Jeb Bradley

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore).

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Chairman, I yield the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall) 2 minutes. (Mr. UDALL of New Mexico asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Michaud).

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone).

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. First of all, I would like to commend my colleague from Arkansas and my colleague from Colorado for the very courteous way in which they have conducted this debate, allowing those of us who did not have adequate time to speak to be able to do so tonight. Mr. Chairman, I believe that we must be very cautious before reducing our Nation's industrial base capability and base capacity. Many of the 33 bases are irreplaceable national security assets. For instance, the nuclear license facility in my area, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, it will never be recreated again if closed. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard has served our Nation well for 200 years and saves taxpayers millions and millions of hard-earned dollars while returning our Nation's nuclear submarines to the water ahead of schedule. Mr. Chairman, we all know that our Nation is fighting a war on terror. It began on a fateful morning in September 3\1/2\ years ago. Let us be careful before we close irreplaceable national security assets that we will not have the ability to recreate without either huge expense or local opposition. This amendment appropriately delays that process, enables our Nation to study that process so that we can best defend ourselves from the threats to our national security. I urge my colleagues to vote for the Bradley amendment.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Marti Jones upon being named a finalist for the 2005 Congressman John Joseph Moakley Award for Exemplary Public Service. Initiated in 2002, the Moakley Award is given to a staff member of the New England Congressional delegation who demonstrates strong innovative methods of thinking and effectively works on behalf of their constituents. Marti has worked in New Hampshire politics for over 20 years. Before joining my office in 2003, Marti worked for U.S. Senator Bob Smith (R- NH) for 18 years, starting when he was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and later, the U.S. Senate. Before working for Senator Smith, Marti served as Assistant to the Mayor for Manchester Mayor Bob Shaw. Marti's commitment to the citizens of the Granite State extends far beyond the walls of our Manchester district office. Marti has been involved in Granite State Ambassadors, the Board of Directors for the Photographic Historical Society of New England, a past President of the Board of Directors for the New Hampshire Junior Miss Scholarship Program and a past member of the New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women. I would also like to take a moment to thank the Greater Boston Federal Executive Board and the Moakley Family for recognizing Marti's accomplishments and those of the other finalists. I congratulate and thank Marti on her years of hard work and dedication to New Hampshire.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding me this time. I rise, Mr. Speaker, to support the budget because it is good for our country. I also rise to commend the hard work, the determination, the integrity of our chairman, the gentleman from Iowa (Chairman Nussle); and I also want to salute the fine work and the honesty and the integrity of the Senate budget Chair, the Senator from my State, Senator Gregg. Why is this budget so important to our Nation? We need to reduce our budget deficit; and our budget, this budget, puts us on a path to do that. We need to establish fiscal restraint, and this budget actually cuts nondefense discretionary spending for the first time in years. It also slows the rate of growth of entitlement spending. Let me repeat this, because it is being portrayed as a cut. It is not a cut. It is slowing the rate of growth of entitlement spending, and allowing us, through the Commission on Medicaid, to do a better job of delivering services, better health care to those people who need it the most. Very importantly, this budget allows our economy to grow. Since we instituted the tax cuts in this very Chamber, 3 million new jobs have been created in our country. We need to continue down this path of growing jobs. Perhaps most importantly, this budget provides for our national security. It increases defense spending; it honors our troops and the commitments of our Nation's veterans by spending nearly $1 billion more on veterans benefits, without a copayment and without an enrollment fee. Mr. Speaker, this is an excellent job. I commend it to my colleagues, and I urge their support for this budget.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take the time of the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton).

