Michael Burgess

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Donald Elementary School, located in Flower Mound, Texas, for being awarded the prestigious National Blue Ribbon Award. The National Blue Ribbon Award is presented to schools that reflect the goals of our Nation's highest education standards. The program requires schools to meet one of two assessment criteria. It recognizes schools with at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds, who dramatically improve student performance in accordance with state assessment system. It also rewards schools that score in the top 10 percent on state assessments. Donald Elementary's scores on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test have consistently exceeded the national average in all subjects. Donald Elementary School was built in 1989. Although relatively new, the school has made a significant impact on the local community and has unique attributes induding a P.E.P. Squad (Parents as Educational Partners Volunteer Program) as well a publishing company, ``Dolphin Tales,'' to assist students in taking their writing to the complete published stage. Donald Elementary received Gold Performance Acknowledgments from the Texas Education Agency in the 2004-2005 school year for attendance and was commended for its work in the fields of Reading/ELA, Mathematics and Science. The National Blue Ribbon Award acknowledges the hard work of students, staff members, families, and the community in raising student proficiency and closing the achievement gap. I extend my sincerest congratulations to Principal Cheryl J. Close, the Lewisville Independent School District, and the community of Flower Mound. I also want to congratulate the fine students of Donald Elementary for this outstanding achievement. I wish them the best of luck as they continue to strive for excellence. I am very proud and honored to represent them in the 26th District of Texas.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, my college, the University of North Texas, back in my district, on Tuesday night won the Sun Belt Conference. Calvin Watson, a forward, scored 24 points and hit six of seven 3- point shots against Arkansas State University and was named the tournament's most outstanding player. The University of North Texas was locked in a tight game but made all the key plays down the stretch to pull out an 83-75 win at the Cajundome to claim not only the Sun Belt title but an NCAA tournament bid as well. The University of North Texas, my college men's basketball team, last went to the NCAA tournament when Reagan was President during the 1987- 1988 season. The Mean Green claimed its second NCAA bid by closing the game on an 11-5 run to set off a wild celebration. My team is under the leadership of head coach Johnny Jones. They were the No. 5 seed in the tournament and had to win all of their games to win the tournament title. They came up with standout performance throughout the tournament and in the finals. I congratulate the fine men of the men's basketball team, their coaches and the staff of the University of North Texas on a great win.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Barton for the time, and I thank Chairman Dingell for bringing this bill to the floor. This is a wonderful legacy for Charlie Norwood. Charlie was all about clarification and common sense. We miss him on the committee. Personally, he was my mentor and had seen me through many issues on the committee. But I can think of no more fitting way to close out the legacy of Charlie Norwood than with this act that brings clarification to Federal law and allows paired donations to proceed apace. Charlie Norwood, from life hereafter, has reached back to this House and delivered one last dose of common sense. Thank you, Charlie.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. I would thank the gentleman for yielding. Certainly, I was sitting in my office and watching you, watching your discussion with the American people tonight. I am always so grateful that you take the amount of time that you do to come to the floor and explain things to people in simple commonsense language that the average person can understand. I heard your discussion, of course, on fundamental tax reform. As you know, I am committed also to fundamental tax reform. I knew that you wouldn't want your good friend Steve Forbes to think that you had forgotten all of the good things he had told us in a meeting about his flat tax. So I just wanted to remind the Members of Congress that in addition to H.R. 25, which deals with a consumption tax, there is also another approach to fundamental tax reform, which is H.R. 1040, what a clever number and scheme that is, which is the resurrection, if you will, of the flat tax that was previously espoused and popularized by former majority leader Dick Armey, and, of course, the subject of the ever popular book by Steve Forbes, the ``Flat Tax Revolution.'' I am not sure how many weeks it has been on the bestseller list, but it certainly should have stayed on there for weeks at a time. This really meets the criteria, meets the test that was set forth by the President at the start of his second term for a simple, fair, pro- growth tax. The flat tax almost immediately eliminates the marriage penalty. It repeals the death tax. It abolishes the alternative minimum tax. If there was ever a time to consider the abolishment of the alternative minimum tax, it is today with more and more middle class people being pulled into that type of unfair taxation. It eliminates multiple taxation of investment income, and it allows for immediate expensing of business equipment. This bill, H.R. 1040, which is a voluntary election for a flat tax, it is not a requirement. If someone has constructed their time and their talents and their financial portfolio towards compliance with the IRS code, God bless them, my hat is off to them. But if they would rather take a more fundamentally sane approach to their family's finances, to their business's