Marsha Blackburn

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, when I am in my district there is one issue that tops all others with our constituents; it is the issue of border security. In this environment, Madam Speaker, every town has become a border town and every State has become a border State. And our constituents are sending the message, and they couldn't be clearer, secure our Nation's borders. I want to thank our House Republican leadership for standing up to the Senate and their Reid-Kennedy immigration reform bill, which would, among many other things, grant amnesty to those who break our laws in coming to this Nation. Madam Speaker, it is time to halt illegal entry into this country. It is time to halt the flow of illegal drugs and weapons into this great Nation, and it is time to secure our borders. I thank the Republican leadership for working on this issue, for standing firm. It is what the American people want to see done.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, for several generations now we have watched Middle Eastern-born terrorism intimidate, maim and kill Americans and our allies around the free world. The images coming out of Israel and Lebanon are a sad, ugly replay of something we have seen far too often. Mr. Speaker, there is no easy solution to this problem, despite what some pundits on the talk show circuit would tell us. This is a fight between a nation and between terrorists who claim no nation. It is simply unacceptable that Iran would be permitted to fund a terrorist organization like Hezbollah. It is unacceptable that the state-sponsored terrorist organization would be placed in another nation, Lebanon, in order to wage a steady war against one of our allies. That is what has been happening for far too long. Mr. Speaker, our President is exactly right not to condemn Israel for taking actions to defeat its terrorist enemy.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, fellow Members of Congress, please join me today to honor the soldiers of Detachment 1, 779th Ordnance Company, of the Tennessee National Guard. The 779th deserves the nation's thanks and praise for serving honorably and contributing mightily to our efforts in the Middle East. They have served America in such dangerous and strategically vital locations as Ramadi, Habanabi, Al Asad and Al Taqaddum, and they have been absolutely critical in the tactical and operational success of coalition forces. Without the skilled and dedicated soldiers of the 779th, victory in the Global War on Terrorism would not be possible. Let us join the rest of Tennessee in saying congratulations, welcome home, and job well done.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment today to honor CW5 John F. ``Ricky'' Goodrich of the Tennessee Army National Guard. Recently, Chief Goodrich celebrated his 60th birthday at the Ali ai- Salem Airbase in Kuwait while serving there with the Guard's Operational Support Airlift Detachment 25. While he may be far from home, we're thinking of him and wishing him well as he works to defend America's national security. This is not the first birthday Ricky Goodrich has spent away from home while serving his county though. Nearly 40 years ago, Chief Goodrich spent his 22nd birthday as a young soldier in Vietnam. Chief Goodrich, the command chief warrant officer of the Tennessee Army National Guard, volunteered for this most recent deployment. And in addition to his administrative responsibilities, he routinely flies his C-12 aircraft into Iraq and Afghanistan. I would not only like to extend our birthday wishes, but also thank him for his years of exceptional service to the United States Army and the Tennessee Army National Guard. America's fortunate to have men like Ricky and we honor him today.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, we are seeing it everywhere we go and we are hearing it from all of our constituents every time we go home, every time we hold a town hall meeting, and every time we show up in a local community: illegal entry into this country and the presence of those who have made a decision to break the law to come here. Illegal immigration is an issue to be addressed, and here it is on the front page of The Washington Post. Twelve hundred miles from the border, U.S. border town, yes, indeed, by those individuals who would choose to enter the country illegally. Every town has become a border town and every State has become a border State. I encourage our colleagues to hang tough in this debate and stay with the House bill where we secure the border first.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to invite the Senate to join the House in debating how we are going to address illegal entry into this country. We are hearing from our colleagues today reporting back on the hearings that we are holding around the country, talking with sheriffs, talking with Border Patrol, talking to people on the ground. We are hearing the same thing: stop illegal crossings. It is time. Get this problem under control. Mr. Speaker, in this environment every State is a border State and every town is a border town. Meanwhile, the other body holds hearings talking about everything under the sun related to immigration except the actual process by which people come into this country illegally. Until our colleagues across the Capitol are willing to admit illegal entry is the problem, we are going to continue seeing a debate that goes nowhere. We should address the problem. Illegal entry is the biggest problem, and then take on the next angle of the issue, and do it in an orderly process. That is what our House leadership is saying, and they are right on the issue.