Lou Barletta

Mr. BARLETTA

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Army Sergeant Timothy L. Hayslett who passed away on November 15, 2003, while serving with the United States Army in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sergeant Hayslett was born on May 17, 1977, to Guy and Mary Hayslett. After graduating from Big Spring High School in Newville, Pennsylvania, he enlisted and was assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment of the 1st Armored Division, based in Friedberg, Germany. A husband and father of two daughters, Sergeant Hayslett planned to dedicate his career to the military. Prior to his passing, he had already spent eight years serving in the Army and had recently re-enlisted. Sergeant Hayslett deployed to Iraq in May 2003. On November 15, he was patrolling the city of Baghdad when a grenade was thrown into his Humvee. Sergeant Hayslett and two other soldiers inside the vehicle were injured from the blast of the IED. Ultimately, Sergeant Hayslett perished from the wounds sustained in this attack. He had been scheduled to return to Germany in December. Mr. Speaker, the men and women who serve in our Nation's armed forces provide an invaluable service to sustain our country's freedom. Therefore, for his dedicated service and sacrifice to protect our great Nation, I commend Army Sergeant Timothy L. Hayslett.

Mr. BARLETTA

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Hazleton, Pennsylvania Patrolman Ernesto ``Nesty'' Valente, who passed away on May 15, 1938, while serving in the line of duty. Mr. Valente met his untimely death while escorting an automobile carrying John Sotack, age 8, through the congested city business district to the hospital. While attempting to ensure quick passage of the automobile through the intersection at Broad and Wyoming streets, Mr. Valente was propelled from the running board of the vehicle when the driver applied the brakes. Despite the best efforts of his fellow patrolman and medical professionals, he perished shortly after at the State Hospital. At the time of his death, Mr. Valente was one of the oldest members of the Hazleton Police Department in the line of service, having been appointed on April 21, 1921. He was considered to be an outstanding traffic officer and served the city of Hazleton with distinction. A husband and father of two daughters, Mr. Valente was also appointed as a member of the Lodge No. 18, Fraternal Order of Police and a member of the Most Precious Blood Church. Mr. Speaker, for his dedication and sacrifice to keep the citizens of Hazleton, Pennsylvania safe, I commend Patrolman Ernesto ``Nesty'' Valente.

Mr. BARLETTA

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall vote No. 144 for the National Blue Alert Act, I was unavoidably detained. I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. BARLETTA

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure be discharged from further consideration of House Concurrent Resolution 32, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. BARLETTA

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Mr. Joseph DeLuca, retiring Commander of the Italian American Veterans of Luzerne County, Post No. 1 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Mr. DeLuca was born in Cilento Eremiti, Campania, Italy in 1937. Prior to World War II, he and his family moved to the United States, settling in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. Growing up in Hazleton, he attended Most Precious Blood School and graduated from Hazleton Senior High School in 1954. In February 1961, Mr. DeLuca enlisted in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard where he trained as a radio communications message router at Fort Knox in Kentucky. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, he served in Company A 165th Military Police Battalion in Fort Polk, Louisiana. Later he joined the 54th Heavy Armored Division of Texas, earning the nickname ``DeLuca the Bazooka'' for his superior ability to handle weapons. Outside his military service, Mr. DeLuca spent 35 years working in the garment industry, ultimately attaining the position of Concept Fashion Design Planner. Today, he still resides in Hazleton and is a proud father and grandfather. Mr. Speaker, for his loyalty to both his Italian heritage and our great nation, I commend Mr. Joseph DeLuca upon his retirement as Commander of the Italian American Veterans of Luzerne County, Post No. 1 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