finances, and wish to elect a flat tax system, this should be available to them. My concern is that we don't trust the American people enough, that if we gave them the opportunity to coexist with the IRS code as it exists today, it is completely unintelligible and not understandable by anyone with any level of education, or we gave them the opportunity to elect into a simple flat tax that they would choose to do so. In fact, the gentleman from Iowa is quite aware that, since November, the elections in November, we have heard a lot of discussion from the other side of the aisle about the so-called tax gap, the tax gap being that $350 billion which is assessed by the IRS but never collected. Well, what are the reasons it is not collected? To be sure, there is some fundamental dishonesty that exists in some people. But some people just look at the IRS code and say it is too complicated, I am going to ignore it and hope it goes away, I am not going to deal with this, and they are caught, and they are punished. It is a shame that has to happen. If they were allowed the option of having a simple pro-growth system, such as the fair tax, such as the flat tax, I think the American people would be all the richer for it. I just want to point out one passage in Mr. Forbes's book, which does not deal so much with the bill that I introduced, and I know it is going to surprise the gentleman from Iowa to hear that, but in 1989, a Senator requested a revenue forecast from Congress's Joint Committee on Taxation, on a hypothetical tax increase, raising the top rate to 100 percent. There is a flat tax, 100 percent on incomes over $200,000. The Joint Committee on Taxation responded by forecasting increased revenues of $204 billion in 1990, $299 billion in 1993. Incredibly, the Joint Committee on Taxation failed to recognize or at least assume that people would continue to work and work hard even if every penny of their income was taken away in income taxes. I suggest that that indicates a departure and a divorce from reality that the Joint Committee on Taxation has, and it is for that reason that it is incumbent upon us to introduce measures that are, again, commonsense, straightforward measures that the American people can understand and get behind. I notice that the speaker from Iowa had gone on from talking about taxation to talking about issues dealing with immigration. I will just say that we have had a lot of discussion in this Congress since Congress convened in January about the 9/11 recommendations or the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission from a couple of years ago. To me, the two most important recommendations of the 9/11 Commission that have yet to be enacted, one was quite simply to build stable democracies in Middle East. I think we are doing that. We receive a lot of criticism for doing that, but that is one of the fundamental steps we must take in order to achieve stability worldwide and ultimately gain control in the global war on terror. But the other concept, and it is so simple that it astounds me that it hasn't been taken up yet, and that is simply to secure the border. Both north and south, our American borders are not secure. They need to be secure; we deserve secure borders. The American people deserve secure borders after the ravages of 9/11, and I think that was a sensible recommendation the 9/11 Commission has made. I frankly do not understand why the House leadership has not taken that up with the seriousness it deserves. With that, I want to thank the gentleman from Iowa and the Speaker for his indulgence.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor of the House tonight to ask my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1154. This bill designates a Congressional Gold Medal for the famed Houston heart surgeon, Dr. Michael DeBakey. This legislation has been introduced by my good friend from Texas (Mr. Al Green), but I feel it is incumbent upon me, as one of the physicians of the House of Representatives, to come to the floor and talk about how important this award is for this individual because, truly, Dr. Michael DeBakey changed the face of medicine forever in this country. His motto, as always, was, ``Strive for nothing less than excellence,'' a motto that we might adopt in the House of Representatives today. Dr. DeBakey received his bachelor's and his M.D. degree from Tulane University in New Orleans. While in medical school, Dr. DeBakey invented what became known as the roller pump, later to become a major component in the heart-lung machine used in open-heart surgery. This was a groundbreaking development because previous mechanical pumps had destroyed so many red blood cells in the mechanical action of pumping. The roller pump was truly a visionary change that Dr. DeBakey popularized when he was still in medical school in the 1930s. He completed his internship at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. Charity Hospital, unfortunately, is no longer with us because of the ravages of Hurricane Katrina. Dr. DeBakey completed his residency in surgery at the University of Strasbourg, France and the University of Heidelberg in Germany. He volunteered for service in World War II and subsequently was named director of the Surgical Consultants' Division of the U.S. Surgeon General's Office. His work during that war led that office to the development of the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, so-called MASH units, those indeed that were popularized by movies and television shows back in the 1970s and were the forerunners of our forward surgical combat teams that have saved so many lives in Iraq and Afghanistan today. He helped establish the specialized medical and surgical center system for treating military personnel returning home from war, subsequently known as the Veterans' Administration Medical Center System. But it was at Methodist Hospital in Houston where Dr. DeBakey performed many of his groundbreaking surgeries, including the first removal of a carotid artery blockage