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. I thank the gentleman from Texas for joining with us in this debate this evening and for continuing to talk with our colleagues and with the American people, because this is about illegal entry. The situation of illegal entry and immigration are two completely different debates. Those who are trying to blend them into one are doing a disservice. We have to move forward in addressing illegal entry, and we have to move forward in securing this border. Mr. Speaker, America is an incredibly welcoming Nation. It is a wonderful Nation that for years and centuries, we held our arms wide. We welcome those that choose to legally enter. We love the energy and vitality that they bring. We love their excitement. We love the way they bring an entrepreneurial spirit and they bring diversity and they bring to each of us a challenge, a very well-placed challenge, to work harder, to do better. And we love it when they succeed, and we celebrate it. We take the time to celebrate that success, every little success, with them. And when they receive that citizenship after years of hard work, we are standing there with them, celebrating with them. Some of them are in our families, some are in our extended families; and some of our close friends that we love like family have been through this process. And because of this, we stand with them in saying, Let's secure the border and end the practice of illegal entry into this Nation. Let's be certain that legal entry and legal immigration are recognized and rewarded and celebrated in the appropriate way, as they are meant to be. But let's roll up our sleeves and let's get to work securing the border, ending illegal entry into this country, ending the human trafficking, ending the flow of drugs, ending the flow of weapons. Let's be fair with our law enforcement officials and our Border Patrol agents that are on the border, who are tasked each and every day with keeping this border secure and, in turn, with being the first responders on the issue of border security. And let's be certain that we continue to put our focus right where it should be in realizing that border security and national security are one and the same. As I said, Mr. Speaker, it isn't about immigration, it is about illegal entry. It is also about the rule of law. There is a sense from the American people that we have lost control of these borders, and they are right. There is a sense that if we lose control of the borders, that then we are going to have more of the war on terror fought on American soil. Mr. Speaker, it is issue number one. Securing this border is the most important issue that faces this body today. I want to thank the House leadership for being so consistent in saying that this body will make border security the primary focus of our work. I want to thank our colleagues who are working on the field hearings and working to be certain that the message is communicated with our constituents and with our colleagues here on the Hill, that this House is ready to see borders secured and national security as our top priority.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. As we talk about securing this border and the reason for it, and in the House bill we have stretches where there is a physical border and a fence that would be very difficult to penetrate, and there is a reason for that, Mr. Speaker. And the sheriff from Laredo, Texas, Sheriff Flores, was so articulate on this issue as we talked about the border there and spoke about the 18-wheelers, 6,000 to 7,000, 18-wheelers a day coming through that exchange point and through that immigration point. Now, Mr. Speaker, one of the things that is of concern for us is how you check the cargo that is in here. And as I mentioned earlier in my comments: illegal entry, human trafficking, drugs, weapons. As we look at this 6,000 to 7,000 18-wheelers a day that are on the road, and couple that with trucks and vehicles that are coming across the unpatrolled areas and open land, what we have are vehicles that are driving drugs and meth and arms into this country. We don't know what all is coming in them. What we do know is that in my State of Tennessee we have a problem with meth and dirty meth. They know that it is made many times in Mexico. When they confiscate and interdict, when the interdiction units bring in marijuana and cocaine and meth, they can tell where it is coming from by how it is packaged, how it is being delivered. And we know for a fact that this is a problem. We have a county in west Tennessee that we worked closely with on this issue, and just a little under a year ago they put a meth interdiction unit on the road. Interestingly enough, nearly every time that unit goes out, nearly every time it goes out it is conducting an interdiction. And it is sad to see, but when you go in and look at that evidence room and look at the weapons and the drugs, and hear the stories of individuals that are being brought in, some of them against their will, it is not a story that is a happy story. It is a very sad story. Our constituents are tired of this, and they want the borders secured so it will decrease that flow, decrease the opportunity for that flow of human trafficking and drugs and weapons. