John Culberson

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove my name as a cosponsor on H.R. 1019.

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Thank you, David. I think it is so important for each and every one of us, if we get an opportunity, we run across a law enforcement officer, just walk up and tell them how much we love them and appreciate them and that we have got their back. I am delighted to yield to my colleague from northeastern Louisiana (Mr. Abraham) to express the feeling of his constituents about law enforcement.

Mr. CULBERSON. Thank you, John. Madam Speaker, we are here from every corner of the United States to tell our men and women in uniform who risk their lives every day to protect us and the safety of our families and our homes how much we appreciate them and love them and we are praying for them and we have got their back. It is a privilege to yield to my good friend and colleague from Minnesota, Congressman Tom Emmer.

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, I think that Congressman LaMalfa expressed it very well. Police officers are expected to do their job perfectly every time and in so many ways that we cannot even imagine the work that they do to help keep us safe, the work that they do to improve our communities, the sacrifices that they make on a personal level. They are counselors; they are mentors; they are enforcers, and above all, they are preservers and protectors of our liberty because, without law enforcement, there is no liberty. That responsibility is vested in one person in our Constitution. Only the President of the United States is charged by our Founders in the Constitution with faithfully taking care that the law be faithfully executed. We are still waiting, Mr. President. We are still waiting for you to step up, as we are here tonight, to say how proud you are of our men and women in blue, who protect us every night and every day and must do their job perfectly, as Doug LaMalfa just told us, every man and woman who wears the uniform, who would step in front of a bullet for each and every one of us. We are still waiting, Mr. President, for you to condemn the vital rhetoric that tell the men and women across this Nation, who defend us every day on the streets of America, how proud you are, Mr. President. We need you to step up and tell them, tell us all, how proud you are of their sacrifice, of their service, of their dedication, to tell all the widows and the children of Darren Goforth and all the other officers who have lost their lives that their father's loss, their mother's loss, their sacrifice was not in vain. As Dr. Ed Young told us all last Friday at 11 a.m., the sacrifice that Darren Goforth made galvanized the people of Houston, the people of Texas. We see it across the Nation from California to Missouri to Indiana, to the East Coast. The people of America stand behind our law enforcement officers. We are proud of you. We love you. We respect you. We recognize what a sacrifice you have made for not enough money to protect us. We know all that you do. We understand the burden that you and your family carry. As Kathleen Goforth said in her statement of her late husband: There are no words for this. Darren was an incredibly intricate blend of toughness and gentility. He was always loyal, fiercely so. Darren was ethical. The right thing to do is what guided his internal compass. She said: Darren was good. If people want to know what kind of man he was, this is it. Darren was who you wanted for a friend, a colleague, and a neighbor. However, it was I who was blessed so richly, that I had the privilege of calling him my husband and my best friend. We are immensely proud of every man and woman who wears the uniform, and we will not forget the sacrifice of Darren Goforth or all the other men and women who preserve our liberty and protect our lives and put their lives on the line for us every day. We are immensely proud of you. If the President of the United States won't say it, we will here in this House, that we stand behind you, we are proud of you, we pray for you every day, and we have got your back. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CULBERSON. Madam Speaker, before I begin, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the topic of my Special Order.

