John Culberson

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ms. Samantha Melvin, a teacher at Hunters Creek Elementary School in the Seventh Congressional District of Houston, Texas, who has received a 2006-07 Outstanding Teaching Award from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Humanities Texas issues these awards annually to Texas teachers to recognize exemplary contributions in teaching, curriculum development and extracurricular programming. Ms. Melvin's art curriculum sparks students' imaginations while also reinforcing lessons learned in other subject areas. In one of her major assignments, students develop elaborate, three-dimensional cityscapes that draw upon their training in art, social studies, math and science. Stefanie Roach, Principal at Hunters Creek Elementary says of Ms. Melvin: ``She is an outstanding educator whose passion for art and empowering children are evident in the lessons she creates and presents. She challenges children to see the `big picture' in life and to use art as the means in which they can influence the world. She is a shining star to the profession. Energetic, committed, brilliant.'' Karen Yates, Assistant Principal at Hunters Creek Elementary says, ``Samantha Melvin is a passionate educator, always looking for ways to promote the interest of learning in her students. Because of her nurturing personality and art instruction, the young artists at Hunters Creek Elementary take risks and use their own creativity to produce a variety of pieces.'' Teresa Henshaw, language arts school improvement specialist at Hunters Creek Elementary says, ``She not only lives a `Renaissance' life, but inspires it in others. Samantha Melvin encourages children to see the world as a whole, that everything is connected to everything else.'' Humanities Texas Executive Director Michael L. Gillette says, ``We are pleased to recognize such an accomplished teacher. Ms. Melvin instills the joy of learning in her students and motivates them to achieve at high levels.'' Madam Speaker, again, I applaud Ms. Melvin for inspiring the children at Hunters Creek Elementary and congratulate her on her award.

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize and commend the tireless public service of a dedicated and talented member of my staff, Nick Swyka. Nick has worked in my office for 4 years, the first 2 as a Legislative Assistant and the last 2 as my District Director, and he is one of the most intelligent and hard-working staffers I have had the privilege to employ. Nick was born and raised in Houston, attended St. John's School and graduated from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service with a degree in International Political Economy. He was 1 of the approximately 650 students across the country who earned a perfect score on their SATs each year. Nick will be attending the Red McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas this fall and he will be sorely missed, but his contributions to his hometown and the people of Houston will not be forgotten. Nick has carried on the tradition of outstanding public service established by my first District Director, Jan Crow. He has conducted himself with the same dignity and professionalism as his predecessor, and his calm demeanor and sharp wit have served him well in his role as my representative in the district. Nick brought the right mix of policy savvy, well-honed political instincts and strength of character to the job, and he excelled at building relationships throughout the district. We, as Members of Congress, trust our staffs to handle many of the day to day operations of our offices. I was always confident that my district staff was setting new and higher standards for constituent service with Nick Swyka as my District Director. I am equally confident that Nick will achieve each and every goal he sets for himself, and that he will continue to be an active and engaged participant in our democracy.

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the gentlelady for offering this amendment, which is offered as one of a series of amendments put forward by the fiscal conservatives in this House in a modest effort to try to restrain spending when the new majority has adopted a budget that assumes the largest tax increase in history by assuming that the Bush tax cuts are going to go away. On the contrary, the President's budget, which we are trying to stay within, assumes that those tax cuts are going to stay in place. So it's important, Mr. Chairman, for everyone listening to know that these cuts, which we are offering in spending, which are very modest, can also be seen as tax cuts. Every dollar we save in this appropriations process is a dollar that will not be spent in the future, which the Democrats assume in their budget is going to come from the repeal of the Bush tax cuts. So I applaud the gentlewoman from Colorado for offering this amendment, and it's important to remember, also, as we go through this debate, that all of the Members who are offering these amendments voted against most of those big spending increases over these last many years. I, for one, got re-elected because I voted against most of those big new entitlements and spending increases. I know that the gentlewoman from Colorado, the gentleman from Georgia, my colleague from Georgia, my colleague from Indiana joined me, along with many other members of the Republican Study Committee, in voting against those big spending increases. So the shoe indeed does not fit these conservative Members. We are proud to stand up here to try to do our best, one brick at a time, to control the out-of-control spending by Congress and to prevent the biggest tax increase in American history.