Mr. BARLETTA

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Mr. John Basar and the Hanover Nursery in Hanover Township, Pennsylvania, which will celebrate its 55th anniversary this year. In 1958, John Basar, a Hanover Township native, started taking on small landscaping jobs throughout the area while also attending classes at Kings College. Initially the operation was small--just Mr. Basar, his 1948 Plymouth Coupe, a trailer, and the part-time help of his brother and a friend. By 1960, Mr. Basar had purchased a pick-up truck and hired two full-time employees but it wasn't until 1961 that he decided his business needed a name. He chose ``Hanover Nursery'' as a way to honor his hometown. In 1963, Mr. Basar began to secure his first commercial landscaping contracts. A topsoil pit was purchased by the business in 1970, an asset which became invaluable to the people of Wyoming Valley when they fell victim to the Agnes flood in 1972. Mr. Basar and the Hanover Nursery were an important part of the storm recovery following this disaster, helping to restore yards for families and eventually re-landscaping portions of the neighboring city of Wilkes-Barre. From the mid 1970s to the present day, Mr. Basar and the Hanover Nursery have been responsible for many prominent developments throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. The nursery's work can be seen at several commercial projects including the Crossing Premium Outlets in Tannersville, the community of Sunset Drive in Hanover Township, the Wyoming Valley levy raising project and the newly reconditioned River Commons area in downtown Wilkes-Barre. Outside the Hanover Nursery, Mr. Basar has been a vital figure in the Hanover Township community. In 2014, he will celebrate 50 years as a member of the local Lions Club where he plays a primary role in the organization's Christmas celebration, planting new trees and decorating them with lights each Holiday season. He has also been a generous patron of the Hanover Township little league. Mr. Speaker, for the last 55 years Mr. John Basar and the Hanover Nursery have helped beautify Hanover Township and the surrounding areas. They played an active role in growing our community. Therefore, I commend Mr. Basar and all the Hanover Nursery employees who have been integral in the development and beautification of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Mr. BARLETTA

Mr. BARLETTA. I believe it would. And again, what I found in my hands-on experience as a mayor in dealing with the problem of illegal immigration, plus a city whose Hispanic population had exploded, for example, to show you how fast our population had grown, in the year 2000, English as a Second Language, the budget for English as a Second Language was $500. Just 5 years later, it was $1.5 million. So as our immigrant population grew, we also realized that the most important issues to those that were there were good opportunities, were good jobs. It wasn't about granting amnesty or a pathway to citizenship. They wanted good jobs and a good education for their children. They came to America for that better life. Offering amnesty wasn't going to make their life any better, and they understood that. They also understand that allowing 20 or 30 million more people to come into this country illegally is not helpful for people who are starting out, who need the jobs that they came here for, or many Americans who can't find work.

Mr. BARLETTA. Sure. When I was mayor of Hazleton, over 40 percent of the entire population of Hazleton was Hispanic, and I won with over 90 percent of the vote. And I don't know of anyone at the time who took a harder stance against illegal immigration than I had at that time. So this talk that you cannot stand up for the rule of law, that you cannot stand up against illegal immigration and still welcome new immigrants, new American citizens, is totally false.

Mr. BARLETTA. Thank you, Congressman King. Recently, there has been a lot of talk in Washington about illegal immigration. As the mayor of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, after it was estimated that 10 percent of our entire population was there illegally, I created the first law of its kind in the country. Now, I don't need to be briefed about illegal immigration--I have lived it. Because Washington has failed to protect our borders, cities like mine have been overcome. I had to deal with it myself because of Washington's failure. Our immigration laws were created for two reasons: one, to protect the American people and our national security; and two, to protect American workers. Now, in 1986, Ronald Reagan had promised the American people that if we'd give amnesty to 1.5 million illegal aliens that we would secure our borders and that this would never happen again. After the declaration of amnesty, that 1.5 million actually doubled to over 3 million. Now, a quarter of a century later, over 11 million people are in our country illegally, and our borders are still not secured. This isn't just about the southern border. There is a lot of focus about, if we secure the southern border, our borders are secure. Forty percent of the people who are in the country illegally did not cross a border--they didn't cross the southern border; they didn't come across Canada. Forty percent of the people who are in the country illegally came on visas and overstayed their visas. In fact, one of the men who was granted amnesty in 1986 was involved in the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center. Now, my city is 2,000 miles away from the nearest southern border, and I have an illegal immigration problem. Any State that has an international airport is a border State. There are 22 million Americans who are out of work. We should not be encouraging millions more to come here illegally when so many Americans cannot find jobs. Medicare and Social Security are going broke, and yet the Heritage Foundation did a study that said that if we give a pathway to citizenship to the 11 million or more who are here, it will cost over $2.6 trillion over the next 20 years. We should not even be talking about offering amnesty. There should be no bill that talks about a pathway to citizenship. We should be securing our borders first. This is something that we should all be able to agree upon, Democrats and Republicans, the Senate and the House, if we are sincere, if we're not trying to fool the American people a second time. We promised them that we would secure our borders before we give amnesty. Offering a pathway to citizenship will make matters worse. It will encourage millions more to come here illegally. You know, you don't replace your carpet at home when you still have a hole in the roof.