Mr. CULBERSON. Madam Speaker, last Friday, August 28, 2015, a deputy sheriff that protects my neighborhood in Houston, Texas, Harris County Deputy Sheriff Darren Goforth, was ambushed and brutally murdered at a gas station that my family and I use regularly and that I drive past every day. I knew this good man. He was well known to my neighbors and me as a model citizen and as a model officer. You could not ask for a kinder, gentler, better law enforcement officer than Darren Goforth. He was murdered in cold blood, assassinated by someone whose motives are not completely clear yet. In this atmosphere and this movement of extremist people calling on individuals to attack law enforcement, I wanted to call this Special Order. I want to thank my good friend, Judge Ted Poe, for organizing this Special Order today. We reserved this hour so that the Members of the House can come down here today and express our love and admiration and appreciation for every man and woman who wears the blue and defends our peace, our liberty, our property, and our safety on the streets of America. Deputy Goforth was a 10-year veteran of the Harris County Sheriffs Department. He was a loving husband and a father of two precious children, ages 5 and 12. He was murdered for one reason: Because he wore the uniform. Because he wore the blue to protect us all, to preserve our liberty, to protect our homes and our property, he was murdered in cold blood. I went to many of the prayer vigils in the neighborhood. I went to a prayer vigil at the gas station where he was murdered, and I went to a service last Friday. Our minister, Dr. Ed Young of Second Baptist Church, conducted the service. It was overwhelming emotionally. It was overwhelming and, also, encouraging to see the tremendous outpouring of support from the people of Houston, from the people of Texas, from people all over America, who showed up to express their love and admiration and support for the men and women in law enforcement who protect us every single day. It was an outpouring of support like I don't think the people of Houston have seen for a long, long time. Dr. Young's service was particularly compelling as he pointed out that the only prayer that Jesus taught us in the brief time he was here with us on Earth was the Lord's Prayer. Dr. Young pointed out that the Lord's Prayer concludes, as we all know, with ``deliver us from evil.'' In that ``deliver us from evil,'' as Dr. Young pointed out, the word ``deliver'' actually means ``shield'' in Greek. Dr. Young pointed out that the temple priests in Christ's time all wore blue as a symbol of the protection that they afforded to the temple-goers from evil and that Christ's robe was blue and it was appropriate that the men and women who protect us every day wear blue and we need to remember that they are there to shield us from evil. There is no other job in America that you can go to work and might not come home because of the threat that you face when you are willing to step in front of a bullet or take that risk on yourself in defense of your neighbors and your friends. As Dr. Young pointed out in that service, the good thing to come from this is that the people of Texas, the people of Houston, really, the people of America--and that is demonstrated by my colleagues being here with us today on the floor--have all stepped forward to let the law enforcement community know that we are there for them, we love them, we are praying for them, and that we have got their back. In fact, one of the members of Second Baptist told Dr. Young and his staff that, shortly after this terrible murder of Deputy Goforth, he spotted a law enforcement officer filling his gas tank at a neighborhood gas station. As the officer was looking over his shoulder nervously, the member of Second Baptist walked up to the officer and said, ``Don't worry, Officer. I have got your back.'' A concealed carry permit holder--and as so many of our constituents and neighbors in Texas are concealed carry permit holders--law enforcement knows that a concealed carry permit holder is their best friend. The message that I want to make sure that every law enforcement officer in the country hears tonight from myself and my colleagues and from the people of Texas and America, for every law enforcement officer out there: We love you. We are proud of you. We are praying for you and your family, and most of all, we got your back. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop), my good friend and colleague. Honoring Michael Byron Tabb, Sr.

Mr. CULBERSON. Thank you, Sanford. I know the State of Georgia loves and admires law enforcement as much as we do. I am privileged to yield to my neighbor and colleague from Texas, Judge Ted Poe.

Mr. CULBERSON. Dr. Young looked at that young family and said: I want you to know that your father, your husband, did not die in vain because he has steeled the resolve of this Nation to stand behind every man and woman in uniform that defends our liberty and our safety on the streets of America. I am proud to yield to my colleague from Texas, Dr. Babin.

Mr. CULBERSON. Thank you, Dr. Babin. Madam Speaker, I yield to my colleague from California (Mr. Valadao) to speak on behalf of his constituents and the people of California of their love and respect for our law enforcement officers.

Mr. CULBERSON. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to yield to a colleague from northeast Texas, Congressman John Ratcliffe.

Mr. CULBERSON. Madam Speaker, it is important that the law enforcement community know that, while we are waiting to hear from the President of the United States, the Members of Congress are stepping forward tonight from every corner of the country to express our love and support for our law enforcement community. I am privileged at this time to yield to my colleague from California's 25th District, Congressman Steve Knight.

Mr. CULBERSON. Steve, thank you for your service to the people of Los Angeles and California. I think, as Congressman Knight said, it is so important to remember that these young men and women are serving their community. They do it out of the goodness of their heart and the love for their neighbors, to help their fellow man to try to make their communities a better place. God bless you. Thank you for your service. I am proud to have with us tonight the congressman from the Ninth District of North Carolina (Mr. Pittenger) to express the feelings of the people of North Carolina that he represents about law enforcement.

Mr. CULBERSON. Robert, thank you very much. We are still waiting, Mr. President, for you to step up and tell America how proud you are of our law enforcement men and women and to hear you condemn, Mr. President, this violent, dangerous rhetoric that is encouraging mentally unbalanced people to attack our law enforcement officers, as Deputy Sheriff Goforth was murdered in Houston, Texas. We are still waiting, Mr. President. But while we wait, Members of Congress are standing here on the floor tonight to tell America how proud we are of our men and women in uniform. I am proud to yield to my colleague and friend from Texas (Mr. Olson).