in 1950, the year that I was born; the first coronary artery bypass graft in 1964; the first use of a ventricular assist device to pump blood and support a diseased heart in 1966; and some of the first heart transplants in 1968 and 1969. He developed the self-contained miniaturized left ventricular assist device to pump blood for a diseased heart, something that is in use to this day. The techniques used to miniaturize the device's inner workings were developed with engineers working on the Nation's space program at nearby NASA. He served as an adviser to nearly every United States President for the last 50 years. Think of that, Mr. Speaker: The medical adviser to every United States President for the last 50 years, as well as to heads of state throughout the world. He traveled, famously, to Russia in 1996 to consult on the surgery for Russian President Boris Yeltsin. During his professional surgical career, he performed more than 60,000 cardiovascular procedures and trained thousands of surgeons who practice around the world. His name is affixed to a number of organizations, centers for learning and projects devoted to medical education and health education for the general public. But think of this, Mr. Speaker, Dr. DeBakey also underwent an operation that was named for him. I picked up a copy of the New York Times last December and read a story about how Dr. DeBakey had undergone the surgery that he himself had described many years before. In fact, Dr. DeBakey admitted at that time that, although he knew he was ill, he never called his own doctor, and he never called 911. Quoting here, ``if it becomes intense enough, you're perfectly willing to accept cardiac arrest as a possible way of getting rid of the pain,'' he told the New York Times. A wonderful, pragmatic individual. He helped establish the National Library of Medicine, which is now the world's largest and most prestigious repository for medical archives. Mr. Speaker, as we talk in this Congress about the need for improving the computer technology for medical records and medical information, Dr. DeBakey was on the forefront of that while most of us were still in grammar school. In 1969, he received the highest honor a United States citizen can receive: the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction. In 1976, his students founded Michael E. DeBakey International Surgical Society. His contributions to medicine and his breakthrough surgeries and innovative devices have completely transformed our view of the human body and its longevity on this planet. At age 98, he deserves the highest award that Congress can bestow: the Congressional Gold Medal. I urge my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring H.R. 1154, introduced by Al Green of Texas.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I rise today in celebration of the Lewisville Masonic Lodge's 150th Anniversary, which will be on March 10, 2007. It is with great pleasure that I am able to join the Lewisville community in recognizing this milestone. On January 23, 1857, the first Masonic lodge was chartered in Denton County under the name Denton Lodge Number 201, in honor of John Denton, a Free Mason. After purchasing and clearing land, the Freemasons used logs and their own labor to erect the first lodge. By the early 1870s, the area became quickly populated due to the railroad access, and the Lodge was moved closer to Lewisville, and the name was changed to Lewisville Lodge #201 in 1890. Over the years, the Lodge was stationed in a few different locations and went through many renovations and changes. The Lodge went through good times as well as tough times; however, the members' strength and devotion to the brotherhood and the community kept the Masonry alive. The current Masonic Lodge, completed in 1981, is the product of the compassion and dedication in which the Free Masons provide not only to their fellow Brethren, but also to the Lewisville community. The 150th Anniversary celebration will involve the entire Lewisville community. The Event will be held at the Celebration Grand Ballroom in the heart of Lewisville and will include numerous activities that will largely benefit the Lewisville Independent School District with scholarship possibilities for students. There will also be a presentation of financial support from the proceeds of the 2006 ``Race for the Children,'' a local fun-run to raise money for contribution to the Lewisville School District. In addition to the activities, local civic and political leaders, as well as Donny Broughton, the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Texas, will be attending the anniversary celebration. It is with great pride that I stand here today and honor the 150th Anniversary of the Lewisville Masonic Lodge for their dedication and continuing support of the Lewisville School District and the entire community. I look forward to participating in the celebration.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Linda Cunningham as the Fort Worth/Tarrant County Minority Leaders and Citizens Council Outstanding Woman of the Year. In light of Women's History Month, Dr. Cunningham will be honored at a reception in Fort Worth for her many accomplishments and selfless dedication to the Health Science Center at the University of North Texas. She will also be presenting the Hattitude: Hats Off to Women 2007 keynote address, A Mile in Her Shoes, at the Fort Worth Central Library Theatre. As the adjunct assistant professor of pathology and anatomy, her intelligence and devotion to the field of science and medicine has proven her to be an outstanding professor and mentor. Hattitude began in 2001 as a Fort Worth Public Library event and has grown into a citywide celebration every March in honor of Women's History Month. The mission of Hattitude is ``to celebrate Women's History Month with a tip of the hat to women for all the roles they play, their accomplishments, and their invincible spirit,'' and I am very pleased that Dr. Cunningham will be recognized at this event for her community leadership and service. As a University of North Texas alumnus, it is with great honor that I am able to congratulate Dr. Linda Cunningham on her exceptional honor as Outstanding Women of the Year. She is an inspiration and a role model to many, and I am proud to represent her in Congress.