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide and to commend the Armenian Caucus co-chairs, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Knollenberg) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), for again encouraging their colleagues to remember this solemn occasion. April 24 marked the beginning of this systematic and deliberate campaign of genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire in 1915. Over the next 8 years, 1.5 million Armenians were tortured and murdered, and more than half a million were forced from their homeland into exile. The U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire during the genocide vividly documented the massacre of the Armenians by stating: ``I am confident that the whole history of the human race contains no such horrible episode as this. The great massacres and persecutions of the past seem almost insignificant when compared to the sufferings of the Armenian race in 1915.'' As this crime against humanity was being committed, the United States led the world in attempting to end the slaughter and to save those who survived. American intervention prevented the full realization of the Ottoman Empire's genocidal plan, and U.S. humanitarian assistance was extended to those who survived. While the U.S. record on the Armenian genocide is the most expansive in the detail of its coverage of the events of 1915 to 1918, the official records of many other countries, Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, and Russia corroborate the evidence gathered by U.S. diplomats. Therefore, it is important for our government to reaffirm its own record on the Armenian genocide and to assure that the relevant historical records are preserved. By keeping memories alive through history, we will prevent other instances of inhumanity from occurring. As an ardent supporter of New Hampshire's Armenian community, I would like to pay particular respect to hardworking individuals within my State. Mr. Mike Manoian and Mr. John Aranosian have long advocated on behalf of the Armenian-American citizens in New Hampshire, and their efforts have resulted in the increased awareness and understanding of Armenian interests. I applaud that dedicated work and greatly appreciate their strong commitment. As a proud member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, I will continue to encourage my colleagues to honor the memory of those Armenians who suffered and perished nearly a century ago.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 110 I was inadvertantly detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Brad Parkhurst upon his retirement from Public Service of New Hampshire after 32 years of service. Brad Parkhurst has had a long, distinguished career in public service. Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH) is the Granite State's largest electric utility company and has over 1,200 employees. Brad stands out among them as a recipient of the PSNH Volunteer of the Year Award in 2001 and the PSNH Humanitarian Award in 2004. He received these and numerous other awards for his many contributions to PSNH. Brad Parkhurst's commitment to the betterment of his community extends far beyond his work at PSNH. He has held many appointed and volunteer positions throughout his hometown of Merrimack, NH. Brad presently serves on the Merrimack Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and served as President of the Chamber from 2001 to 2003. For the past 25 years, Brad has been an active member of the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of New Hampshire. Brad was the first-ever inductee into the Association's ``Hall of Fame'' in 2003 in recognition of his lifetime achievement in providing significant and lasting contributions to the New Hampshire housing industry. Brad Parkhurst's service has transcended the borders of New Hampshire and the United States. Brad serves as Chair of the Riverside Christian Church Missionary Efforts program. Brad has led several teams to West Africa in efforts to provide medical, educational and nutritional aid to impoverished people. On his missions, Brad and his teams have also rehabilitated a children's orphanage, constructed a new home, and renovated a local church, school and library. Brad has left a truly lasting impression on those he has touched with his work. I am honored to represent concerned and conscientious citizens like Brad in the U.S. House of Representatives. I wish Brad the best of luck in his well-deserved retirement.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman, this budget values the service of our veterans. It not only values their service, but it meets the needs of our country, a strong defense, a growing economy, while we also reduce our deficit. I would like to talk about where veterans spending has gone over the last 10 years for just a moment. As you can see from this chart, this is the overall spending on veterans programs over that period of time, from 1995 to 2005. We talk about veterans health care, perhaps we could bring that chart up, that has increased from about $16.2 billion to $29.9 billion. That is substantial progress in honoring the commitment of our Nation's veterans. We have done a number of other things for veterans over the last several years, and perhaps if I could have the last chart. We have allowed Guard and Reservists to qualify for medical benefits; we