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. I want to participate in this discussion with you about the difference in these bills. And you are so right when you mention that our House bill would increase personnel on the border, put the K-9 units there, look at a virtual fence as well as a physical barrier, the electronic surveillance, and really tighten up that border. And one of the things we have said in the House repeatedly is, let us lay out an orderly process. Let us secure the border first; then let us move to the employer verifications which you mentioned. But let us secure that border first. Let us deal with the enforcement mechanisms. And I am so delighted that you mentioned catch and release. As I mentioned earlier, the sheriffs that we had, two from California, one from Texas that were at our hearing, said catch and release is a huge problem. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier, one county alone, Los Angeles County, 26 percent of the jail population is criminal aliens. After I left that hearing and I was through out in my district in Tennessee and I would talk to sheriffs, I would say, What portion, what portion of your incarcerated population is those that entered the country illegally? I have not spoken with anyone who has less than 10 percent. And the recidivism rate, as I mentioned the one sheriff who was before our committee talked in terms of upwards of 70 percent. And when I talk to our law enforcement personnel, it is always a high percentage that is in their jail not once, not twice, but many times. That criminal alien population, the recidivism rate is very high. And you are exactly right, that is a cost to our local communities. One of the concerns that we hear from when people talk about the Senate bill is they are concerned about wage protections, they are concerned about favorable treatment, they are concerned about a favorable way for those that entered the country illegally to pay their taxes or to access tuition or to receive Social Security benefits. And they look at us and they say, You know, this is not fair. This is not right. And there is great concern. And I think that that is one of the reasons that the American people return to looking at the House bill and saying, this is what we want to see: first, secure the border. Second, deal with that magnet. Look at the employer sanctions, then deal with the enforcement mechanisms. And then, once you have stabilized the situation, look at the visa programs, but only after the situation has been stabilized. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. I thank the gentleman. He is so correct. An essential element in winning the war on terror is controlling our borders. And one of the things that we heard this weekend, this past week, on Tuesday as we took our first field hearing to San Diego, was, we heard how the Iraqis have been reaching into Central America and into Mexico, and how al-Qaeda is reaching in there and doing what is necessary for them to make these connections to be able to enter through this southern border. What a frightening thought that is to us. How very difficult it should be for them. But, unfortunately, it seems they are saying how very easy it can be. Mr. Speaker, think of that. Al-Qaeda and those that would seek to do us harm are choosing to see if they can come across our southern border, one more good reason why we should be certain that we secure that border. The gentleman from Texas also said something else I want to return to. We ignore this at our own peril. And we hear that repeatedly. We would ignore this at our own peril. And I mentioned the hearing that we held in San Diego. Chairman Royce did a terrific job chairing this hearing for the International Relations Committee, focused on terrorism and border security. And I commend our leadership, our Speaker and our leader for making certain that we, as a body, have the opportunity to go and listen and talk with the American people on this issue. And as we were at Imperial Beach outside of San Diego on that border, we heard from sheriffs, we heard from border agents, and we heard from those who have studied this issue closely, very closely over the past several years, just not weeks, not just months, but several years. And each and every one of them talked about the importance that is upon us for examining and moving forward with action in securing this border. And the gentleman from Texas is right. We ignore this at our own peril. He also mentioned with the State of Texas, the billions that are spent on education, the hundreds of millions that are spent on health care for those that have illegally entered this country. He also mentioned incarceration and the hundreds of millions of dollars that are spent in his State of Texas on incarceration. I asked the sheriff from Los Angeles County during the hearing in San Diego what they spent every year on incarceration, because 26 percent of their jail population are criminal aliens; 70 percent of those are repeat offenders. They are spending about $80 million a year, $80 million of taxpayer dollars each year in Los Angeles County for incarceration of those who have committed offenses and are being held and detained as criminal aliens. Another point that the gentleman talked about was that our laws are not up for discussion. And one of my constituents over the weekend said, you know, U.S. citizenship is not a lottery, and it