John Culberson

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. I thank the gentleman, and would the gentleman yield further?

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, I would ask the chairman of the subcommittee, is it his understanding that a major purpose of commemorative coin legislation is to produce coins that commemorate particular institutions, individuals, or places, allowing both collectors and other citizens who are fans of the person or thing being commemorated to buy coins at a reasonable cost?

Mr. CULBERSON. Is it further the gentleman's understanding that the Congress has received complaints from citizens who want to buy such commemorative coins claiming that, particularly for the more sought- after coins, that professional coin dealers buy up large numbers of those coins and sets, and then turn around and resell them to the public at a marked-up price?

Mr. CULBERSON. Then I am sure the gentleman would also agree with me that the Mint should be very careful, take as much care as possible with all high-demand commemorative coin issues, but particularly with coin sets produced under this act, to sell no more than 10 complete sets of any issue to any individual, whether the purchase is made by that individual or through straw buyers.

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time and for bringing this bill to the floor in an expeditious fashion. I want to thank the committee members. I want to thank my 291 co- sponsors. I especially want to thank an extraordinarily able member of the gentleman's staff, Joe Pinder, who has done a superb job in helping prepare this bill for this floor. It is indeed appropriate that the Congress recognize the 50th anniversary of the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory with this commemorative coin set for the year 2008 here about 24 hours away from America's return to space with our launch tomorrow afternoon of the Space Shuttle Discovery, which will go from zero to Mach 25 in 8 minutes and 30 seconds into Earth's orbit tomorrow and just a short week after the Jet Propulsion Laboratory again showed the world the technological prowess of America's space program by hitting a comet for the very first time and exposing its inner workings to the eyes of scientists. It was, in fact, on January 31 of 1958 that the American space program began with the launch of the first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1, which was built and controlled by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, under the guidance of the United States Army in response to the Soviet Union's launching of Sputnik. The United States responded very quickly, and before the year was out, the Congress had created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on December 3, 1958. JPL was then transferred over to the control of NASA. And since that time, JPL and NASA and the United States have gone on to explore our entire solar system with the help of the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope. We now have telescopes in orbit around the Earth that have identified up to 160 planets around other solar systems. NASA has discovered, as the chairman just mentioned, with the Mars Rovers that liquid water not only once existed on the surface of Mars, it appears that there are large frozen lakes on Mars. We have landed on the surface of the moon Titan. We not only landed men on the moon with the very successful Apollo program, but we are, under President Bush's vision for space exploration and the leadership of our new NASA administrator, Mike Griffin, rapidly moving towards the day very soon when men and women will return to the surface of the moon. The accomplishments of NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory are absolutely extraordinary, but this exploration has not come without risk or loss. As with all exploration that is new in pressing the frontiers, it is dangerous. Tragically, on January 27, 1967, the three Apollo astronauts were killed in a fire on the launch pad of Apollo I. On January 28, 1996 the Space Shuttle Challenger was lost with its entire crew. And on February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia and its seven-member crew were lost during reentry. Therefore, in designing this set of coins, I have proposed in this bill that the centerpiece will be a $50 gold piece in high relief and proof honoring the lives of astronauts who have lost their lives in their exploration of space. On that $50 gold piece will be an image of the sun. Then arranged around it will be nine silver proof dollars, each one representing a different planet in the solar system and each one commemorating missions to that planet. And of course the silver dollar for the planet Earth on the reverse side will have a design emblematic to the Apollo missions as well as Earth orbital missions. This commemorative coin set is just one small piece of ongoing work that Congress is doing in support of NASA. It is difficult to even measure the value of the work that NASA does in exploring outer space. Measuring the value of NASA's work today is a lot like the question facing Americans 200 years ago when the Lewis and Clark expedition was launched to explore the west. How could Americans then measure the value of all the minerals and animal species that the Lewis and Clark expedition would find? How can we today measure the value of the exploration and discoveries that will be made by NASA in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory? Americans today are enjoying the value of the miniaturization of computers, medical technology, heart pumps, valves, power generators, image processing, cell phone technology, CAT scanners, MRI machines, pacemakers. All of these extraordinary technological innovations are the result of work on our space program. Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to be the author of this legislation.

