Steve Buyer

Mr. BUYER

Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, today marks the change of command for one of the finest Chiefs ever to command the United States' Army Reserve. James Ronald Helmly, born 25 September 1947, to John James Helmly and Geneva Maxine Slover, grew up in Savannah, Georgia. Ron Helmly attended high school in Savannah, where he enrolled in the Junior ROTC program. He did very well academically in school and played football and baseball. Though he had an academic scholarship, he found he missed military structure (from ROTC) and took the West Point entrance examination. Circumstances prevailed that saw Helmly leave Armstrong State College and enlist in the Army in 1966, attending Basic Training at Fort Gordon, Georgia. He completed his Advanced Individual Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and transferred to the Infantry Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia, because of the delay in getting a slot in the Engineer officer program. Following school, he received his commission as a second lieutenant and went on to complete the Basic Airborne course. In September 1967, Helmly joined Company B, 3d Battalion (Airborne), 187th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, as a platoon leader and then went to Vietnam where he says the experience shaped the outlook of his entire life and gave him a fundamental love of soldiers. His Vietnam experience provided him with essential lessons about the need for good leadership and selecting people of good character and disposition, as well as professional preparedness in positions of leadership. He learned the importance of soldiers and leaders having self-confidence and training to standard. Helmly continued to serve on Active Duty from 1966 to 1973 in a variety of company- and battalion-level assignments, to include another tour in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division and command of an infantry company in Panama. It was during his time on active duty that Helmly met Maria Glasbrenner, the daughter of a retired Army sergeant major. They married on 6 March 1970, just before Helmly left for his second tour in Vietnam. They have two daughters and three grandchildren. As an Army Reserve Soldier, Lieutenant General Helmly has held logistics and operations positions in the 87th Maneuver Area Command and the 81st Army Reserve Command (ARCOM). He commanded the 352nd Maintenance Battalion in Macon, GA, and the 449th Area Support Group in Forest Park, GA. He was also the Deputy Chief of Staff for Training and the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel of the 81st ARCOM. He served as the Deputy Chief, Army Reserve, Washington, DC, from June 1995 to June 1999. From June 1999 to August 1999, he served as the commander of the joint task force conducting Operation PROVIDE REFUGE at Fort Dix, NJ. Until taking command of the 78th Division in May 2001, he was the Military Assistant, Manpower and Reserve Affairs (Individual Mobilization Augmentee), Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army, Washington, DC, from October 1999 to May 2001. LG James R. Helmly was confirmed by the U.S. Senate for promotion to lieutenant general and appointment as the Chief, Army Reserve, March 21, 2002. He took command of the U.S. Army Reserve Command on May 3, 2002, and became the Chief, Army Reserve, on May 25, 2002. His promotion to three-star rank was effective on May 25, 2002. During his tenure as Chief of the Army Reserve he managed the mobilization of more than 147,000 Army Reserve soldiers in support of the Global War on Terror. General Helmly increased Reserve units and soldiers' readiness by having developed a progressive and cyclic training strategy that prioritized resources and managed readiness levels, improved facilities, adapted training to ever changing battlefield conditions, and streamlined Command and Control of the Army Reserve Forces. His military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, the Command and General Staff College, the Armed Forces Staff College and the Army War College. He has a bachelor's degree in liberal studies from the State University of New York in Albany. Among his numerous awards and decorations are the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star with Valor Device and three Oak Leaf Clusters, Meritorious Service Medal with silver Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Commendation Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, Army Staff Identification Badge and Ranger Tab. He was inducted into the Infantry Hall of Fame in 1996. General Helmly will continue his fine tradition of success as he begins his assignment in Islamabad, Pakistan, as the Chief Office of Defense Representative.