is not. And this comment came from a gentleman who is a veteran. And he grabbed me by the arm as we were out celebrating our freedom, celebrating Independence Day, and looked me straight in the eye. And he said, ``Marsha, I fought for this country. I fought for this freedom. I fought for everyone to have this citizenship. Let me tell you right now, it is not a lottery.'' Our laws are not up for discussion, and our citizenship is not a lottery; and we need to remember that. And I appreciated those comments from that gentleman. I had another constituent who said, ``You know, if you illegally enter my car, my bank account, my private information, my house, my business, my church, you are going to pay a penalty. You have committed a crime. Why in the world does that not apply to this great Nation?'' Mr. Speaker, the American people understand that the issue at hand is border security and illegal entry. Many in this body and certainly our leadership concur with that. Legal immigrants, as the gentleman from Texas talked about the naturalization ceremony where he spoke, legal immigrants know that the laws on the books are for abiding. And they appreciate that and they honor it. And we want to be certain that those are kept as the rule of law, and this Nation remains a sovereign nation. As my friend, Alfredo, said, as I talked with him over the weekend, he said, ``You need to protect the American dream. I am here for the American dream.'' He is here legally. He is looking forward to the day when he stands and raises his hand and takes that oath and becomes a U.S. citizen. And he too wants to have his very own personal story to tell about how he achieved the American dream. And for Alfredo and his wife and thousands that come here every year legally to seek that dream, their message to us is: secure the border, and make legal entry a priority. Put your focus on illegal entry, and put a stop to that. You know, the message that we are continuing to get from our constituents is: stop the bleeding, secure the border, narrow your focus. And I hear that from State legislators back in my State of Tennessee. If we don't do that, we leave with them the issue of addressing the problems that are then passed to the States: driver's licenses, insurance issues, looking at educational and health care and law enforcement issues. They feel as if all of that is left for them to deal with. Our towns and our cities look at us and say: when it comes to law enforcement, we are the folks on the street. When it comes to who opens the hospital doors, that is us. When the school bell rings, we are the ones providing the service. And that is why they look at us and say: what your lack of action is doing is turning every single town into a border town and every single State into a border State. So they want us to get in here and complete our work on securing this border, to look at the options that are out there. As we heard from some of our Border Patrol agents, put our focus on intelligence-driven, threat-based mechanisms. Look at what it takes to integrate electronic surveillance, human surveillance, and physical barriers. And we heard from some of the sheriffs that, yes, indeed, physical barriers work, and they were happy to give us plenty of information about how it had driven down crime. The House has passed a bill; and if we need to pass one more, we can do that. We have to be certain that we demonstrate the results that are necessary for securing this border. At this time I would like to yield again to the gentleman from Texas.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, as you talk about focusing in on that issue of illegal entry and focusing in on border security and being certain that we deal with that first, first and foremost, handle this issue. I appreciate the comments that you said regarding amnesty and how opposed to amnesty I personally am and how opposed so many of my constituents are because they feel that is such a dishonor to those who are coming here legally. During my time at home, as we were holding town hall meetings and visiting with constituents, I have had constituents say, If you start passing out amnesty, then I want amnesty from the IRS. If you let those who have illegally entered this country choose to pay 3 years of 5 years of back taxes, I want to pay 3 years out of the past 5 years. Those are questions that we are getting from our constituents, and they are right to be asking them. I had someone say they wanted amnesty from OSHA, a small business manufacturer, paying taxes and creating jobs and working hard. He said, They come into my plant, they stand there, they hold a meter; I want amnesty from that. I want amnesty from the EPA. So we are hearing this over and over. Mr. Speaker, what it really speaks to is the breakdown of the rule of law. Why? Our constituents are so right to ask that question. Why? Why in the world would a body pass a bill that would do that? Why would they encourage that? Why would they not honor the rule of law? Why would they not choose to deal with the crisis situation, which is illegal entry, and focus on that? That is the area where everyone agrees: Secure the border and secure it now. Secure it first. Put additional people on the border. Put additional resources on the border because border security is national security and a very important component of our national security.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. If the gentleman would yield?