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the gentleman from Ohio's amendment, and I want to thank him for offering it. Today in this amendment, the gentleman from Ohio is offering American taxpayers a $1.3 billion tax cut on an appropriations bill. And it is important for everyone to understand, Mr. Chairman, that this amendment is a $1.3 billion tax cut for Americans because the Democrat budget that they have produced, which pays for these increases in their appropriations bill, this Democrat budget spends all that new money by raising taxes. The Democrat budget assumes that the Bush tax cuts are going to all go away. And by eliminating the Bush tax cuts, the effect is the largest tax increase in American history, which the Democrat majority has orchestrated in a way that they can allow it to go away without even having to cast a vote. The budget that the Democrats use to pay for these massive increases in this appropriations bill are paid for by the biggest tax increase in American history. And, therefore, the gentleman's amendment, Congressman Jordan's amendment, is a $1.3 billion tax cut. And that is a critical point that I think everyone needs to make sure they understand. When they vote for this amendment, they are voting to cut the taxes of our constituents by $1.3 billion. And it is really just that simple. And I could not thank him enough. It is an extraordinarily important amendment. There are vitally important functions in this Energy and Water appropriations bill that need to be funded, but this increase is not affordable at the time of record debt and deficit, and I applaud the gentleman and urge Members to vote for a $1.3 billion tax cut.

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I just want to compliment my colleague from Texas on this superb amendment because this has always been a concern. I am proud to be a member of the Appropriations Committee. And the effort that a lot of Members have made to try to eliminate earmarks isn't going to go anywhere and save taxpayers any money unless we're able to actually eliminate the earmark or pass a cut that then shifts money into a deficit reduction account. My colleague from west Texas is exactly right. I would encourage Mr. Flake and others to pay close attention to what Mr. Conaway is doing because this is precisely what I and others, Mr. Conaway has been working on this for some time, have suggested you need a deficit reduction account. You eliminate the earmark if you're worried about controlling spending. A lot of those earmarks are important and necessary and we all need to post them on our Web sites. I've been doing that for a long, long time. Every earmark I make I'm proud of, it's there on the Web site. The starting answer is ``no'' for all appropriations requests, but if you earn an earmark, be proud of it. But those earmarks that we want to eliminate, cut them and put them in this deficit reduction account. Mr. Conaway is exactly right. This is a tremendous amendment. I hope all Members will support it because the taxpayers deserve to save this money and have it go towards reducing the deficit. I thank you very much, Mr. Conaway. It's a great amendment. And I will work hard to help you pass it.

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, as Members of Congress return home for the Memorial Day weekend, as we honor the sacrifices of our men and women who have given their lives in defense of our Nation and of its values, I hope that every American will remind their elected representatives that in honoring that sacrifice, our elected representatives have an obligation to uphold the rule of law, to preserve our borders and to preserve this Nation's financial security for the future. In so doing, every American ought to demand that their elected representatives reject this monstrous amnesty bill, which proposes to legalize 14 to 20 million illegal aliens, honoring those who have broken our laws, threatening the financial security of the Nation by more rapidly bankrupting Social Security and all of our financial social welfare programs, and driving this Nation more rapidly towards that financial brick wall which is so rapidly approaching. In my office, 100 percent of the phone calls received have been in strong opposition to this bill. Every other Member of Congress from the Republican side that I have visited has received equally strong opposition. I think it is vitally important for Americans to rise up, as we did in the Dubai ports deal, and demand that our elected representatives honor the sacrifices of our fallen soldiers by rejecting this mass amnesty bill over the Memorial Day break.