have increased the GI education benefit over those years; we have opened up the VA system for all veterans to participate in and have funded it enough so that at least Priorities 1 through 7 are able to participate in that; and we have gone from 2.5 million veterans served under the VA to 4.8 million. We have increased survivor benefits. We finally dealt with the whole issue of concurrent receipts, so that a disabled veteran is able to collect either his or her disability benefit, as well as their retirement benefit. We have reduced the wait times to get into the VA hospitals, and the VA has maintained its excellent care. Let me talk about this budget, because under the leadership of the gentleman from Iowa (Chairman Nussle), we started at the President's mark, which was about $30.8 billion for veterans health care, and the chairman's mark increased that to $31.5 billion. Working with the chairman, I introduced an amendment that raised that by $229 million. So as a result of the hard work of the veterans and the Committee on the Budget, we have increased from the President's baseline by $877 million, which in these difficult fiscal times is a 2.8 percent increase. Further under the leadership of the chairman, we have reduced the reconciliation number to a number I believe is very manageable. If you recall, the President assumed copayments on drugs and an enrollment fee. But the chairman's mark, because it is so much lower, going from $424 million to $155 million, I believe working together in the Committee on Veterans' Affairs with the Committee on the Budget that we can in fact look for waste, fraud, and abuse and eliminate those types of things, without having to have an enrollment fee, without having to have drug copayments. Let me repeat that. The chairman's budget does not assume either enrollment fees or those drug copayment fees. I look forward to working to make sure that we honor our commitment to our Nation's veterans. This is an excellent budget. It maintains a strong defense; it allows our economy to grow; and it meets critical needs for those who have defended our liberties, our Nation's veterans.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman's budget allows our country to meet our most important values, a strong defense, a strong economy, while reducing our Nation's deficit. Let me, if I might, focus on another area of concern that the prior speaker just talked about and that is commitment to our Nation's veterans. We do value our veterans' service. And if you look at this chart that I have here that talks about overall spending in the VA, Mr. Chairman, you will see a strong commitment to honoring the commitment of our Nation's veterans. The second chart that I have specifically talks to veterans medical care which has increased from 1995 to 2005, over a 10-year period, nearly 85 percent. And in the last 5 years, medical spending has increased by 68 percent. That is a commitment to our Nation's veterans. Let me talk about some other specific areas of improvement that we have made. We have allowed Guard and Reserve units to enroll in medical benefits. We have increased the GI benefit. We have funded finally for the first time concurrent receipts so that the practice of disallowing veterans who had disabilities as a result of their service from collecting both their retirement pay and disability pay is finally being addressed with a $22 billion commitment over the next 10 years. We have reduced the wait times at our VA hospitals, and the VA continues to give our Nation's veterans excellent care. Let me touch on, Mr. Chairman, what we have done under the gentleman's leadership this year in the veterans line items of the budget. The discretionary baseline under the President's submission was $30.8 billion. Under the gentleman's mark and allowing me to work together with him and propose an amendment, we increase that by $877 million, which means in these tough fiscal times that our Nation is experiencing a 2.8 percent increase for veterans health care numbers. Yes, there is a reconciliation number; but when we started with the President's submission, it was $424 million. The reconciliation, Mr. Chairman, under the gentleman's mark is $155 million. I believe that we can find that reconciliation number without enrollment fees, without drug co-pays because we will have the flexibility to look for waste, fraud, and abuse in the veterans numbers and be able to reduce and meet a goal in that fashion. Let me repeat: we do not have to establish either drug co-pays or enrollment fees. We can achieve this reconciliation in other ways. Mr. Chairman, in summary, I congratulate the gentleman again for a fiscally prudent budget that meets our Nation's needs, and I look forward to continuing to work with him to honor the commitment to our Nation's veterans.