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman from Louisiana yield for the purpose of entering into a colloquy?

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, it is a collaborative effort. There are thousands of scientists and engineers at NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and across the country and scientists around the world who participate in these missions. I also want to point out that this set of coins will contain metal that was recovered from spacecraft that actually flew in space. So some portion of each coin will contain metal that flew in space. There will be a certificate to that effect. The money will go to the support of the families, and it will also go to the support of the Air and Space Museum and for the creation of a money museum. The coins are expected to generate quite a bit of revenue, and, therefore, it will be a benefit to the families who have lost loved ones. But above all, Congress has expressed its strong support for NASA. I am proud to serve on the Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Science. The gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Wolf) is a strong supporter. This House has supported increased funding for NASA in a vote on this floor just weeks ago. So in addition to this coin, Congress has expressed our tangible support for NASA and their mission with increased funding. As this coin is brought into production in 2008, we do not know what the future holds, but I am confident it holds immense promise. Just as the Lewis and Clark expedition brought unknown and immense benefits to the Nation, the American space program will continue to bring incredible growth in our economy as a result of technological spinoffs. The unparalleled growth we have seen in worker productivity in America is a direct result of improvements in high technology and communications and scientific and medical research. Thomas Jefferson, my hero, always said freedom is the firstborn child of science, and there is no better way for America to express our pride and our confidence in our Nation's space program than by commemorating their 50th anniversary with this coin set in the year 2008.

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from Wisconsin is correct. The country is on the brink of scientific illiteracy. I join the gentleman from Wisconsin, our ranking member, and our chairman in strongly opposing this amendment. I want to reiterate something Chairman Wolf said which is vitally important. The National Science Foundation is of strategic importance to the future prosperity of the United States. We have three appropriations bills that deal with the defense of this country; one obviously the defense bill, homeland security, and then this bill which invests in the future prosperity of the country by investing in fundamental research and development through the National Science Foundation. The American Association for the Advancement of Science has shown with future projections that the purchasing power of research and development investments are expected to decline over the next 5 years. The chairman has put together a superb bill that increases funding for the National Science Foundation, not the level we need to be because of our suballocation, but we are moving in the right direction. If we do not do so, other nations will pass us by. China is now graduating 300,000 engineers per year versus 71,000 in the United States. China's high tech output has shot up eightfold over the 1990s, while ours has only doubled. We need to reject this amendment and continue the growth in investment in research and development through the National Science Foundation.

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment. I would point out to the Members of the House that this subcommittee has restored more than $1 billion in proposed cuts to State and local law enforcement. There is a total of $2.6 billion provided for crime-fighting initiatives, and the bill restores programs like the SCAAP program, $355 million to reimburse States for housing and detaining criminal aliens; $334 million for juvenile delinquency prevention; $387 million for Violence against Women. This bill does a good job of restoring proposed cuts in law enforcement, and the amendment, if it were adopted, would be devastating to our Nation's space program. America's space program today is still in the age of sailboats. We are using chemical rocket technology that was originally developed by Robert Goddard in the 1920s, and the only research program out there that is developing the next generation of rocket propulsion that will allow us to explore the outer solar system, that will allow us to go on to explore other solar systems around other stars, is Project Prometheus. It is the only research program out there to develop ion or thermal emission propulsion systems. The new Administrator at NASA has directed it to allow us to do research to develop nuclear surface power for our lunar missions. If this amendment were adopted, it would devastate and damage severely NASA's ability to protect our astronauts from radiation hazards that they are all exposed to in outer space. The majority leader is right about that. The People's Republic of China, Mr. Chairman, recognizes the importance of investing in outer space. If we adopt this amendment, we are allowing the Chinese to continue to move rapidly ahead in space exploration. The Chinese are not slowing down. They are going to be launching a lunar rover. They are going to be launching a lunar orbiter. I urge Members to oppose this amendment so we can continue to invest in the future of manned and unmanned space exploration.