Mr. BUYER

Mr. BUYER. I am glad and pleased that you and Mr. Rogers took this initiative. But at the same time it is a sad commentary that we actually have to come to the House floor and create a law in title XVIII to do this. We shouldn't have to be doing this. So when people say you are regulating speech again, well, nobody really wants to do that. We have such respect for the first amendment. But at the same time there is a significant government interest here and that deals with our decency that you spoke of in setting those standards. And also the case law that you cited. The Supreme Court has been very clear to give us that ability to do just that, as Mr. Chabot had also testified to before our committee. But it is unfortunate we have to be here to do that. But we cannot permit the repugnant acts of a few to define the character of America.

Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, when I rose in March to tell this body of the outrageous acts committed against one grieving family in Indiana, I said that the great virtue of the American character is our compassion. It is our compassion and human decency that represents the very best of our Nation. I had a task to perform and that was very similar to many of my colleagues in this body, and that is, when we get the word that someone from our congressional districts has died in the service of our country. So it is an easy call to make, but it is a difficult conversation to have. And I remember calling the mother of Sergeant Ricky Jones in Kokomo, Indiana, and when I spoke with her and said, Ma'am, is there anything that I can do for you or the family, she said, You can't believe what this has been like. And I said, Well, I have two children. You are right. I can't believe that. She said, No, no, you don't understand, and then began to convey to me that, When I had heard that Ricky had died, I began receiving family and friends to the home. They would also call on the telephone. The phone rang. I thought it was going to be either family or friend, and she picked up the phone and the voice on the other end said, I am glad your son is dead. He deserved to die, and hung up the phone. She was shocked and appalled. And she recovered from that. About an hour later the phone rings again and it is another voice on the other end of the phone that said, I am glad your son is coming home in a body bag. I am glad he is dead, and hangs up the phone. Later, someone had egged their family home twice. And then they put trash all over their yard in the middle of the night. And all this was done while the body of Sergeant Ricky Jones was being transported back to Indiana. I was pleased that the Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Gordon Mansfield, and the Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs, Bill Turk, came to Indiana to stand with this family, with myself, and also the Governor of Indiana was also present. But for Gordon Mansfield to have made that trip was very meaningful because Gordon Mansfield is a highly decorated combat veteran from Vietnam who is a paraplegic. He is in a wheelchair from his combat wounds. And for him to also have been so disturbed by what happened, for him to travel to Indiana to be with that family says so much about Gordon Mansfield and the leadership that he gives at the Department of Veterans Affairs. I was pleased. It was the first time I had ever seen the Patriot Guard Riders. Hundreds of them were there. And that is why, Mr. Reyes, that I spoke about their restraint, because when you see them, you are not sure what's about to happen here. These are some pretty tough guys. And one thing that I recall from that experience that was very intriguing was that many of them were also Vietnam veterans. Not all of them were Vietnam veterans, and not all of them were even veterans. Some of them were not. They are patriots. And Sergeant Ricky Jones is the son of an Air Force Vietnam veteran; so these Vietnam era veterans, they know exactly what it was like when they came home. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent for an additional 5 minutes.

Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Bartlett).

Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller).

Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey).

Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform the body that the Congressional Budget Office has determined that implementing H.R. 5037 would have no significant cost to the Federal Government, and it has no intergovernmental mandate as defined by Federal law. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Rogers), a former captain in the United States Army and former FBI agent, who has worked closely with this legislation.

Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot), the chairman of the Subcommittee on the Constitution.

Mr. BUYER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Kennedy).