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, today I rise with pleasure in support of the administration's budget proposal for our Nation's community health centers. I would also note that community health centers have received bipartisan support over the years. These health care organizations provide an essential function in all of our districts, and I believe that they are one of the most effective entities in delivering quality care to low-income populations at cost- effective prices. In my State of New Hampshire alone, over 81,000 citizens received treatment at a community health center in 2004. A substantial portion of these patients, over one-third, were uninsured. The administration has been cognizant of the impact of community health centers, pledging to add 1,200 new centers between 2001 and 2006. The budget released last week completes this commitment and has resulted in increased access to health services for Americans throughout our country. Community health centers provide vital outreach services to individuals who may otherwise not have access to the care they need. These services include educational campaigns to raise awareness of preventative options in health care such as health screenings and nutritional campaigns. By educating individuals about primary care options, community health centers are able to both improve the quality of life and restrain health care costs. Dental and behavioral health care services are also critical to the populations served by community health centers. The medical staff of these organizations are often the front line for establishing quality dental health habits and responding to mental health needs as they develop. An established hallmark of community health centers is their ability to intervene in health problems before they become crises. One of the goals of community health centers is to establish partnerships with local community leaders and coalitions. These individuals and groups are acutely aware of the pulse and the needs of the community and can effectively advocate for appropriate outreach and medical services. The ability of a health organization to understand its community is essential in bringing tailored, efficient, and effective care to the people it serves. It is clear that community health centers are adept at gaining this insight, in turn benefiting all Americans. As my colleagues can see, community health centers play a vital role in the delivery of care in our communities. Too often, low-income or uninsured patients delay receiving treatment due to the costs, and then they are ultimately forced to receive care at the health industry's most costly access point, which is the emergency room. Community health centers provide quality primary care to patients, often resulting in the prevention of unnecessary ailments. This results in a cost savings to all health care facilities and subsequently yields lower health insurance premiums for Americans. Community health centers have demonstrated that they have a positive effect on both the health and economic well-being of their communities, and indeed our Nation, as a whole. In particular, I would like to congratulate Lampsey Health Center of Newmarket, New Hampshire, and Ann Peters and her fantastic staff for their service to the people's health care needs in that region of my State. Their efforts and those of their colleagues are particularly noteworthy and worthy of commendation.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much for the time, and I would like to thank my distinguished colleague for such a gracious introduction to this resolution, especially from Pennsylvania, which not only saw the Patriots beat one Pennsylvania team but two Pennsylvania teams. So I thank him for that very gracious recognition. The New England Patriots have a motto. It is always team first and team above everything else, and when we talk about the New England Patriots, we talk about the full roster of 53 people and how from 1 to 53 they play as a unit, and they subvert all of their individual goals to that of the team winning and the team winning playoff games. It begins with the ownership of the team, the Kraft family, who have shown vision and determination in building a new stadium and bringing a top-quality product to all of us in New England. It then goes through the coaching staff with Coach Belichick, who has shown tenacity, creativity, hard work and planning for every eventuality that has made the Patriots just a little cut above its competitors in record fashion, winning three Super Bowls in the last 3 years, a 21-game winning streak, winning 34 of the last 36 games. As we talk about the Patriots' success, though, it is also important to pay tribute to worthy opponents, in particular, in the playoffs, the Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia teams, all of whom played tremendously well, had great seasons and, in particular, Philadelphia who came so close in that game. For those of us from New England, we saw a hero in Curt Schilling in the World Series that brought the Red Sox for the first time in 86 years to the World Series and knew from the Eagles' point of view how another hero, Terrell Owens, who is not only able to talk the talk as we all know, but in the Super Bowl he clearly walked the walk; and from all of us from New England who appreciate heroes, Terrell Owens certainly earned his stripes in that game. But if there is one person on the Patriots that we would pay tribute to, it would be a person who has been an offensive player for all of his 12 years for the Patriots, that being Troy Brown. This year, with injuries in the depleted secondary, Troy Brown was asked to play defense, and he had to go to team meetings on both the offensive side of the ball and the defensive side of the ball, as well as continuing with his punt return duties. Troy Brown epitomized what it means to be a Patriot. Yes, he clearly probably would have preferred to be a pass receiver, but when duty called, he did what it took to help the Patriots win their third Super Bowl in a row. Troy Brown epitomizes the spirit of the Patriots. We hope for a successful year next year, and we know that there are 31 other teams, including two from Pennsylvania, who would like to knock off the Patriots next year, and we cannot wait for the next season of football. I ask for my colleagues' support for H. Res. 86.