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I serve on this subcommittee, and in every single hearing the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Wolf) brought up the problem of fighting meth labs. In fact, this committee has tripled the request the President made for fighting meth abuse from $20 million to $60 million. There is $348 million in this bill for the Byrne-Justice Assistance Grant programs. We cannot through the National Science Foundation even fund two out of five of the many grant requests that NSF receives. We are not making the investment necessary for a great country like the United States to protect our technological edge for the future. The Chinese recognize the importance of investing in scientific research and in their space program. The Chinese will launch a lunar science orbiter in 2007. They will launch a lunar sample return mission in 2015. They will launch a lunar rover in about 2012. The chief scientist for the Chinese lunar program pointed out that the lunar exploration project will spur high-tech development in China, and I cannot calculate how much return there will be on that investment for the Chinese people. I urge Members to vote against this amendment and support the bill laid out by the chairman as a wise investment in the future prosperity of the United States in science.

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, after Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian was elected to a second term last March, he has attempted to reach out to China on many occasions in hopes that cross-Strait relations could be improved. Unfortunately, China has not responded positively to Chen's many goodwill gestures. The massive Chinese military buildup along the coast continues, China's bellicose rhetoric continues, and China is now planning to enact an ``anti-secession (or anti-separation) law'' aimed specifically at Taiwan. Understandably, the Taiwanese people have been reacting to this proposed law with alarm. If Chinese leaders persist in passing this law, Taiwan might be forced to enact an anti-annexation law of its own as a proper response to China. This battle of laws is most unfortunate in view of the fact that cross-strait relations have been improving in recent days. On January 15 this year China and Taiwan agreed to have direct charter flights during the Chinese New Year holidays, and both sides agreed to continue to work toward restoring direct trade, transport and postal ties--the ``three links.'' Moreover, the economies of China and Taiwan have grown increasingly interdependent as Taiwanese businesses have invested as much as $100 billion in China and as many as one million Taiwanese now live and work on the mainland. The latest controversy about China's proposed anti-secession law has once again highlighted the political division between China and Taiwan. China is seeking to unilaterally change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and force its own style of government on the 23 million people of Taiwan. China has totally ignored Taiwan's contributions to China's strong economy and President Chen's repeated gestures of good will. We must alert everyone that China's latest move to enact the anti- secession law will not only destroy the goodwill between the people of Taiwan and China, it is also unnecessarily provocative and will lead to escalating tension in the Taiwan Strait. Taiwanese people should not sit idly by and allow authoritarian Chinese government to mandate the annexation of democratic Taiwan; neither should any freedom-loving people in the world. By unilaterally changing the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, China is also challenging America's will to stand behind the Taiwan Relations Act which says unequivocally that it is the policy of the United States ``to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people of Taiwan.'' The Taiwan Relations Act also affirms one of the objectives of the United States as ``the preservation and enhancement of the human rights of all the people on Taiwan.'' Mr. Speaker, it is my view that China's proposed anti-secession law is provocative and dangerous and poses a grave threat to peace and stability in the region. I urge the Chinese government to step back from confrontation and stay on the path to reconciliation and friendship with the free people of Taiwan.