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank the chairman, the gentleman from Missouri, for bringing this concurrent resolution to the floor. This is a resolution that honors the bravest of the brave, the men and women who have gone above and beyond the call of duty, who have risked their lives in fighting for our Nation, indeed, fighting for our basic freedom. Today's resolution pays homage to the basic principles of our military, duty, honor, country. The Medal of Honor recognizes and is emblematic of great courage, selflessness and sacrifice. It is with great pride that I stand here on the floor of Congress today, as Congress is recognizing these extraordinary members of our Armed Services by establishing March 25 as the National Medal of Honor Day. This national day of observance and remembrance is long overdue, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution, to vote in favor of our Armed Forces. While a National Medal of Honor Day is a wonderful way to honor these great citizens, I would be remiss if I did not also mention another great endeavor that seeks to honor Medal of Honor recipients. The city of Gainesville, Texas established the Medal of Honor Host City Program in 2001 with this simple mission statement: It shall be the privilege and the responsibility of the city of Gainesville, Texas, to welcome our Nation's Medal of Honor recipients at every available opportunity. The Local Veterans of Foreign Wars, post number 1922, along with the community volunteers and community members, welcome all Medal of Honor recipients with open arms and provides a stipend to cover lodging, food and fuel expenses during their visit. The recipients are invited to attend schools, clubs and local organizations, thereby imparting their own views of patriotism and duty throughout the community. It is truly a remarkable program, and the true beauty of it is that other cities can establish their own Medal of Honor Host City program to further honor and recognize those heroic recipients. Mr. Speaker, to take a line from the Gainesville, Texas mission statement, I feel that it is Congress's privilege and Congress's responsibility to honor the Medal of Honor recipients at every opportunity. With this resolution, and with programs like the Medal of Honor Host City Program, we take a step in fulfilling that most noble and honorable of all missions.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, later this week, in our Committee on Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Health, we will be having a hearing called ``Covering the Uninsured Through the Eyes of a Child, Part Two.'' Now, having sat through part one of this hearing, a hearing dealing with the reauthorization of CHIP funding this year, I really think the title of the hearing should be ``Covering the Uninsured Through the Guise of a Child'' because if some deception is implied in that title, indeed, I believe some deception is taking place within the SCHIP program. Now, most of my colleagues in this body, having heard from medical professionals and hospital groups this past month up here on the Hill, are aware of the need for reauthorizing the Children's Health Insurance Program this year. It is a good program. It has provided needed health insurance to millions of needy children across our country. And both the House and the Senate are discussing funding options. And we are concerned about the rising cost of health care in general but in particular, specifically, the rising cost for the SCHIP program. Fourteen States are going to expect budgetary shortfalls in their SCHIP program. For some of those States, they are their own worst enemy. They are the reason for their own problem. They are using children's funding to cover adults. In fiscal year 2005, the adult enrollment in the SCHIP program exceeded the number of children enrolled in the program in four States: in Arizona we had over 113,000 adults in the program and just over 88,000 children; in the State of Michigan, over 101,000 adults and under 90,000 children; in Minnesota 35,000 adults and just over 5,000 children; in Wisconsin 108,000 adults, just over 57,000 children. Now, why does this matter? Well, if you look at what it costs to cover a child versus what it costs to cover an adult, for every dollar you spend on the adult, you only need to spend about 60 cents on the child. They are generally healthier. A dollar spent on children's health insurance goes a lot farther because children tend to be a healthier population, and if you provide them a modicum of preventative care, they are going to be healthier still. And after all, if we can attenuate a disease in its early stages in childhood, we will avoid the larger expenditures of allowing that disease to go on unchecked over years. I can think of a number of diseases that would fall into this category. Childhood obesity immediately comes to mind, an area where we need to devote significant time, energy, and resources. But if we are spending the money elsewhere, we are not going to be able to spend it on the children. And the real deception, in my mind, is that this is a method of expanding a single-payer government-run health care system through the SCHIP program. And, again, that subverts the entire concept of why this program was created in the first place almost 10 years ago. I would ask my colleagues to remember a dollar spent on a nonpregnant adult is a dollar that is not spent on a needy child. Indeed, States should prioritize spending on needy children and live within their annual allocations instead of looking to other States from which to take their moneys when their programs run a shortfall. To ensure that States are not using children-specific funding for nonpregnant adults, I have introduced H.R. 1013, the SCHIP Equity Act. There are four principles to the bill: It prohibits future HHS approval of any State waiver submitted by a State for SCHIP coverage of nonpregnant adults. The bill terminates portions of State waivers that HHS has approved that extend coverage to nonpregnant adults. States must eliminate coverage of nonpregnant adults by January 1, 2008. And if the coverage of a nonpregnant adult was part of a multipurpose waiver, those components not dealing with the coverage of the nonpregnant adult will remain in effect for the duration of the waiver. SCHIP has been a success story for so many States, for so many children. I am asking you to consider supporting my bill, H.R. 1013. I want to remind all Members of Congress that ``C'' in CHIP stands for ``children.'' Let's keep it that way.