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day. According to the U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health, approximately one in five of the children and adolescents in this country will experience the signs and symptoms of a mental health problem this year. Today, local children's mental health initiatives across the nation will celebrate the strides they have made with children who are experiencing serious emotional and behavioral problems. I congratulate the Harris County Systems of Hope in Houston, Texas, which has been successful in using a family-driven approach to help emotionally disturbed youth become productive, responsible citizens and thrive in their communities, rather than getting caught in the juvenile justice system. I urge my colleagues to join in celebrating National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day and supporting their local children's mental health initiatives.

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Madam Speaker, the government of Taiwan recently submitted a membership application to the World Health Organization. Since the objective of the WHO is ``the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health,'' Taiwan's 23 million people must be considered. For years now, Taiwan has had no representation in the World Health Organization, which is a gross injustice due to Taiwan's health needs and Taiwan's potential contribution to the global health network. I support Taiwan's bid for membership and urge my colleagues to openly voice their support for Taiwan. At a minimum, Taiwan should be granted observer status at the World Health Assembly this May. Though Taiwan is now applying to the World Health Organization under the name of ``Taiwan,'' it does not mean there is any change to Taiwan's national status. Taiwan continues to be the same country as before and its Constitution has not changed. The use of the name ``Taiwan'' represents a fresh start for the people of Taiwan and is commonly used around the world. Applying for WHO membership under the new name is consistent with Taiwan's past campaign for observer status in the World Health Assembly. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to lend their support to Taiwan's WHO application. No country should belittle Taiwan's sincere intent to be included in the global health network. Taiwan's bid to become a WHO member is too important to be sidetracked by political disagreements because disease knows no boundaries. It is time for China to drop its objections to Taiwan's bid and welcome the 23 million Taiwanese people to the World Health Organization. Taiwan has much to contribute to the health system in China and to all the countries in the world. Taiwan looks forward to fulfilling its obligations as a responsible global citizen and working with international health institutions through medical cooperation and emergency humanitarian work.