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, on May 2, 2004, Steven J. Finkelman received the Southwest Achievement Award from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and I am proud to memorialize here in the Congressional Record the accolades Steven received as he accepted this prestigious award. Steven is a devoted father and husband, and he is equally devoted to his community and his country. He has devoted countless hours of his life to preserve, protect and defend the United States of America, and he understands, as I do, that America's strongest ally in our war against terrorism is the State of Israel. Here again tonight I want to record my immense pride in Steven's achievements and my gratitude to him for all that he has done to improve the lives of our neighbors in Houston, and for his tireless work to promote the principles of individual freedom grounded in faith and self reliance that have America the greatest and most prosperous nation in the history of the world. Congratulations Steven, on receiving AIPAC's Southwest Region Distinguished Leadership Award for 2004. No one deserves this high honor more than you do. I am pleased to memorialize here in the Congressional Record my own congratulations, your speech as you received the award, and the eloquent words of our good friend Melvin Dow as he introduced you. AIPAC Presentation to Steve Finkelman The video mentioned that Steve is the child of a Holocaust survivor. That fact sends two messages about this presentation to Steve. First, it is a tribute to Steve's family that one generation arrives in this country with nothing, and a generation later the family operates a respected successful business, has educated its children and grandchildren, and Steve, as the video pictures reflect, is a personal friend of Senators, Congressmen and other government leaders--the American dream coming true. Second, the story illustrates the unique glory of this wonderful country which takes, in the words on the Statue of Liberty, ``the tired, the poor, the wretched refuse of a teeming shore'' and offers them the golden opportunity to enjoy freedom and to use their talents and energy to be whatever they can be. Hillel said: ``Do not separate yourself from the community. Be involved and be a part of the community.'' Steve is the paradigm of Hillel's concept. Steve is in numerous Jewish organizations, not just as a member, but as an active, involved leader. I will tick off a few: First, naturally, I will mention AIPAC--Steve is on the National Executive committee and the Houston Advisory Council. He also has served or currently serves on the board of directors of these organizations: The Republican Jewish Coalition; The Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA); The Institute of Hebraic Christian Studies; State of Israel Bonds (Steve has been President of the Prime Ministers Club); Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Congregation Beth Yeshurun; Holocaust Museum of Houston (Steve has served on the Board of Directors or Advisory Board since the inception of that organization); Anti-Defamation League; Jewish Federation of Greater Houston; Camp Young Judaea; University of Texas at Austin Hillel. I could go on, but that gives you the idea. Steve has won awards from the Jewish Federation of Houston, Hillel, State of Israel Bonds, and Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum in Israel. He spent a year studying and working in Israel. He's been to Israel 16 times. A tribute to Steve would not be complete without also paying tribute to Sandra--his wonderful partner of almost 17 years. Steve and Sandra share not only community property but also a heart-felt appreciation of the American dream, a profound dedication to the security of Israel, and a deep commitment to Jewish values. In the latter connection, their three children all attended Jewish day schools and all attended Young Judaea summer camp. For all these reasons, AIPAC is proud and honored to present its Southwest Achievement Award for 2004 to Steve Finkelman.

Mr. CULBERSON

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith).

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Weldon).

Mr. CULBERSON. From the Justice Department today. Yes, the Justice Department is being a good team player. The Justice Department testified formally in objection to this rule July 31 when it was adopted. Quoting from the Justice Department: ``The Department of Justice believes that consular identification cards issued by foreign governments should not be among the documents that could be accepted by financial institutions.'' Once the Department of Justice made that argument, they lost that argument. Treasury adopted this very broad rule that allows anybody from a foreign country to walk in the door with any kind of photo ID and open a bank account. The Justice Department lost that argument, and obviously they have gotten on board.

Mr. CULBERSON. I certainly agree under current law, but the rule adopted by Treasury, and again I am quoting from the Department of Justice, the Department of Justice objected very strongly to these last-minute changes in the Treasury rule because Treasury did change the rule at the last minute to allow these records to be destroyed and that is in the rule which is why we cut off the funding. This is the only way that we could stop the implementation of this rule which violates the spirit of the PATRIOT Act by cutting off the funding, because the Treasury ignored the PATRIOT Act's very clear requirements.

Mr. CULBERSON. I yield to the gentleman from Ohio.

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Had the Department of Treasury actually implemented the PATRIOT Act, the Committee on Appropriations would not have shut off funding to this regulation. The Treasury-Transportation bill, and this is within our jurisdiction and the full Committee on Appropriations, cut off funding to implement or enforce the Treasury regulation which is on the books, and let me quote from it again, ``The Treasury regulation authorizes banks to open a bank account for any non-U.S. citizen who can produce any foreign government issued document with a photograph.'' Now that rule that Treasury adopted is in complete violation of the PATRIOT Act. That is the opinion of the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary. Statute 326 has not been complied with by the Treasury Department. It requires Treasury to adopt a rule that requires banks to verify identity, maintain records of the person's identity and consult lists of known terrorists. This rule is so bad and so broad, the banks can shred photocopies of the person's identifying documents as soon as you make the deposit. So the Appropriations Committee had no choice but to shut off funding to this regulation. And before the regulation was adopted, the Justice Department and the FBI and Homeland Security were all opposed to it. The Department of Justice was on record.