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Massachusetts knows that I am from New Hampshire. There is a friendly rivalry between our States, as Members know. We have gone back and forth for years and years on a number of things, but the one thing that we have always shared in common with other New England States is our love of the Red Sox. I, too, like the Members from Massachusetts here tonight, wondered if I would ever live long enough to see the Red Sox win the World Series ever. When Dave Roberts stole that base and changed the tide against Mariano Rivera, the greatest closer ever, and then David Ortiz hit a home run, and then David Ortiz hit a bloop single the next night, Curt Schilling the next day pitched that great game, and then Derrek Lowe on 2 days' rest came back, and we won four games and then did it again against the Cardinals, there was a dream that most of us in New England thought would never happen. People wondered where we would be on the night that the Red Sox won. I do not know where the gentleman from Massachusetts was, but I was with my sons who are younger, and they had never been through Bill Buckner and through Carlton Fisk or Jim Lamborg, or even Johnny Peske, and all of the memories that those of us who have grown up in New England have known for years and years and years. But, finally, we have done it. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and may our States always be friends and always rooting for the Red Sox.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Ben Gamache upon being named the 2004 Small Businessperson of the Year by the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce. Ben is the owner and chief executive officer of Gamache Enterprises, a commercial real estate investment firm in Manchester, New Hampshire. The company has proven its staying power as an established business and presence in the community for the last 27 years. Even though there have been tough economic times, Gamache enterprises has continued to invest in the community and refurbish unused or run-down mill and retail space to become thriving commercial properties. Ben is a member of the Board of Directors for the Commercial Realtors and has invested thousands of dollars of his own money for revitalization projects on one of downtown Manchester side streets. Ben has invested himself personally in the community with as much vigor and passion as he invests in himself as a businessperson. His most notable contribution to the community has been his dedication to Easter Seals New Hampshire. Ben's efforts have made Manchester a better business and residential community. I am honored to represent concerned and conscientious citizens like Ben Gamache in the United States House of Representatives.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment of the gentleman from Vermont, and thank also the chairman, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula), for his support of LIHEAP funding, both in this budget and in the past. However, given the recent run-up in the cost of all kinds of petroleum products, gasoline, to say nothing of natural gas and the price of oil, this is a very important issue for all of us in the Northeast and in the cold-weather States. Before I became a Member of Congress, I served in the New Hampshire legislature, and I chaired the committee that dealt with all of the energy issues, so I know firsthand how important LIHEAP funding on a Federal basis is for all of the cold-weather States. We have seen over the last several years the price of natural gas increase by over 50 percent, the price of oil by 45 percent, propane by 40 percent; and it is going to cost, Mr. Chairman, over $1,000 to heat an average home this winter with natural gas, oil, and propane. So this modest amount of money, $22 million, which would come out of overhead and administration, is very important to my region of the country, and I ask my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. I thank the chairman. I first want to take this opportunity to salute his leadership, the way that he works on the Committee on Armed Services in a bipartisan fashion to strengthen our Nation's military and to make sure our troops have what they need. Certainly your leadership is commendable. The one point that your comments brought to mind from some in the Defense authorization bill that we recently just passed out of the Committee on Armed Services, when we were talking about intelligence, one of the other cut backs that was made in the 1990s was the overall troop level. And we are seeing the unfortunate consequences of that when we have gone from 18 Army divisions down to 10 today. And we have our troops, our brave, loyal troops that are being asked by all of us as Americans to win the war on terrorism and fighting in over 100 different countries. It is not just Iraq and Afghanistan. It is Bosnia, it is Kosovo, it is many different places. And we are by virtue of having made these cut backs, stressing