Mr. BARLETTA. I believe that people all over the country understand what I'm saying, that illegal immigration is crushing our cities. Our population in Hazleton grew by 50 percent, but our tax revenue remained the same. Our population grew by 50 percent, but our tax revenue remained the same. Small cities, small towns like Hazleton, Pennsylvania, are crushed by the burden of illegal immigration. I was sued for creating the first law of its kind in the country, and I couldn't find politicians to come near me, to be honest with you. It was pretty refreshing because nobody came to Hazleton. And I thought I was standing there alone until I started getting cards and letters and checks from people all over the United States. In fact, I got checks from every State, including Alaska and Hawaii, to help defend our city in that lawsuit. We raised over half a million dollars, most of it in $10 and $20 donations, from people all over America who felt the same way. I am not alone. The American people understand what illegal immigration means. It doesn't mean that we roll up the welcome mat to new immigrants. We ask them to come here through the proper channels, respect the rule of law, and then give them the opportunity that they came to America for.

Mr. BARLETTA. Well, it is absolutely true. I'll give you an example. We had arrested a young man for selling cocaine on a playground. The man was in the country illegally. It took our detectives 5 hours to determine who he was. He had five Social Security cards. He had five identities. Law enforcement has no idea who they are dealing with; many, many are here under fraudulent documentation. Those who are involved in the criminal element, in the gangs or drug trade, I don't believe will be coming forward no matter what laws we pass here. And we can pass all the laws in the world; if we don't enforce the laws of this country and if we don't allow States and local law enforcement to work in harmony with the Federal Government, we will never stop the problem of illegal immigration. But what we shouldn't do is make the same mistake we made in 1986 and give a green light to people all over the world to come here illegally while our borders are still open. If you were a family waiting to come to the United States because you wanted to obey the law, but you hear a declaration like we're hearing here in Washington, offering a pathway to citizenship and protection while you're here, why would you wait? Why would you wait with your family? It would be a green light for people to come. That's why the problem will become worse.

Mr. BARLETTA. Well I did, actually. The final straw for me that made me realize that I needed to do something to protect the people in my town actually happened on May 10, 2006. It was a day that I'll never forget. Earlier in the day we had arrested a 14-year-old for shooting a gun into a crowded playground. The 14-year-old was in the country illegally. And it was interesting: he had his lawyer on speed dial on his cell phone, which I thought I don't know how many 14-year-olds carry their lawyer on a speed dial. I remember going home that day and telling my wife that I had--I didn't know what to do anymore. We were losing control of the city. We didn't have the resources to deal with the problem. That same night I got a call from the chief of police, 1 o'clock in the morning, a 29-year-old city man, father of three children, was shot in the head. He was shot by one of the gang members in the city. That one homicide, it took our police department 36 hours to bring the people forward that committed that crime. We spent half of our yearly budget in overtime in the police department on that one murder. And enough was enough. If the Federal Government wasn't going to do anything, then I had to. I took an oath, and I had an obligation to do so. And that's what began my crusade. I was sued, by the way. I was sued for creating the law. In fact, the plaintiffs that sued the city of Hazelton, many of the plaintiffs were admitted illegal aliens who sued the city. They had their identities kept confidential. They had asked if their identities could be kept confidential, which they were. We were not allowed to ask their names. They then asked if they could be excused from showing up at the trial because they were in the country illegally and didn't want to go to a Federal courthouse. It was granted. I never saw our accusers. I took the stand for 2 days. I testified for 2 days, but never saw the people that sued the city of Hazelton. I felt that illegal aliens were given more rights than a United States citizen would be given. You cannot sue your city and remain anonymous. I vowed to appeal this and fight this to the Supreme Court, which we did. So what brings me here is a life of experience as a mayor who tries to balance a budget, provide a good quality of life for the people that live there, and realize what happens when illegal immigration, not at the border, not just at the border, not just in Texas. I'm 2,000 miles away from that southern border. We have good reason to enforce our immigration laws, and we should not be encouraging people to come to this country illegally by granting amnesty. We did it in 1986, and we're talking about this again. Why obey our immigration laws if we have an administration that won't enforce the laws and a Congress that wants to give amnesty every time the problem comes up again? We need to enforce our laws. We need to make E-verify mandatory. Protect American jobs. We need to make sure we're protecting our national security. There are people around the world that want to harm us. And we need to give the immigrants that come here the opportunity that they waited for, those immigrants that stood and waited because they wanted to obey America's laws and they are here, and we are stealing that opportunity away from them. Yet we're telling them we're doing this for the immigrants that are here. They're smarter than that. And that's why immigration is not the most important issue to the people that are here. They want that education; let's give it to them. All the programs that the Heritage Foundation talks about that will be impacted by this pathway to citizenship are programs that the most needy need to live. Why are we going to hurt people that need these programs? I feel very strongly about this issue. I feel very strongly, and that's why I'm here to speak up.