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute and wish a happy 50th birthday to my dear friend and colleague, Harris County Judge Robert Eckels. Until last week, Judge Eckels was the presiding officer of the Harris County Commissioners Court--the governing body of the county, and the only member that is elected countywide. The position involves executive, judicial, and legislative functions in the third most populace county in the United States. There are 34 municipalities within the county, including the county seat and the fourth largest city in the country, the City of Houston. More than 1.2 million people live in unincorporated Harris County and rely on the county to be the primary provider of basic government services. The term County Judge in Texas is comparable to a County Executive or County Mayor in other parts of the country. Judge Eckels has been in public service for more than 25 years. He recently retired from public service after a distinguished career to join the private sector. He and his wife, Jet, are dear friends of mine and my wife, Belinda. Robert Eckels was first elected to the Texas Legislature in 1982. When he began his service in January of 1983 he was only 25-years-old. Few thought he would have much impact his first year, but he passed 8 of 13 bills in his legislative package. Robert's quiet demeanor frequently led fellow members to urge the enforcement of the ``no mumble rule'' so they could understand what he was saying, but his understated nature was also key to his success in Austin. He did not care who got credit for passing legislation, so long as it was good law that did not have to fix later. He understands the legislative process, legislative language and the legislative intent as well as anyone I know. Robert also cared about his colleagues. He would approach Members towards the end of our legislative sessions to ask them how their legislative agendas were coming along. If a Member complained that their most important bill was in trouble in committee or on the House floor, he would help his colleagues amend their priority onto another bill or find some other way to pass their bills. In 1991 the Texas Monthly Magazine described his character in its biennial article at the end of the Legislative session entitled ``The Best and the Worst Legislators.'' In that piece he was named an Outstanding Legislator for his work in ethics reform and redistricting, ``the session's most thankless issues.'' It said ``Eckels wrote a bill that outshone its rivals as silver outshines dirt.'' Other quotes describe his character, ``Eckels is unselfish to the point of being sacrificial. He's the Good Samaritan of the House; he finds hurt people by the side of the road and helps them get well.'' In 1994 Robert decided to leave the Legislature, over the protests of many of his House colleagues, myself included, to run for the office of Harris County Judge. He saw an opportunity to work on the issues that were most important to him and his vision for the county he grew up in and served with distinction in the Legislature. He won the election and his opponent in that election later became a member of his advisory group. Transportation Judge Eckels believes as I do that one of the most important priorities in our county is improving the major transportation corridors so people do not spend hours stuck in traffic jams. Judge Eckels also believes, as I do, that mobility is vital to our county's future. He served as chairman of the Transportation Policy Council for the Houston-Galveston region and was a major author of the 2025 Regional Transportation Plan. Judge Eckels was also Chairman of the Alliance for I-69 Texas and the Texas High Speed Rail & Transportation Corporation. Texas House of Representatives Speaker Tom Craddick appointed him to the Study Commission on Transportation Financing to look at the broader issues facing the State of Texas. It was Judge Eckels who spearheaded an effort to turn abandoned railroad right-of-way running through my District into major traffic arteries which bring hundreds of thousands of daily commuters into and out of downtown Houston. Today, as a result of his vision and leadership, the Westpark Toll Way, the country's first entirely electronic toll road, is an innovative addition to the Harris County Toll Road Authority. Homeland Security/Emergency Management Judge Eckels has always been deeply concerned with hurricanes and other natural disasters and the county's reponse to crises. He commissioned a study showing the impact of a Category-V hurricane coming into Galveston Bay, and he initiated planning procedures to ensure first responders had the proper training and equipment to take action. He began to set up an interoperable communications system for Harris County that could be expanded regionally to allow communications among first responders across jurisdictional and disciplinary lines. Building such a system has required a strong leader like Judge Eckels to convince various agencies that rely on mission-critical communication to trust Harris County's Information Technology Department to build an interoperable system which was better than one they could run on their own. Today, the Harris County Regional Radio System is a model communication system that has grown to support a shared intrastructure with more than 133 channels and 17 tower sites. It currently covers all of Harris County and parts of eight other counties, with the intent to expand even farther. As resources are available it will be expanded until it serves all 13 counties in the Houston/Galveston Area Council's service area. There are more than 20,000 users from more than 400 different departments/agencies with nearly 2,000 mobile data-terminals and the system is growing quickly. The regional radio system is not only an essential response tool when disaster strikes, it can also be adapted to conform to the needs of the partners in day-to-day operations. Harris County has more than 90 different policing agencies operating in very close proximity. This system allows dispatchers to send the closest officer to the scene of an incident regardless of which agency the responder works for. In his first State of the Union Address after 9/11, President George W. Bush called upon all Americans to dedicate at least two years of their lives--the equivalent of 4,000 hours--in service to others. He launched the Citizen Corps initiative to inspire and enable Americans to find ways to serve their communities and country. In response to the President's initiative, in August 2002, Judge Eckels created the Harris County Citizen Corps Council The Council coordinates with volunteer groups such as the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and the United Way to identify volunteer opportunities. The Citizen Corps programs include the Community Emergency Response Team, the Neighborhood Watch Program, Volunteers in Police Service, Fire Corps, and the Medical Reserve Corps. When Hurricane Katrina caused the evacuation of more than 250,000 to the Harris County area, Judge Eckels coordinated and managed the relief effort to create comfortable, welcoming shelters. Approximately 27,000 evacuees came to ``Reliant City,'' which was created in the facilities at Reliant Park and the George R. Brown Convention Center in a 20 hour period in August 2005. This was the largest sheltering operation in U.S. history. Thousands