our troops rather to a high degree. The point that I am trying to make, and perhaps the gentleman would want to elaborate on this, is that in the Defense authorization bill which we passed as I recall unanimously out of the committee in the final vote, we upped the number of troops over the next 3 years by 30,000, 10,000 for each of the next 3 years, active members of the Army and 9,000 additional Marines over the next 3 years. And this is certainly a first step in addressing the fact that we have gone from 18 Army divisions to 10 divisions. And certainly something that all of us have to look at to make sure that not only, like intelligence, but in terms of personnel that we have the troop strength that is necessary to win the war on terror, it is not just the numbers. It is ample pay. It is the appropriate level of benefits for veterans, housing allowances, all of those things that the gentleman has shown such remarkable leadership on in his tenure as a chairman to make those improvements for our troops.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. As the chairman knows, I had the opportunity to visit Iraq several months ago. While there is no question what we saw there, there were six of us Members of Congress with other military personnel attached to us. We saw a war zone. There was no question about that. But we also saw the rebuilding of the country; and that is something that, unfortunately, people only see the pictures from the war zone, but they do not see the fact that the electricity is coming on, that the water is being restored, that there is adequate supplies of petroleum products in the country. We saw a lot of traffic on the street. For instance, in northern Iraq, in Kirkuk where we were, we even saw some new construction. We were told there was plenty of food available in the country. As we flew around the country, not only in the C-130 transport planes at 18,000 feet but in Black Hawk helicopters at 150 feet, we flew over a lot of agricultural areas of the country that were starting the winter planting. We did not have, when we were there, the opportunity to visit a school or a hospital; but certainly we have been told, as you know, about the progress in refurbishing those critical institutions for Iraqi education and health care. So these are things that show where progress is being made to this day and certainly it was when I was there in November. The other thing I think is really important to stress, and I think you may want to add to this, Mr. Chairman, is the morale of our troops. I had the opportunity to talk to a number of New Hampshire troops at every stop that we made, as did all of the other Members of the delegation. You are right, we are asking them to do a dangerous and dirty job. It is difficult. It is life threatening. And these kids are so dedicated to their mission and that is probably the most compelling story that I came away with. And when I say ``kids'' that is really not right. They were young Americans. They are wonderful patriots. They are fine Americans. And they are so dedicated to restoring a sense of normalcy, a representative government in Iraq; and they felt, despite the difficulty of the job that we are asking them to do, they felt that they were making significant progress and the morale was high. All I can say is God bless them, and I pray for their safe return. They are doing a fantastic job in very difficult circumstances.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, one of the most telling periods of time when I was there was our visit to the Abu Ghraib prison, and while that prison has gotten a certain amount of notoriety because of the abuse by our troops, a very small number of people, of Iraqi detainees, the larger story that I took away from it is what I saw in that prison. When you walk through the execution chamber, when you go through the torture chambers, and when you see the barbaric nature of those facilities, and the fact that in this one prison, 80,000 Iraqis were first tortured and then executed, it was a life-altering experience for me and, I think, the other Members of Congress who were there to have been in that room where so many souls were so cruelly murdered. I left, from that experience, I think, a very changed person, having seen that kind of depraved behavior and the aftermath of it; and certainly when I have come home and had the opportunity throughout New Hampshire to talk to people about that, it has been a pretty telling experience. I had a video camera with me and took an actual picture of the execution chamber and how it worked. We were shown the grizzly details. It is a very frightening experience, and people need to know of the mass graves and the fact that Saddam Hussein started two wars; that he actually used chemical weapons against his own people, against the Iranians; that he was funding suicide bombers; that he did have a very significant weapons of mass destruction program that the United Nations was never able to account for at the end what happened to. While there certainly have been intelligence questions, and we need to improve our intelligence as we talked about at the beginning of this hour, these are facts about what happened. Having been in that prison and having seen that execution chamber, it certainly changed the way I look at this entire situation.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. In that prison.