake shook the capital region of Costa Rica, resulting in the destruction of over 500 homes and the deaths of at least 20. I join my colleagues today to express my sincere sympathy and our sincere sympathy and support to our Latin American friends who have suffered as a result of these disasters. I would like to commend the courage and perseverance of the Costa Rican and Guatemalan Governments, along with the private citizens and relief organizations who worked tirelessly in the rescue effort. The prompt humanitarian response carried out in the aftermath of these disasters clearly contributed to the ability of these nations to overcome the damage wrought by these two tragedies. As I said before, I would like to thank Mr. Scott for cosponsoring this, and I would like to thank our chairman, Mr. Berman, and our ranking member, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, for helping move this important resolution to the floor. And, again, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the Guatemalan and Costa Rican people and their families who suffered as a result of these horrible disasters. Mr. Speaker, with that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague over there who is a great golfer for introducing this resolution and my colleague from Pennsylvania. One of the things I will just say at the outset is I envy you because you had a chance to play golf with him. Tom Ridge, our former colleague, promised me when he became governor, he was going to arrange for me to play with Arnold Palmer, and he never did it. So when you see Governor Ridge, would you tell him I am still disappointed about that. Would you do that for me? Thank you. Be sure to tell him. There's been a lot said about Arnold Palmer today, and I am not going to be redundant and go over the things that have been said. But I will tell you this: that I have been an avid golfer and have followed golf all of my life as soon as I was 12 years old, and there's nobody that I know that brought golf from a minor sport into the major arena like Arnold Palmer did. Years ago, he won the Los Angeles Open, and on the front page of the Indianapolis Star newspaper they had a picture of him with a check for $5,000, and he was holding it up like, ``My gosh. Isn't this a tremendous amount of money?'' When Arnold Palmer came on the scene and started making the great comebacks that he did in the Masters and U.S. Open and the PGA and British Open, he brought a new attitude to golf, a new sensation to golf. You talked about Arnie's Army, and people across the country who didn't play golf, who weren't really interested in the sport, became interested because here was a guy you see on television coming down to the 16th or 17th hole, two shots behind, and you knew he was going to be there at the end. He was a lot like Tiger Woods is today. He would knock in a putt at the 16th or 17th hole and everybody would go crazy, and he would win the tournament on the last one. We've seen Tiger Woods do that. Arnold Palmer was the Tiger Woods of his day. He made golf a tremendous sport, a spectator sport, and he made it into something that every American is now interested in. He did a lot of humanitarian things. I know you mentioned his involvement with children and the March of Dimes and prostate cancer. He did all of those things. But none of that wouldn't have occurred if he didn't have the personality and charisma that he showed on the golf course all those years. We had great players like Nicklaus, Player and Trevino and a whole host of them that played with him, but Palmer was the man. He was the guy that we all watched on Sunday afternoon and couldn't wait to get to the TV set to cheer on. I am tickled to death that you're moving this medal of honor for him, and I am very happy to add my two cents worth. I think it's a great honor for him, and I hope he does put it in a very important place with all of his other trophies.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I have got a letter here I would like to read to my colleagues that lets you know exactly what we're doing to the American people. This is a letter from some people in Carmel, Indiana. They start off: ``Dear Congressman Burton: ``As an 82-year-old retired secondary teacher and athletics coach, I am writing you this letter to let you know that I have never received a personal response from a legislative representative of local, State, or Nation.'' And he just got a letter from me. Then he says, ``In my original letter I was not able to express totally the depth of my hurt from the current economic environment sweeping our beloved country. Beyond the economic pressures of the day, we are faced with the collapse of capitalism and the inroads of socialism into our government. My wife and I, celebrating our 60th wedding anniversary in 2009, have lived through the thirties depression and skimped and clawed our way from earning $2,900 annually to a magnificent dollar amount of $45,000 annually at retirement in 1990. ``It all started in the late fall of 2007. We had invested and saved a considerable amount of money for a satisfactory retirement. Since that date, our conservative living, and a very modest budget, has seen the national economy lose more than $250,000 of our retirement savings. Frankly, at this point in time, we're scared to death. ``You may, and we wish that you would, send copies of this letter to President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid. They have no idea what they are doing to we constituents. ``I am sorry to cry on your shoulders, but my wife and I in concurrence do thank you for your wonderful letter of response. You touched our hearts deeply.'' ``They have no idea what they are doing to America and your constituents.'' This is a big problem. This is the largest budget in history, the largest tax increase in history. You really need to know what you are doing to the American people, and here is a perfect example. And the people's names are Mr. and Mrs. Shipley.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. I thank the gentleman for yielding. The thing that bothers me is the kind of legacy that we are leaving for our kids and grandkids. The amount of money that we are spending right now, $3.69 trillion in the budget, $410 billion in the omnibus, $14 billion for the auto companies; $700 billion, which we spent last year on TARP, $787 billion on the stimulus package. We are spending trillions and trillions of dollars that we don't have, as my colleague just said. I would just conclude by saying that we are spending trillions of dollars that we don't have. Our kids and grandkids are going to be paying taxes that they shouldn't have to bear. In addition to that we are going to have an inflationary problem that is going to rival anything that we have seen in the past. In the 1970s and the early 1980s we had inflation that was 14 percent and we ended up raising interest rates to 21 percent to slow down the rate of inflation to get the economy back in shape, and we ended up with another major recession because of it. We have got to control our spending. We can't spend 8 or $10 trillion like we are doing. And the thing that bothers me the most is the legacy we are leaving to our kids and grandkids. I want to thank my colleague for taking these. He comes down here almost every night or every other night talking about these things. The American people owe you a debt of gratitude for doing this. I really appreciate it.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Yes, I would say to my colleague briefly, that my mother worked 18 years as a waitress, my stepfather worked in a foundry. And I think that he made, before he paid child support, $75 a week. And they were very concerned about living within their budget, and they worked very hard to make sure that our family did well without having to depend on the government. And unfortunately today we have a different mindset, and that is that the government can handle everything for us from cradle to grave. And this attitude that's prevalent in this society right now really bothers me because it has taken such a hold of us that we are now spending trillions of dollars that we don't have. And the things that you and I had as young people and our parents gave to us, even though we had rough times, it's going to be worse in my opinion, because of the inflation we are going to leave our kids and the high taxes that we are going to have to pay to keep pace with the spending that's going on. Once again, thank you very much. I really appreciate it.