of volunteers were needed to assist in the relief operation and within one hour of the initial call for assistance to the Citizen Corps, more than 1,000 volunteers arrived at the shelter. In all, more than 60,000 of our citizens came forward, received training from existing Citizen Corps members, and made the massive, weeks-long sheltering operation possible. The Judge said that Katrina was a blessing for our community because it showed us just how much we were able to give when our Louisiana neighbors needed a helping hand. Just three weeks after the nation watched the devastation of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita was headed straight for Harris County. An already exhausted team, led by Judge Eckels, shut down the last sheltering operation for Katrina evacuees and prepared for the next storm. With less than 48 hours before Rita was predicted to reach landfall on Galveston Island, Judge Eckels worked with Governor Rick Perry and Houston Mayor Bill White to begin the largest evacuation in U.S. history. Under Judge Eckels' watchful eye and calm demeanor, he gave frequent updates to motorists stranded in the exodus and assured them that help was on the way. While the unprecedented evacuation was difficult, it was considered a success. Before the storm reached the shore later that night, the roadways were empty and our citizens were out of harms' way. The Judge's work during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita was recognized with a number of awards. In an article entitled ``The Power of Government to Do Good'' in Esquire magazine, Judge Eckels was named the Best and Brightest 0/2005, Citizen of the Year for his extraordinary leadership. ``When the city of New Orleans evacuated to Houston, Harris County Judge Robert Eckels took them in. He was an island of competence in the face of catastrophe,'' Esquire wrote. The Partners for Livable Communities, a nonprofit organization headquartered here in Washington DC, gave the Judge the ``Bridge Builders Award'' for his collaboration efforts during the hurricane crises. The Greater Houston Partnership named him one of ``Houston's Greatest Individuals 2005.'' American City and County Leader magazine named Eckels ``2006 County Leader of the Year.'' Under his leadership, the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management has become a national model for preparedness and response to emergency situations, natural or manmade. Considered an expert in local emergency management and response, Judge Eckels has testified before both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate Homeland Security Committees and he serves on the State and Local Senior Advisory Committee to President Bush's Homeland Security Advisory Council. Healthcare The population of Harris County has grown considerably in recent decades and with that growth has come a disproportionally large population of uninsured and underinsured. Judge Eckels realized long ago that the needs of this growing community cannot be met by government alone. Therefore, under his leadership, Harris County has forged strong partnerships with non-profit, private, public, and faith- based health care providers and clinics to coordinate medical services to the poor and indigent. The Harris County Healthcare Council was created to coordinate a more efficient health care delivery system. He has, throughout his tenure as County Judge, maintained that the Harris County Hospital District should be there for those who have no where else to turn. Flood Control In 1996 Judge Eckels asked Congress to help speed some of the critical flood-damage reduction projects to protect the citizens of our county. Under his leadership, the Harris County Flood Control District is now able to take the lead on flood reduction projects. As a result, our constituents along the Brays Bayou and White Oak Bayou are already receiving the benefits of flood mitigation years ahead of schedule. Clean Air Harris County is committed to cleaning the air in our region. Judge Eckels is nationally recognized as an expert in devising and implementing acceptable air quality plans on the county level. He has testified before a U.S. Senate subcommittee on air quality issues and has appeared on national television news shows discussing environmental issues. He also initiated new monitoring systems to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations, funding computer modeling to base our clean air decisions on the best information possible and searching for the newest and most cost-effective technologies to clean our air. Under his watch, the latest state of the art monitors that detect most of the 189 Hazardous Air Pollutants listed by the Environmental Protection Agency are in place in Harris County--paid for by environmental violators, not taxpayers. Children's Issues Judge Eckels is passionate about children's issues. As fathers, he and I have shared many stories about raising our daughters. Like me, he always puts his family first. He and his wife, Jet, could not be more committed to their daughter, Kirby Rae. That commitment inspired Robert to take a vital leadership role in the Do the Write Thing Challenge, a program of the National Campaign to Stop Violence. As chairman for the State of Texas, he has grown the program to an unprecedented size with more than 24,000 participants in 10 communities. Judge Eckels also spearheaded a collaboration that would become the Children's Assessment Center (CAC). The CAC gives victims on-site access to experts in abuse prevention, medical treatment, forensic examination, family counseling, therapeutic services and criminal prosecution. Each year, more than 5,000 sexually abused children, their siblings, and non-offending caregivers are served by this nationally recognized partnership of more than 20 agencies. Judge Robert Eckels is a sound fiscal conservative who has always taken a business approach to government. Harris County applies common sense business principles to provide the best service at the least cost to taxpayers. Under his leadership Harris County introduced private sector competition to drive down the cost of government services. He led the reorganization of county departments and performance reviews, cut the number of departments in half, reducing service duplication, improving coordination and accountability and saving more than $14 million each year. Under his leadership the county's debt was restructured, saving more than $60 million since 1995. Confidence in Harris County's financial footing has been restored. All of the major bond rating agencies have upgraded Harris County's bond ratings saving taxpayers millions of dollars in interest each year. Most importantly, financial reserves are up, revenues are up, and spending is under control. Judge Eckels understands that when we decrease taxes here at the Federal level, and cut funding to state and local governments, they cannot and must not increase taxes at the local level. He has found new and innovative ways to deliver the same services that promote the quality of life we have all come to expect here in the greatest country in the history of the world. I hope that Robert Eckels will reenter public life again someday because he is an exemplary leader. If he chooses not to, there is no doubt that he has left behind a strong legacy in Harris County. I will always value his friendship and counsel.