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Xiaodong Wang, professor of biochemistry at UT Southwestern Medical Center, for his research on cell death. Dr. Wang has been awarded the 2007 Richard Lounsbery Award by the National Academy of Sciences for his extraordinary achievement in biology and medicine. This high honor includes a $50,000 award and a prestigious medal. As a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, Dr. Wang studies apoptosis, programmed cell death, which is applicable to numerous diseases, including cancer. Last year, I honored Dr. Xiaodong Wang for being awarded the $1 million Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine for his discovery of the biochemical basis of programmed cell death which is a vital process that balances cell birth and prevents cancer. His scientific breakthrough marks a turning point in the history of medicine and will indeed benefit the lives of millions around the world. As a UT Southwestern Medical Center alumnus, it is with great honor that I am able to congratulate Dr. Xiaodong Wang on his remarkable scientific achievement. His intelligence and dedication to the field of science and medicine has proven him to be an outstanding professor and mentor. Dr. Wang is an inspiration and a role model to many, and I am proud to represent him in Congress.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, it will come as no great surprise that on any issue of policy Ann Richards and I were probably 180 degrees out of phase; but last year, when she received her diagnosis, I sent her a little note telling her that we were thinking about her and praying for her. She sent me a little note back, and I wanted to share that with the House today. She said: ``Thank you for being so thoughtful. ``For someone who has cancer, I'm in great shape. Patience has never been my long suit, but I am learning. I am in my third week of treatment and am taking it one day at a time. The M.D. Anderson Hospital is fabulous. It's a whole lot like `Star Wars' with more interesting machines than Buck Rogers ever imagined. ``Thanks a lot for thinking of me and praying for me. With all that energy directed toward my recovery, how can we miss?'' Mr. Speaker, there wasn't much that Ann Richards and I did agree on, but we both agreed on our love for Texas, and we both agreed we only wanted the best for our State. Texas is proud to have had a Governor like Ann Richards. Although oftentimes we were on opposite sides of the issue, she will be missed in my home State of Texas.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. James Wilson, director of the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Dr. Wilson has recently been appointed to the National Cancer Institute's board of scientific advisors due to his outstanding achievements in the field of medicine. As a medical expert on the panel, he will be advising the NCI director on a variety of issues concerning scientific program policy, as well as the progress and future direction of extramural research programs of the cancer institute. As a UT Southwestern Medical Center alumnus, it is with great honor that I am able to congratulate Dr. James Wilson on his prestigious appointment. His intelligence and dedication to the field of science and medicine has proven him to be an outstanding professor and mentor. Dr. Wilson is an inspiration and a role model to many, and I am proud to represent him in Congress.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mr. Pat Lobb for being recognized as having an environmentally friendly car dealership. Mr. Pat Lobb's dealership, Pat Lobb Toyota and Scion, was recently recognized by the National Automobile Dealers Association as a certified Leadership of Energy and Environmental Design facility. The dealership is of a unique design, having exterior panels made of recycled aluminum, a cistern that captures and reuses rainwater and condensation, and a special membrane roof. Although the facility cost 5 to 7 percent more than a conventional dealership, Mr. Lobb intends to recover the difference in 3 to 5 years from energy and water savings. Having recently built a new eco-friendly home, I have witnessed first hand the benefits of planning to construct environmentally friendly businesses. I certainly hope that Mr. Lobb's decision encourages others to follow in his footsteps. I would like to join Mr. Pat Lobb's family and friends in congratulating him on this outstanding achievement. His concern for energy and the environment has led to a creative design that contributes to the safety and wellbeing of our community. I am proud to represent Mr. Lobb in Washington, and may his compassion and dedication be an inspiration to us all.