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, our community of Nashville, Tennessee, and the Nashville banking industry lost an entrepreneurial banker, Brian Williams, who was the Music Row banker for SunTrust Bank, and he was such an extraordinary, truly extraordinary, man. Certainly, we feel that we have lost a visionary in not only the banking industry but in the music business industry. Brian is one of those who really understood that the entertainment industry and the music industry is a business, and he approached it that way and he pioneered the music industry's banking division for SunTrust Bank. He is a man who I honestly believe in all my years of working on the intellectual property issue, whether as head of the Tennessee Film Entertainment Music Commission or as a member of the State Senate or now as a Member of Congress, he understood the ability of intellectual property to generate an income. He understood that intellectual property is private property, and he understood how royalty income could indeed work for our creative community. He is truly going to be deeply, deeply missed and to his wife, Marion, and his parents, our thoughts are with you all. Now, to our issue of immigration. Mr. Speaker, the question that we have before us is one that we are looking at as an issue of border security, and I feel that many times this issue becomes clouded as we try to talk about so many different components of border security and immigration and illegal entry into the country and employer verification. Sometimes looking at the great big pie, the great big pie of the border security/immigration issue, all rolled into one, becomes very, very difficult for many of us. We have started through a process of beginning to break it apart and take things one at a time and focus intently on this issue; and, indeed, it is an issue that we have had before us. As a former Member of the Judiciary Committee and the Immigration Subcommittee there, we have kept our focus on how do we make certain that we keep this Nation secure, how do we make certain that border security is addressed as national security, and how do we keep America safe, how do we make certain that we know who is coming in this country, how do we make certain that we know why they are coming and how do we make certain that we know the people who have come here have come for the right reasons, have come with the proper paperwork and do not overstay those visas and that paperwork. This is a question to look at. It is a discussion to engage in and it is an issue that I would hope every Member of this body, from both sides of the aisle, would participate in discussing and finding a solution. Of course, the House has passed a bill. We passed it last year. We sent it to the Senate. It has first and foremost a focus on securing this border. We know that this is a problem that the American people are frustrated with. They are frustrated with D.C. and I understand why. We are, too. Some of these issues you can absolutely talk to death. The American people are ready for action, and indeed, the House is the body that has been leading on that action. As we have watched illegal entry, the act of illegal entry, and that is our focus, as I said earlier, it is not immigration, our focus is on illegal entry, and addressing the act that is being committed as individuals, as weapons, as drugs all come into this country illegally, this is an enormous problem. It is not a secret. The American people know this, and that is why they have joined with the House in saying this needs to be handled. Mr. Speaker, lack of action on this issue over the past few years and lack of responsiveness by some who want to confuse it by making it a big comprehensive, difficult-to-get-your-arms-around issue has caused a couple of things to happen, but that is the way it is many times, in life, in politics, and certainly in this issue of security. The fact that action was not taken when the House first got ready to move forward and that we have seen thousands and hundreds of thousands of people illegally enter this country has caused every town to be a border town and every State to be a border State. When I was in the State senate in Tennessee, I started working on this issue, trying to make certain that those that illegally entered this country could not secure valid driver's licenses and then have carried that activity with me, coming here to Congress and again continuing to focus on this issue. As I said, every State is a border State, and we are hearing from States like my State of Tennessee and other States around the country. Border security is the number one issue. We have seen enormous populations of people who are not legally in the States gravitate to certain States for specific reasons, and Americans know that there ought to be laws that are enforced. They know that there are laws on the books, and they cannot figure out why in the world, why in the world those laws are not being enforced, why are we choosing not to enforce those laws and defend those borders. Our constituents are right to ask those questions. We need to tackle the illegal entry problem. We need to do this one step at a time. We need to demonstrate in good faith to the American people that efficient, effective border security can be accomplished and we are ready to move forward on it. We encourage the other body and we encourage the American people to join with us on this issue and addressing this issue. At this time, I would like to yield to my colleague from Texas (Mr. Hensarling) for some of his thoughts and comments on this issue.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that and this evening we are going to spend some time talking about the issue of border security, and it is important to our great Nation; but before I begin, I would like to take just a few moments of personal privilege and remember a friend that my community lost over the weekend. Remembering SunTrust's Brian Williams