Mr. BUYER. Mr. Reyes, you probably share the very same sense I do when you see the Patriot Guard Riders. And you know, one thing I want to comment to you, that I am proud about them, not only for taking an individual initiative, but also for their restraint. I do recall what it was like when I came back from the first gulf war, and we buried a friend, and we stood there in our military uniforms, so proud of our service. At the same time we were grieving, and we were also moved that one of the finest of our unit was killed, and it was so powerful to all of us. And it was also yet so private and personal to all of us, given what we had just gone through on behalf of a country. And as I reflect upon that moment, I could not imagine someone from the outside, based on some other reason or rationale and their own image, would interrupt that moment in time for us. And I think a lot of these Patriot Guard Riders also share that very same feeling I have. And I just want to compliment their restraint; because I could tell you, it would be hard, it would be really hard, if I were in the family, if I were one of the family members and this was happening, I would want to go over there and take matters into my own hands. But you know what? People haven't done that. And I am really proud of some of the families and the Patriot Guard Riders themselves. So we are not only setting the standards of decency. We are also setting the standards for criminal conduct so everybody is well behaved. But I just want to thank the gentleman.

Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of well-considered legislation that will protect the sanctity of military funerals at national cemeteries and will protect the privacy of grieving families as they bury their precious loved ones who died in the service of our country. The first to rise, however, were the principal individuals in an organization called the Patriot Guard Riders, members of which are in Washington today. The Patriot Riders have two goals: to show respect for fallen heroes, their families and their communities; and to protect the mourning family and friends from interruptions created by any protestor or group of protestors. We owe them our deep sense of thanks and gratitude. Mr. Speaker, this bill was jointly referred to the Committee on Judiciary, who waived consideration of the bill, and I will insert my letter requesting the waiver and Chairman Sensenbrenner's letter in the Congressional Record at this point. House of Representatives, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Washington, DC, April 25, 2006. Hon. F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. Chairman, Committee on Judiciary, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Sensenbrenner: In order to expedite consideration of H.R. 5037, the ``Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act,'' the Committee on Veterans' Affairs requests that the Committee on the Judiciary waive consideration of the bill. As you know, H.R. 5037 was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. The Committee on Veterans' Affairs acknowledges the jurisdiction of the Committee on the Judiciary over portions of this legislation, particularly section 3, which provides for criminal penalties under title 18 of the United States Code. The Committee on Veterans' Affairs would not construe a waiver of consideration as a waiver of jurisdiction by the Committee on Judiciary over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs would fully support any request by you seeking an appointment to any House-Senate conference on this legislation. I will place a copy of your reply letter in the Congressional Record during consideration of the bill on the House floor. I very much appreciate the cooperation by you and your staff in this matter. Sincerely, Steve Buyer, Chairman.

Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, and my colleagues, I want to thank the gentleman from Texas. It is a pleasure to have worked with you. We are colleagues on the Veterans' Affairs Committee, and I appreciate your service over the years. But you and I haven't had a chance specifically to work on a bill. And I have enjoyed my associations with you. And the cause is right. The spirit of the country is right. They want us to set the standards of dignity, and you recognized that early on and championed this cause in a bipartisan fashion. And it says a lot about who you are. I think it is because you know who you are, and that makes this is a pretty easy process. For that I want to thank the gentleman.

Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5037) to amend titles 38 and 18, United States Code, to prohibit certain demonstrations at cemeteries under the control of the National Cemetery Administration and at Arlington National Cemetery, and for other purposes.

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

Mr. BUYER. They know exactly what it was like when they came home, and they were not going to permit this to occur to their son or daughter; but they were going to set those standards. And so for that reason, and many others, I am so proud of the Patriot Guard Riders. We have before us an opportunity to make a clear expression of that compassion and decency on behalf of those who are passing their darkest hours and on behalf of all Americans who would give them peace during that difficult journey. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the chief sponsors of this bill, Mr. Rogers of Michigan, Silvestre Reyes of Texas, and Jeff Miller of Florida. Together they have done their due diligence to ensure that the legislation will withstand any judicial scrutiny. I would like to thank Kingston Smith and Mary Ellen McCarthy, counsel of the Veterans' Affairs Committee; Paige McManus of the Veterans' Affairs Committee for their work on the bill; as well as Andy Kaiser of Congressman Rogers' staff. I would also like to thank, of the Judiciary Committee staff: Paul Taylor, Hillary Funk and Mike Volkov. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to unanimously support H.R. 5037.

Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Gutknecht).

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

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

Mr. BUYER

Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3829) to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Muskogee, Oklahoma, as the Jack C. Montgomery Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Michaud). He serves as ranking member of the Subcommittee on Health for the House Veterans Affairs Committee. His heart is right, and he does his homework. You have got the right demeanor. I appreciate your leadership. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to give favorable consideration to H.R. 3829, a bill to honor a true American hero. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. BUYER

Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, June marks the retirement of a great leader in our military ranks, Lieutenant General Daniel James III. General James is a distinguished graduate of the University of Arizona's Reserve Officer Training Corps program. In June 1969, General James completed Undergraduate Pilot Training and was assigned to Cam Ranh Bay Air Base, South Vietnam, as a forward air controller and O-1 pilot. A command pilot with a demonstrated career of exceptionally meritorious service, General James has over 4,000 hours in fighter and trainer aircraft, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, and more than 500 combat hours. His distinguished flying career includes the T-39, T-37, T-38, O-1E, F-5E, F-4 (C, D, E) and F-16A aircraft. General James has excelled at every level of service including squadron flight commander in the 182nd Tactical Fighter Squadron (Aggressor Squadron) at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, and commander of the 149th Operations Group, Kelly Air Force Base, Texas. In November 1995, General James was appointed by Governor George W. Bush as the Adjutant General of the State of Texas. A Texas native, he served in this capacity until being named as the Director, Air National Guard in June 2002. His exceptionally meritorious service has resulted in not only recognition within traditional military circles, but within the civilian community as well. He has received a wide range of civilian awards; including the Garvey-Woodson Award, Black United Fund of Texas (1995), Outstanding Service Award, Texas STARBASE Executive Advisory Board (1995-1996), Benjamin D. Foulois First Flight Award, Air Force Association--Texas (1997), Central Texas Combined Federal Campaign Community Service Award, Texas (1997-1998), Honored Patriot Award, Selective Service System (1998 and 1999), Commendation for Military Service, Joint Session of the Texas Legislature (1999) and the Palmetto Patriot Award, South Carolina (1999). He has served as the Chairman of the Greater Austin Quality Council and on the Board of Directors of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. General James' military service culminates with his assignment as Director, Air National Guard, and Vice Chief, National Guard Bureau, Virginia, from June 3, 2002, until June 2, 2006. General James served during one of the most challenging periods of any previous director of the Air National Guard. His outstanding achievements and dynamic leadership and initiative resulted in the development of a bold strategy for Air National Guard relevance in the 21st Century. His VANGUARD Engagement Strategy was the impetus for Air National Guard transformation, ensuring it would remain ``Ready, Reliable and Relevant . . . now more than ever.'' During his period as the Director, Air National Guard members flew over 200,000 sorties and more than 600,000 hours in support of the Global War on Terrorism, including well over 50 percent of the fighter, tanker and airlift sorties for Operation Noble Eagle while postured for Air Sovereignty Alert at 16 of 17 sites; provided almost one-third of the fighter sorties in Operation Enduring Freedom; provided over one-third of the fighter and tanker sorties for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Air National Guard crews supported 75 percent of the tanker sorties and over 60 percent of the airlift sorties in other theaters. This service included humanitarian, disaster relief and civil support. The Air National Guard support to Hurricane Katrina was unprecedented. Over 3,000 sorties flown, more than 11,000 passengers evacuated and in excess of 11,000 tons of cargo was moved in a 4-day period. One thousand four hundred forty-three lifesaving rescues were directly attributed to ANG personnel and General James' leadership. General James will retire and reside in Mount Vernon, Virginia, on June 2, 2006, with his wife, Mrs. Dana Marie James, and their son, Daniel Steven James.

Mr. BUYER

Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous matter on H.R. 3829.

Mr. BUYER

Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I ask that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 5037.