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, this week our country lost a fine American with the death of Congressman Charlie Norwood. Congressmen Norwood was a tireless advocate for his district and the State of Georgia and an icon in the field of health care. His dogged determination to improve life for the average family and improving health care in this country for the patient that confronted overwhelming bureaucracy, increasing costs, and diminishing access was a hallmark of this great man's career of public service. Before I was elected to Congress and during one trip to Washington I met with my Chamber of Commerce as a private physician, I was asked which Member of Congress I would most like to meet. I responded that I would most like to meet with Charlie Norwood. To my surprise, they were able to set up a meeting for me with Congressman Norwood. Now at the time, I was a constituent of Majority Leader Dick Armey who represented the 26th District before he retired and I succeeded him here in the House of Representatives. At that time, the Majority Leader was basically playing traffic cop to one of Charlie's many bold health care initiatives. Unfortunately, when Congressman Norwood figured out I wasn't visiting him as an emissary of Congressman Armey he listened to my gushing praise and then quickly exited the meeting graciously. It was 6 years later that I would have the chance to meet again with Congressman Norwood, this time as a freshman member of the U.S. House of Representatives. The first question he asked me then was, ``are you with me or against me,'' then referring to his long battle for the Patient's Bill of Rights. Well, I've been with Charlie ever since. During my early tenure in office, he was a gracious mentor and even more so when I joined him as member of the Energy and Commerce Committee during the 109th Congress. Charlie's strong defense of medical providers and patients, his tough stances on border security and national security, defined a man dedicated to his country. Even during his failing health, Congressman Norwood was as persistent as he ever was. My thoughts and prayers are with Gloria and his family. America lost a great man. I lost a friend and a mentor. Charlie, we won't forget you.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I would like to pose a parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. BURGESS. Well, then I would call on the majority manager of the concurrent resolution to consider adding future support for our troops, or those troops who will be in harm's way in the months to come.

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, would it be wrong to propose an amendment that would ask that we add support for troops that will be in harm's way in the future in line 1 of this bill?

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. I appreciate him letting me go out of order. I am not a member of his committee. But when my committee has time on Thursday night, I am hoping to be able to attend the memorial service for our comrade, Charles Norwood, whom we lost today. Madam Speaker, I rise to speak against H. Con. Res. 63. I think it is a mistake. It is the first step of this new Congress, the first step this new Congress is going to make towards cutting off the funding for our troops. You do not have to take my word for it. Yesterday's CQ Today, a magazine widely read up here in Washington, and I am quoting, ``It is a foot in the door toward limiting military involvement in Iraq. The Democrats want to do this by the Congressional power of the checkbook.'' Further in the article it says, ``Democrats are well on their way toward planning more aggressive measures in an attempt to force redeployment beginning by blocking funding, and ending in the supplemental spending request. And then finally, Democrats said, ``The resolution would just be a first step in the process that could result in a reduction or reconditioning of funds slated for our troops in Iraq.'' Well, we do not have to go too very far back in our past to see the consequences of that type of action. When I was in Iraq in August of 2005 General Casey told myself and a group of us who were there that there is no group in the world that can stand up to the American military. In fact, the only organized body in the world capable of defeating the American military was the American Congress. I believe he was right. The CRS has done a report for this Congress, a report for Congress about restrictions of military operations in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Somalia and Kosovo, funding and non funding approaches. I reference particularly, I urge my colleagues, this is easy to download from the Internet on the CRS, simply type in Cooper- Church amendment, and you will get this well-researched product. It details the Mansfield amendment, the Cooper/Church amendment of 1970 and 1973, the Cranston amendment, the McGovern/Hatfield amendment. It also talks about the funding for Somalia. In fact, in this House, in 1999, when President Clinton was President, a bipartisan group in this House came together to defeat a motion to block funding for the troops in Kosovo. So congressional actions regarding funding do have a real world impact. And I would submit that much of the chaos that ensued after we left Vietnam, and I would include the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in that chaos, I would include the militant jihadist takeover of our Embassy in Iran in that chaos, much of that ensued because of congressional action that was taken on the floor of this House in cutting off funding for our troops. And I am not a big one on process. I haven't been here that long. I don't know that I understand process all that well. But why in the world would we not allow a vote or even a motion to recommit on, say, Sam Johnson's bill, H.R. 511. Sam Johnson's bill, a simple two-page bill that details all of the fine things done by our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and ends with this simple paragraph: Faithful support of Congress. Congress will not cut off or restrict funding for units and members in the Armed Forces that the Commander in Chief has deployed in harm's way. Wow, that is pretty simple. I don't understand. I frankly, do not understand why this House could not vote on this simple measure submitted by my fellow Texan, Sam Johnson, a legitimate war hero in his own right. I simply do not understand why we wouldn't have an