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. The New York Times, you know, the actions of that storied paper certainly are the subject of much discussion. Mr. Speaker, it is a sad discussion, because it is a discussion about those who chose to leak information and those who chose to print that leaked information that is harmful to this great Nation's security. It is unfortunate, and it does add to the level of distrust of bureaucracy and of government. It is sad. It is disappointing. The perpetrators of those actions, Mr. Speaker, can rationalize all they want. But the point is this: Those actions, leaking that information, printing that information, make our intelligence community's job a little harder. They make defunding terrorists and their activities more difficult, and they make our American communities less safe and less secure. It is a sad action, and it is an action with unfortunate consequences.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, you know, ``freedom isn't free'' is a saying that we hear a lot. Sometimes we think it is a little bit trite. But I will tell you, Madam Speaker, this weekend I have seen the embodiment of that phrase, as I have met in Iraq with some of our 101st Airborne troops and our National Guard men and women. They understand their mission, they are dedicated, and yes, indeed, they are getting the job done. I have also seen the embodiment of that phrase this weekend as I have met with some of the Iraqi parliamentarians. I joined three of my colleagues there. We were led by Congresswoman Kay Granger, who did a masterful job in continuing to mentor some of the Iraqi women parliamentarians. We have watched them struggle and put energy into their fight to achieve democracy, to achieve freedom, and to join us in saying, yes, indeed, we understand freedom isn't free. It does come with a price.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, for decades, America and free countries in Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia have been the targets of terrorism, terrorism that originated in the Middle East and has been if not openly supported by countries there then at the very least overlooked by these nations. On September 11, we decided that periodic attacks like the bombing of the Pan Am Flight 103, the USS Cole, Khobar Towers, the first World Trade Center bombing, we decided that that had to stop. We decided the only way to end these attacks was going into the Middle East and let it be known that we would no longer tolerate regimes that encouraged terrorism and shunned the rules most in the civilized world choose to abide by. That was the right decision then. It remains the right decision today.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, this morning we have heard some sad reports that the bodies of our missing soldiers have been found. Mr. Speaker, our hearts are with those families and with our entire Fort Campbell family. And to those who have claimed responsibility, whether they are actually responsible or not, and I want to respond to that statement and quote them, the Mudjadeen Shura Council, they are terrorists, Mr. Speaker, and this is their quote: ``The strongest army in the world is turned around, ashamed of their failure.'' Mr. Speaker, no, we are ashamed of these, and I use the term lightly, these human beings, who believe they have the right to maim and murder innocent people here in America and in the Middle East and do it in the name of religion. Mr. Speaker, they could not be more wrong about how this country feels. We are proud of our military men and women, I am so proud of those families at Fort Campbell, and we are proud of the dedication to ending decades of terrorism once and for all.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I want to ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing the members of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell, which is there in my district. These are the men and women who were there when we eliminated Saddam's sons. They were on the ground when we eliminated Zarqawi. They have always been there for America. And today, my colleagues, we need to be there for them. Our missing soldiers are members of the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne. The past few days have been tough in Clarksville and Montgomery County where Fort Campbell is located. And to those families, we want them to know we are there with them, and I want everyone there to know that America mourns the loss of their colleague David, and we pray for the safe return of Kristian and Thomas. America needs the 101st. We depend on the fighting men and women for our freedom, and their sacrifices and their losses pain this Nation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. May God bless our troops.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today to mark the final performance of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center this May 27th. Since its premier season in 1980-1981, the Tennessee Performing Arts Center has provided a magnificent setting for the Nashville Symphony. Today we remember fondly the years our symphony has spent at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, but look forward to many wonderful performances in the new world class Schermerhorn Symphony Center. It is appropriate that the new facility be named after Principal Conductor Kenneth Schermerhorn, who led the symphony so capably for 20 years. We miss Maestro Schermerhorn, but I know he'd be pleased to see the symphony making the move to this new, world class space. I hope my colleagues will join me in congratulating the members, staff, and many, many fans of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra as they celebrate their success.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 65th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Every December Americans gather in Hawaii to remember the day that so changed the world. This year, the John Overton High School band has been selected to represent Tennessee as we commemorate Pearl Harbor and honor those who died there on that fateful December day. Making their second appearance at this event, it's clear we're being well represented by members of the John Overton High School band. The band will take part in a parade marking the day, perform at the USS Missouri Memorial and lay a wreath at the USS Arizona Memorial. This once in a lifetime opportunity will provide firsthand experience and insight into the bombing of Pearl Harbor and I know the students will never forget their time there. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join with me in congratulating the John Overton High School band, and their leader Jo Ann Hood, on this wonderful honor. We applaud their hard work and their commitment to honoring America's fallen heroes.