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Malcolm S. Morris, a constituent from Houston, who is dedicating his life to the cause of clean, safe water for the needy of the world. Mr. Morris is the immediate past chairman of Living Water International, a 15-year-old faith-based NGO. Living Water has provided water to over 5 million world-wide on three continents. Of particular note, Living Water has completed nearly 400 water projects providing clean water to over one million people of Kenya. At the urging of Malcolm Morris, Kenyan President Kibaki made a public commitment to provide water for the 20 million people of Kenya in need of water. In addition, Morris organized the completion of two Peace Wells, dedicated by President Kibaki, to end violence between two tribes that resulted in 20 deaths on Valentines Day, 2005. In fact, Madam Speaker, Mr. Morris and members of the Living Well Board, at the direction of President Kibaki and his cabinet, are dedicating a third Peace Well next week in Kenya. Malcolm Morris practices what he preaches. His actions are an expression of his faith--to provide clean water and basic sanitation to one child, one family, one village at a time. Through Malcolm Morris' leadership and vision, the men and women of Living Water have become vessels of healing. Now operating in 22 countries, Living Water has trained over 1,200 volunteers in drilling, pumping repair, and health and hygiene training. The number of persons being served is doubling nearly every 18 months. I should note that Mr. Morris is not just an observer of the international water crisis. He is a drill instructor, conducting drill training camps and has led water teams to schools in both Africa and Central America. In addition to his ongoing involvement with Living Water, Malcolm Morris founded and serves as Chairman of the Millennium Water Alliance--a group of water related NGO's that includes Living Water International, Africare, CARE, Catholic Relief Services, Emmanual International, Food for the Hungary, Lifewater International, Water for People, Water Missions international, WaterPartners international and World Vision. UNICEF acts in an advisory capacity to the MWA. The mission of the MWA is to initiate needed water and sanitation projects in an efficient and transparent manner. Recently, as a result of Mr. Morris' strong and consistent advocacy, Congress passed a bill known as the Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act. The legislation makes access to safe water and sanitation for developing countries a specific policy objective of U.S. foreign assistance programs. The legislation will improve the quality of lives for millions of people around the world. Malcolm's insightfulness and persuasiveness made a legislative dream a reality. One final mention, Madam Speaker. I should note that Malcolm Morris is Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of a Fortune 1000 company-- Stewart Title Guaranty Company, headquartered in Houston. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to rise and join me in tribute to Malcolm S. Morris. With the dedication of the water wells in Kenya, the peace spigot has been turned on. Clean water is a source of life and sustainable development. Simply put, Mr. Morris has demonstrated that we should view water as a currency for Peace.