opportunity to vote on that bill or offer it as a motion to recommit before we vote on the resolution. And the resolution itself, it is a shame that we weren't offered a chance to amend the bill, to amend the resolution, to perhaps make it better. I urge people to go on line and read it for themselves. It is only two lines. It is not a very heavy lift to read this particular piece of legislation. Line 1, Congress and the American people will continue to support and protect Members of the United States Armed Forces who are serving or who have served bravely and honorably in Iraq. That is sentence one. Remarkable for what it leaves out. What about a comma, and who will serve? Would it be so wrong to include those individuals who will serve in whatever time is left in the country of Iraq, to include them in as being worthy of our support in Congress? Line 2 is so vague as to almost defy description. Line 2 reads: Congress disapproves of the decision of President George W. Bush, announced on January 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional troops. Well, would 19,995 troops be okay? Would Congress then not cock an eyebrow to say we don't like that either? Well, what does that second statement actually, what point are we trying to make by that second statement, other than we don't support the Commander in Chief, we don't support the mission, and as a consequence, you do have to ask if we support the troops. Now, we are all sent here in Congress, we are all elected by 600- to 700,000 people, back in our districts, back in our States, to make hard decisions. We are not sent here to read the polls, stick our fingers in the wind and then decide which direction to go. We are not sent here to shift tactics because we think we may become more popular back home if we do that. I fully recognize that by voting against this resolution, I put myself in jeopardy of reelection, and I am willing to do that because I believe a vote for this resolution puts my country's fate in significant jeopardy for decades to come. Now, I was not here when this House voted in October of 2002 to give the President the power he needed to deploy the troops. But I have always voted for funding for the troops. And I appreciate so much the chairman standing up here and offering his telephone number to any family who is concerned whether or not their loved one will have access to body armor in Iraq. I remember those first hearings when I came here in March of 2003, we were instructed on how quickly our men and women in the field could get into their chemical suits. This was an object of great concern to everyone in this body. In fact, most of us sit on top of a chair which has a gas mask underneath it, just in case we need to leave this body in a hurry because of the deployment of chemical weapons. We were all concerned about chemical weapons back in 2003. Now, I have made five trips to Iraq, and I know that what is reported on our television news services here in the States is not always accurately reflective of what is happening on the ground back in Iraq. I referenced Dr. Norwood a moment ago. My last trip to Iraq was in July of 2006. Dr. Norwood, Chairman Deal and I, and Gene Green from our Health Subcommittee went over to see the status of health care for our troops. I was very impressed with what I saw that day. But, Madam Speaker, I think everyone in this body has to answer two fundamental questions on this resolution before us: Is it in our broad national interest to win this fight? The second question: Can we prevail? Can we provide a modicum of security in the country of Iraq? Can we provide a modicum of sovereignty in the country of Iraq? For me, the answer to those two questions is yes. Yes and yes. And I recognize that people of goodwill can disagree about these issues. But if your answer is no, and no, then please stand up, show some courage. This is a nonbinding resolution, for crying out loud. Even a Democratic Presidential candidate said it is equivalent to standing in the corner and stomping your feet. We have heard a lot about moral obligations tonight. Well, I would submit that we have a moral obligation that if we can't answer both of those questions in the affirmative, bring the troops home now. Don't wait till April. Don't wait till September. If we haven't the resolve to see this thing through, or if we no longer feel that it is in our broad national interest to continue this fight, why in the world would you ask any man or woman to continue to serve in that country under those conditions? It is our moral obligation to ensure that our troops know our intentions and they know that we are going to provide continued support for them, and that continued support, whether it is bullets for their gun, whether it is the M-16, whether it is the Humvee, or whether it is reinforcements, we are going to continue to provide the things that the generals on the ground say they need for their men and women to get the job done. When the President invited me down to the White House right before his Oval Office speech, he asked me what the constituents in my district would say. And I said, Mr. President, it is pretty clear. My constituents would say to you, if they were standing here today, fight the war or bring the boys home. The rules of engagement sometimes, frankly, I don't understand. If we capture someone in Sadr City and we get a call from the Prime Minister's Office and we have got to take him back and let him go, that doesn't make sense, good sense, if you are fighting a war. Well, it looks as if a lot of those restrictions have been removed. In fact, on the Drudge Report on Fox News earlier this evening they broke the story that Moqtada al-Sadr is now living is Iran. That is a good thing. That reflects the change in tactics on the ground brought to you by our men and women who are fighting for our freedom abroad. Madam Speaker, I suggest that we commit together to support the future, the future support of our troops in the country of Iraq, or simply get them out of harm's way now. Again, Moqtada al-Sadr has fled to Iran. I think we can prevail. I think it is in our broad national interest. I think the price of defeat is simply too steep, not just for us today, but for generations in the future. Parliamentary Inquiry