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, today we will hold discussion and a debate about the global war on terrorism and about the battles in Afghanistan and in Iraq. It is appropriate indeed that we do so. This week, we are celebrating the Army's birthday. We are celebrating Flag Day, and we are continuing to honor the men and women who serve so brilliantly in the U.S. military. Today, Mr. Speaker, I want to rise for a moment and honor the men and women of the Tennessee National Guard. They have had deployments in the past year, and they have served with distinction. Today many of the junior officers and the commanders of the Tennessee Guard are in town. They were honored at a reception last night, and they are visiting us here on Capitol Hill today. We welcome them. We honor them, and we thank them and their families for their outstanding service, for their sacrifice, for their commitment to freedom, for loving this Nation and for being the embodiment of that freedom on foreign soil.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, you know, our colleagues across the aisle are asking the American people to divorce our mission in Iraq from the global war on terrorism. I think it is impossible. I think it is irresponsible, and it is bad policy. If only terrorism were as clear cut a problem as they want us to believe, and if only elimination of the Taliban would have been sufficient to free us from the threat of terrorism. Mr. Speaker, have we not learned anything from September 11? It should be crystal clear that terrorism went far deeper than one rogue regime in Afghanistan. But that is where they are in this debate. They are ignoring reality. Our troops, my folks from the 101st and the National Guard, know that if we are going to be free of terrorism, if the goal is to prevent terrorism from killing 2,000 Americans on our soil tomorrow or forevermore, then we must bring major change to the Middle East. It is an unpleasant reality, but it is a reality. That is where we are in Afghanistan. That is where we are in Iraq. Progress is being made. Libya has changed, the Taliban is basically gone now, al Qaeda has significantly weakened and bin Laden is on the run. Pakistan is an ally in the war on terrorism. Iraq, despite a 24/7 massive media campaign of negative news, is making progress, and we have eliminated al-Zarqawi. On this issue of amnesty, the Iraq National Security Adviser corrected the record and, for the record, stated that the Prime Minister was misquoted. I have that entire interview and the transcript for the record, and I would like to quote for my colleague's benefit another portion, and I quote, he, as a matter of fact, if you were there, and this is the Iraqi National Security Adviser speaking, if you were there in this meeting with President Bush a couple of days ago, he looked the President in the eye and he said, thank you very, very much for liberating our country. I thank the American wives, the women, the American mothers for the treasure and the blood that they have invested in this country. It is worth investing for liberating 30 million people, and we are ever so grateful. Mr. Speaker, we all stand grateful. We stand grateful. From CNN Interview: Kagan. Doctor, I know there's a big effort by your government in your country to try to prevent civil war. And as part of that, The Washington Post reports today that your prime minister is considering offering amnesty to Sunnis or to others who perhaps attacked only U.S. troops. This, not surprisingly, causing great consternation here in the U.S., even talking about it and being raised on the floor the U.S. Senate today. Is this, indeed, the case? Is your government thinking about offering amnesty to those that attacked only U.S. military? Rubaie. This is not the case. I'm sorry to say that the prime minister of Iraq has been misquoted and misunderstood. He did not mean to give amnesty to those who killed the Americans. Aa matter of fact, if you were there in his meeting with President Bush a couple of days ago, he looked the president in the eye and he said, thank you very, very much for liberating our country. Please thank the American wives and American women and American mothers for the treasure and the blood they have invested in this country. It's well worth investing, of liberating 30 million people in this country. And we are ever so grateful. And we will--the blood of the Iraqi soldier and blood of Iraqi civilian soldier is as sacred to us as the American soldier. We are fighting the same war, we are fighting together, and this is a joined responsibility. And we will never give amnesty to those who have killed American soldiers or killed Iraqi soldier or civilian.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, for months the national media and our friends across the aisle have consistently worked to convince the American people that the battle in Iraq plays no significant role in our national security. I know that some are really sincere in that belief, and I also know that there are some who are only looking for political gain. But the call to disengage, the call to withdraw, based on this argument that our national security is separate from what happens in the battle in Iraq is naive at best. On this Flag Day, a day we take to honor this national symbol and remember those who sacrificed for this great Nation, I want every member of the United States military to know that what you are doing in Iraq and in Afghanistan and all across the Middle East is important. It is vital to our national security, and it will ensure that our flag proudly waves for freedom for generations to come.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring Quebecor World Publications as they mark the publication of the one billionth copy of Highlights magazine. Few things in this world are as consistent and positive as Highlights magazine has been for the past 60 years. Since 1946, Highlights magazine has kept parents and kids smiling. As a parent, I remember sharing time with my two children, Mary Morgan and Chad, while reading this wonderful magazine. Countless Americans have enjoyed decades of good memories thanks to Highlights. In an era when we have to guard our kids' access to information like never before, it's nice to know that America can still depend on Quebecor and Highlights magazine not only to entertain but to teach the morals and values we hold dear.