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, the vote today is very simple: Will America give up and walk away from the fight to preserve American civilization? Are we proud of our military and will we support them and protect them in time of war? The people of Houston's District Seven are immensely proud of the men and women of our Armed Forces. We want our soldiers and their commanders and our Commander in Chief to know that we will always support them and to know that we will do our best to protect them, especially in time of war; and we thank them for keeping us safe and free from another terrorist attack for 1,985 days. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of Houston's District Seven, I will vote no, to tell our enemies and our friends that Americans will never quit and Americans will never surrender in the fight to preserve, protect, and defend American freedom.

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Pipe Band and Highland Dancers of St. Thomas' Episcopal Scottish Arts Program for their success and community service in Houston, Texas. On August 26, 2006, the St. Thomas' Episcopal School Pipe Band won their fifth Juvenile World Pipe Band Championship title in Glasgow, Scotland. They also received 1st Place in Grade III Competitions at the Inverkeithing and Crieff Highland Games. The Highland Dancers won more than 120 medals during the August, 2006 Scotland competitions. The 2006 U.S. and North American Highland Dancing Champion, Carla Gardner, received 4th overall at the World Highland Dancing Championships. The Highland Dancers have won 21 U.S. Championships and one World Championship. The St. Thomas' Episcopal School Pipe Band and Highland Dancers are regularly invited to civic and charitable events and have performed for the United States Marine Corps, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Children's Cancer Hospital at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the Special Olympics, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Center, the Boy Scouts of America, NASA, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Houston Fire Department, the Houston Police Department, the Galveston Historical Society, the British American Business Council, the Heather and Thistle Society, and the British Consulate. The St. Thomas' Episcopal Scottish Arts Program serves to inform, educate, and entertain the public about the Scottish performing arts, and has helped to underscore the importance of maintaining and preserving ethnic artistic traditions. The Scottish Arts Program of St. Thomas' Episcopal School annually performs at Houston's Scottish Festival Spectacular in March at Houston's Toyota Center. This year's festival will be held on March 16, 2007.

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, on August 14, 2006, the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, the Democratic Pacific Union was formally inaugurated in Taipei, Taiwan. The ceremony drew 76 dignitaries from 23 countries, including the presidents and vice presidents of Taiwan, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Palau. The Democratic Pacific Union's goal is to promote democracy and encourage cooperation among its 28 member democracies. So far, the Union has planned regular regional meetings in the East and the West Pacific regions, initiated the Pacific Economic Advisory Group and the Pacific Congressional Caucus, established a training program for typhoon and flood disaster reduction, offered scholarships for students to study in Taiwan, planned a Pacific university network in Taiwan, and invited women to Taiwan to discuss women issues in the Pacific region. On December 8-10, the Taiwan Chapter of the Pacific Congressional Caucus will be holding a special symposium in Taipei, Taiwan. The symposium will examine critical issues such as the legislature and democracy, the legislature and electoral process, and the legislature and campaign finance. Fifty or more legislators from DPU's member states will be invited. U.S. lawmakers are especially welcome to attend this symposium. We should give encouragement to the leaders of the Democratic Pacific Union by endorsing its goals for democratic and economic cooperation in the Pacific region. I am certain that the Union will attract more members and win even wider international attention and recognition in the months and years ahead.

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, if this amendment were adopted, it would shut off all funding for all high-technology work that NASA is doing that has multiple applications. The amendment says, ``no money can be spent in support of the manned mission to Mars.'' There is no manned mission to Mars in this bill. But the technology application, the research work that NASA is doing to develop the next generation of rocket propulsion, the research work that NASA is doing to develop the next generation of microcomputers, the technology, for example, in this BlackBerry can be used on a manned mission to Mars and also manned missions in low-Earth orbit. The technology that NASA is developing to fight cancer, any astronaut that goes above the Earth's atmosphere is immediately exposed to a higher risk of cancer, yet the research NASA is doing to protect astronauts in space and low-earth orbit and to travel to the moon, for example, could obviously be used on a mission to Mars. But if the gentleman's amendment is adopted, it would cut off any of that work that is being done right now to help protect our astronauts' lives in low-Earth orbit, because that technology could arguably be used on a mission to Mars. There is no manned mission to Mars in this bill. The gentleman's amendment is so broadly written, it will have the effect of shutting off most of NASA's research and development work in the cutting-edge technologies that are so essential to the success of the manned space program and to the success of the American economy. I urge the Members to vote ``no'' against this shortsighted amendment.