Mr. CULBERSON. Thank you, Pete. It is a privilege to yield to my colleague representing the people of central Indiana, the Congresswoman from the Fifth District, Congresswoman Susan Brooks.

Mr. CULBERSON. Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining?

Mr. CULBERSON. At this time, it is my privilege to yield to my colleague and good friend representing the people of North Carolina, Ms. Foxx.

Mr. CULBERSON. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege now to yield to the gentleman from northern California (Mr. LaMalfa), representing the First District.

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining?

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, June is Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month, an opportunity to raise awareness and continue a national conversation about this debilitating disease, which is the nation's sixth leading cause of death. Worldwide, there are 47 million people living with Alzheimer's and other dementias, and without a change, these numbers are expected to grow to 76 million by 2030. Not only will this affect individuals and families with an unmeasurable toll of physical and emotional pain, it will also cost our entire economy and health care system billions. Just this year alone, the disease is estimated to cost us $226 billion. Even more concerning, Mr. Speaker, is the fact that Alzheimer's disease is not treatable and its progression cannot be slowed down. However, I am encouraged by the important work that researchers are doing at the National Institute of Health regarding this deadly disease. Furthermore, I am glad that my colleagues and I in the House came together in a responsible and bi-partisan manner to not only increase funding to $31.2 billion for the NIH ($1.1 billion above fiscal year 2015 and $100 million above the President's request); but within that allocation provided $886 million for the Alzheimer's disease research initiative, a $300 million increase. I am hopeful that these research dollars will go a long way to treating, and ultimately curing this disease.

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the launch of direct flights between Taipei and Houston. The inaugural flight BR-52 is scheduled to arrive in Houston Airport at around 4:30 p.m. on June 19th, 2015. The new direct service will make it easier for my constituents to travel to Taiwan and destinations throughout Asia for both business and leisure. The United States and Taiwan share a thriving economic partnership. The new direct route will further enhance our close relationship by promoting business and tourism, which will result in new jobs and economic benefits for my constituents and all of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to recognize and congratulate Houston Airport, U.S. and Taiwanese officials involved, and the large Taiwanese-American community in Houston for their years of effort to achieve this significant milestone.

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Madam Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, although I support the amendment.

Mr. CULBERSON. Madam Chair, we accept the amendment, agree with the reasoning that the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Massie) has laid forth. I believe the amendment is acceptable to the minority as well. So the amendment is agreed to unanimously. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CULBERSON. I move to strike the last word.

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I wish to speak in support of the amendment. I strongly support Mr. King's amendment because what the President has done is clearly illegal. The President does not have the ability to change the law by himself. As my good friend from Philadelphia points out, one House of Congress cannot change the law all by itself. And similarly, the Chief Executive cannot change the law enacted by Congress and signed by the President all by himself. The law is very clear that people who are in the country illegally, who have violated the immigration laws of the United States, need to be deported. And the President by this illegal executive action has attempted to override the Federal law enacted by Congress and signed by previous Presidents. The District Court agreed that President Obama's action is illegal and that an injunction lies against it. The District Court suspended the President's executive order because it was illegal. The Federal Court of Appeals in New Orleans suspended the President's executive order because it was illegal. We expect the full Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to suspend the President's executive order because it is illegal. We expect the Supreme Court to suspend the President's order because it is illegal, because the Constitution clearly says that as chief executive you have an obligation to faithfully execute the laws of the United States. You cannot make a law all by yourself with the stroke of a pen. And that is exactly what President Obama has done. In addition, it has placed an incredibly unaffordable financial burden on the people of Texas, the people of Tennessee, and the people of all the States of the Union that would have to deal with these folks that are here illegally. All that we ask is that the law be enforced. All that we ask is that the law be respected, because, as our Founding Fathers understood, the law is the foundation of all of our liberty. Without law enforcement, there can be no liberty. Because there is just simply anarchy. If you look at northern Mexico today, it is in a complete state of anarchy. Mexico is essentially a failed state because they have no law enforcement. In the United States of America we cannot expect to preserve this great Republic handed down to us by our Founders without enforcing the law. The fundamental question that this lawsuit, Texas v. United States, is pursuing--and winning--is respect for the rule of law as the foundation for all our liberties. So I strongly support Mr. King's amendment as an important tool in the ongoing effort to overturn the President's illegal executive amnesty. We expect the Supreme Court will stand behind the State of Texas and agree that the President's order must be suspended because it is illegal, because without law enforcement, without respect for the law, there can be no liberty. That is the issue here. I strongly support the gentleman's amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.