Mr. BARLETTA. The position has not changed. And, in fact, I believe the fact that I stood up for the rule of law and I speak for the importance of protecting our national security and our American jobs here, it has allowed me to win elections, getting both Democrat and Republican support. I ran in a district that was 2:1 Democrat, and I won by over 10 percent of the vote. I really believe the fact that I was able to stand up when Washington had let us down was really the reason why Democrats, Republicans, immigrants, and non-immigrants supported me.

Mr. BARLETTA

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Columbia County of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which will celebrate its bicentennial anniversary on March 22, 2013. On March 22, 1813, Columbia County separated from Northumberland County. The area was named for Columbia, a popular poetic name for America at the time and one that alludes to Christopher Columbus and his discovery of our great nation. In 1870, Bloomsburg was named as the County Seat and is still considered to be the only ``incorporated'' town in Pennsylvania. Today, about 66,000 Americans call Columbia County home. They contribute to our nation by working hard for a living and caring for their families. Many of them are earning an education at Bloomsburg University, working at Geisinger-Bloomsburg Hospital or tending to family-owned farms or businesses. The County is noted for its natural beauty and historic sites. The Susquehanna River and several tributaries flow through the region which also has rolling farmlands, State game lands, State forests, and nature preserves. Notable architectural sites are the Catawissa Friends Meetinghouse constructed in 1789, the Columbia County Courthouse built in 1848, the Berwick Armory constructed in 1922, Bloomsburg Historic District, and 23 covered bridges, the third largest concentration of covered bridges in Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, for two hundred years Columbia County has been an integral part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and our great nation. Therefore, I commend all those citizens who have lived and worked for two centuries in this beautiful and historic area.

Mr. BARLETTA

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 19.

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 19) authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby.

Mr. BARLETTA. I would like to thank the gentleman from Minnesota for his support. I also thank the gentleman from Maryland for introducing this very important resolution and for what it means to so many across our country. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H. Con. Res. 19 would authorize the use of the Capitol Grounds for the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby on June 15, 2013. I want to thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for introducing this resolution. He has been a long-time supporter of this event and the children involved each year. This event occurs annually on the Capitol Grounds. The Soap Box Derby allows children to show off their dedication, work, and creativity as they compete for trophies. The winners of each division are qualified to compete in the National All-American Soap Box Derby held in Akron, Ohio. I support passage of this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BARLETTA