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 20 seconds to point out that the sanctuary policy my colleague is attempting to protect is a policy designed to protect and shield criminal aliens, and my amendment enforces Federal law. Federal law is intended to uncloak those criminal aliens and allow local law enforcement officers to identify people like the Railway Killer so they can turn them over to Federal authorities. Mr. Chairman, at this time, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to my colleague from Texas (Mr. McCaul).

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to my colleague from California (Mr. Campbell).

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

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, the State of Texas today executed one of the most dangerous, vicious killers in our State's history. Maturino Resendiz was known as the ``Railway Killer.'' He had killed repeatedly. He was a serial killer who had been arrested and deported seven times prior to the murder of Dr. Claudia Benton in Houston. This individual was present in the United States illegally, but the City of Houston has a policy, in violation of Federal law, that prohibits Houston police officers from asking whether or not an individual they pick up is in the United States illegally. The Federal law is very clear that local governments, local law enforcement agencies, cannot have any policy that prohibits or restricts the ability of a police officer from determining someone's presence in the country, whether or not they are legal. And my amendment simply enforces existing Federal law and makes it clear that, in order for a local government or police agency to receive Federal money, they must comply with Federal law and follow Federal law in determining whether or not the person they have detained is here illegally. The City of Los Angeles has a similar policy. Yet 95 percent of their outstanding warrants for homicide are for illegal aliens. This is a law and order amendment, Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I would like to point out to the House very briefly that the House has already approved this amendment on a vote of 218. Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tancredo).

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, in conclusion, I want to point out that Congress has passed and the President has signed Federal legislation on the books which requires local law enforcement officers to identify a person who is in the country illegally. Local law enforcement needs every tool in their tool kit possible to identify and uncover criminal aliens. This amendment is aimed at enforcing Federal law, giving local law enforcement the tools they need to identify and uncover killers like the Railroad Killer, who was executed today in Texas. The sanctuary policy that my colleague from Houston is attempting to defend is a ``don't ask and don't tell'' policy that prohibits officers from identifying criminal aliens. A vote for this amendment is to help law enforcement identify and report criminal aliens and enforce Federal law. I urge a ``yes'' on the amendment.

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, the committee has no objection to the amendment and is prepared to accept it

Mr. CULBERSON. We commend the gentleman for his amendment and are willing to accept it.

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I wish to reserve a point of order on the gentleman's amendment.

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, the committee has no objection to the amendment and applauds the authors for its intent and for bringing it to the House tonight and are prepared to accept it.

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, regardless of your opinion about Amtrak, if you are concerned about border security and want to do a better job of protecting our border, you need to vote against this amendment. Because according to the CBO's scoring, this $560 million cut from the Federal Building Fund would come primarily out of the repairs, alterations, and construction account. The President has asked for six new border stations on the border between Texas, California, New Mexico, and Arizona. These cuts would leave the building fund without the money they need to build secure, critical border crossings with Mexico. This is not just about Amtrak. This is taking critically needed money to build these border crossings and maintain not just Federal structures across the country but, more importantly, the secure, critical border crossings with Mexico. I urge Members to vote against this amendment. Whether you oppose Amtrak, you should vote against the amendment, as I would, because I am concerned about Amtrak's accounting, but because I am concerned about border security as the highest priority of this Congress, you need to vote ``no'' on this amendment so we can build these secure, critical border crossings.