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Captain Chuck Howell for his dedicated and outstanding service to the Denton Fire Department and the City of Denton, Texas. Captain Chuck Howell has recently been named Fire Officer of the Year for his leadership and devotion to the Denton Fire Department. As a confident and intelligent captain and fireman, Mr. Howell is not afraid to take command or defend a fire himself. He has gained much respect from his fellow firemen and maintains a level of competency that stands unparalleled. It is with great honor that I recognize Captain Chuck Howell for his hard work and selfless dedication to the Denton Fire Department and the citizens of Denton, Texas. I am proud to represent him in Washington, and his service will be set as a standard of devotion and true leadership, one that will never be forgotten.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Brian Cox for his dedicated and outstanding service to the Denton Fire Department and the city of Denton, TX. Mr. Brian Cox has recently been honored Firefighter of the Year for his leadership in the Denton Fire Department and the Denton Firefighter's Association. As a driver, his top priority is getting the fire team safely to the scene unharmed. Among his many duties, Mr. Cox also stays with the engine to ensure that water is pumped from the fire hydrant to the fire, while the remaining firefighters take charge of the fire inside the burning buildings. For the past 4 months he has willingly stepped in for a fellow injured officer and took upon himself the role of captain at station 3 on the C shift. A natural leader, Mr. Cox has aspirations of becoming a captain in the future and looks forward to taking charge of his own fire station. A native of Denton, TX, Mr. Brian Cox graduated from Denton High School, after which he served in the Navy as a firefighter for 6 years. He is active in the Denton Firefighters Association, which works with city officials on the contract that allows negotiation with the city on fire-related issues. Mr. Cox is not only a loyal and modest fireman, but also a devoted husband to his wife, Triniki Cox, and loving father to their three children. It is with great honor that I recognize Mr. Brian Cox for his hard work and selfless dedication to the Denton Fire Department and the citizens of Denton, TX. I am proud to represent him in Washington, and his service will be set as a standard of devotion and true leadership, one that will never be forgotten.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Fireman Clint Stephenson for his dedicated and outstanding service to the Denton Fire Department and the city of Denton, Texas. Mr. Clint Stephenson has recently been named Rookie of the Year for his leadership and devotion to the Denton Fire Department. Mr. Stephenson never fails to put forth a positive attitude and he is continually respectful to his fellow firemen in the department. He pays close attention to detail during both station duties and on-scene care, leaving no room for error and helping others in need. Not only is he a dedicated and compassionate firefighter, but he is also a loyal coworker and friend. It is with great honor that I recognize Mr. Clint Stephenson for his hard work and selfless dedication to the Denton Fire Department and the citizens of Denton, Texas. I am proud to represent him in Washington, and his service will be set as a standard of devotion and true leadership, one that will never be forgotten.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Training Captain Brad Lahart for his dedicated and outstanding service to the Denton Fire Department and the City of Denton, Texas. Captain Lahart has recently been named Employee of the Year for his leadership and devotion to the Denton Fire Department. As Training Captain, he ensures that all firefighters have proper training and certification, and works with the victim's assistance program to help victims of fires and other disasters. Mr. Lahart was project manager for Station 7, and is currently managing the construction of a new fire and police training center to be built at the Station 7 site. He has greatly contributed to the tripling of the department's documented training hours, which the firefighters need to retain their certification. It is with great honor that I recognize Mr. Brad Lahart for his hard work and selfless dedication to the Denton Fire Department and the citizens of Denton, Texas. I am proud to represent him in Washington, and his service will be set as a standard of devotion and true leadership, one that will never be forgotten.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to share the collective grief of the people of north Texas in the death of PVT Clarence T. Spencer, 24, who died defending our country in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on February 4, 2007. Mr. Clarence Spencer was assigned to B Company, 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, and 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas. While serving the U.S. Army, he put forth continuous dedication and bravery in protecting our Nation. His compassion and faithfulness in serving our country will forever be remembered, and his loss is greatly felt by all. Mr. Spencer is survived by his wife in Killeen, Texas, and his mother and father in Fort Worth, Texas. I extend my sincerest condolences to his family and friends, and my thoughts and prayers are with them. Mr. Spencer's courage and dedication brought hope of a safer country. He will be remembered as a husband, a son, and a hero.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Chairman, parliamentary inquiry. Mr. Chairman, do we have copies of the amendment?

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.