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, in closing, law enforcement all over the country every day go to work to protect us, protect our neighborhoods, our communities, always knowing that they may not return home that night. I think this is very fitting that we honor the men and women who keep this country and our communities safe. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H. Con. Res. 18 would authorize the use of the Capitol Grounds for the National Peace Officers' Memorial Service on May 15, 2013. I am pleased to be the sponsor of this important resolution, along with the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton). In 1962, May 15 was designated by President Kennedy as Peace Officers' Memorial Day and the week in which it falls as Police Week. The memorial service began in 1982 as a gathering in Senate Park of just 120 survivors and supporters of law enforcement. Today, National Police Week draws tens of thousands of law enforcement officers and their supporters from around the world who travel to the Nation's capital to participate in events that honor our fallen officers. The National Peace Officers' Memorial Service, which is sponsored by the Grand Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, is one in a series of events which includes the candlelight vigil and seminars. Tragically, over 126 Federal, State, and local law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty last year. These are brave men and women of law enforcement who put their lives on the line every day. Among the fallen officers to be honored include five that served in my home State of Pennsylvania: Officer Bradley Michael Fox, who was from Plymouth Township Police Department, which is actually part of my district, Pennsylvania's Eleventh; Trooper First Class Blake Coble, Pennsylvania State Police; Patrolman Avery Freeman, Chester Police Department; Officer Brian J. Lorenzo, Philadelphia Police Department; and Officer Moses Walker, Jr., Philadelphia Police Department. These officers, along with more than 100 others who lost their lives in 2012, will be remembered at this service. These officers made the ultimate sacrifice in serving our country and our communities. I urge my colleagues to support passage of this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 18) authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the National Peace Officers' Memorial Service.

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 18.

Mr. BARLETTA

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to talk about the important, compelling issue of illegal immigration. We've heard from the Gang of Eight in the Senate and now the Gang of Eight in the House. When we talk about illegal immigration, as a mayor I know what it did to my city. Aside from the crime and violence, it took a great toll on the economic vitality of the population. Our population grew by 50 percent but our tax base stayed the same. People who are here legally, especially the new American citizens, are looking for jobs. And they are scarce. Twenty-two million Americans are out of work. And now the proposal is to wave the carrot of citizenship to millions more? And when we are talking about giving amnesty to millions--maybe 20 million illegal aliens--how much more scarce will those jobs become? Mr. Speaker, we have heard these proposals before. In 1986, we said that if we granted amnesty, there would only be about 1.5 million people who would be included. In truth, it turned out to be twice that amount. We were also told that it would never happen again. Our borders would be secure and this problem would never occur again. In truth, it was not true. So now, 27 years later, our borders still aren't secure and here we are doing this all over again. Well, we got fooled once. By news reports, we are told that there are 11 million illegal immigrants in this Nation right now. By using 1986 as a yardstick, we can guess that by offering amnesty there might be twice that many. Mr. Speaker, we were told in 1986 that none of this would happen. But it did. Now we're talking about brand new expenses at a time when we really have no money to spare. This means Social Security, Medicare, unemployment compensation, ObamaCare, welfare, food stamps, you name it. The Heritage Foundation projects that currently illegal immigration today costs us $55 billion a year, or $550 billion over 10 years. Illegal immigrants today receive $55 billion more in government benefits than they pay in taxes, based on the 2010 census. Worse, after so-called ``amnesty,'' the net deficit resulting from illegal immigrants will be $75 billion a year, or three-quarters of a trillion over 10 years. We have no guarantee that these new millions of legalized aliens will not be on the public social programs. Nothing in any of these proposals from these ``Gangs'' or the White House can convince me otherwise. All told, The Heritage Foundation projects that if that's true, it will mean $2.5 trillion in new costs to the taxpayers over the next 20 years. Mr. Speaker, I submit that in this time when we are looking for every dollar to save, we should not be giving away the bank at the same time that our borders are not secure and 22 million Americans are out of work. We should be talking about border security first. There should not and cannot be a discussion of amnesty until we secure our borders first.

Mr. BARLETTA

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor John ``Jack'' Heidecker as the Hazleton Lodge #200 ``2012/13 Elk of the Year'' for his loyal service to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Originally from the Lehigh Valley area, Jack served in the U.S. Navy from 1960 to 1963 on the USS Compton DD705 out of Newport, Rhode Island. He later attended both Lehigh County Community College and then Temple University, graduating cum laude with a baccalaureate degree in Business Administration. Jack moved to the greater Hazleton area in 1986 and became a member of the Hazleton Lodge BPOE #200 in November of that same year. Since joining the Hazleton Lodge BPOE #200, Jack has been an active and important member of the organization. He was Co-Chairman of the Lodge's House Committee as well as a trustee and currently serves as Chair of the Lodge Bulletin Committee. Jack is also a member of the Veteran's committee and Breakfast committee. Mr. Speaker, I commend John ``Jack'' Heidecker for his committed service to the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks and congratulate him for being named the Hazleton Lodge #200 ``2012/13 Elk of the Year.''