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde).

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Gary G. Miller). (Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume to briefly say that the Department of Justice is on record in opposition to these regulations before they were issued, and then when they were issued the Department of Justice issued strong objections. Mr. Chairman, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce).

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. With immense respect to my good friend, the Chairman of the Committee on Financial Services, the Congress has already passed the PATRIOT Act. The Secretary of the Treasury was required under the PATRIOT Act to prescribe regulations that set forth minimum standards for financial institutions to open a bank account. The authorizers have already spoken on this, and the law requires the minimum requirements for banks to verify the identity of a person opening the account, to maintain records of that person's identity, and consult lists of known or suspected terrorists. I would not have offered this amendment in subcommittee and full committee, and the Committee on Appropriations would not have felt it necessary to put this in the bill, had the Treasury Department honored the PATRIOT Act. In the opinion of the Committee on Appropriations, in the opinion of the Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Chairman Sensenbrenner) has objected to the Treasury Department's rule. The gentleman from Wisconsin (Chairman Sensenbrenner) stated that he believes the reference to regulations adopted by Treasury are insufficient to address the intention of the PATRIOT Act to accurately identify and track individuals opening bank accounts. The law could not be any clearer. Yet the Treasury Department yielded to pressure from the banks, although the banks were required to verify identity, keep documents of records used to open the account. The Treasury adopted a rule which specifically allows the banks to shred photocopies of the person's identifying documents. So there is no record being kept. I am quoting directly from the rule, in violation of the PATRIOT Act, the Treasury rule says that any foreign government-issued document that evidences nationality, as long as it bears a photograph, is valid to open a bank account. That is in complete violation of the PATRIOT Act. So the regulation the Treasury Department adopted does not even meet the express letter of the law in the PATRIOT Act. So we had no other choice but to cut off the funding to this regulation. The parents of the families of the victims of September 11 have written a letter in opposition to this amendment because the parents, and I am quoting from the 9/11 Families For a Secure America, all of our members are aware of the fact that the 9/11 murderers relied upon government-issued identification to open bank accounts and charge accounts, rent cars and apartments and maintain an aura of legitimacy during the months that they planned, rehearsed, financed and carried out their conspiracy. Finally, on the morning of 9/11, government- issued IDs permitted them to board the planes they used to murder our loved ones. For that reason, the parents of the families of 9/11 are scoring this vote. The parents of 9/11 are asking that Members vote against the Oxley-Frank amendment. This is a straight-up national security vote because the FBI has testified, the Department of Justice also has objected strongly to this Treasury Department regulation. The Department of Homeland Security, all Federal law enforcement, uniformly objected to this Treasury Department regulation because, number one, these consular ID cards that foreign nationals would use to open bank accounts are widely known to be easily forged. The FBI and the Department of Justice have concluded that the matricula consular is not reliable. It is not a reliable form of identification due to the nonexistence of any means of verifying the true identity of the cardholder. So we have a situation today, Mr. Chairman, where we know the terrorists are coming back to hit us again between now and the election. The FBI agent in charge of the southern border in Texas has seen a large number of countries with al Qaeda connections that are exploiting the southern border, utilizing long-established and well- disciplined alien smuggling organizations in Mexico to transit individuals, foreign nationals through Mexico, into the United States. It was brought to my attention by Federal law enforcement authorities in Texas that they have now identified a number of individuals from Islamic countries changing their Islamic surnames to Hispanic surnames, coming across the border with all the illegals crossing the border. So we have a situation where we are about to be hit. We have individuals using false identities, and we have a rule adopted by Treasury that essentially, according to the Committee on the Judiciary chairman and the FBI, is making it easier for individuals to create false identities and open bank accounts. The Treasury regulation is so wide open that an Iraqi listed on the 50 Most Wanted List but who is not yet apprehended could open a bank account using an ID card printed in Arabic, issued in 2001, and the bank would still be in compliance. So the Treasury Department's already had their chance to comply with existing law, and they did not. So the appropriators had no choice. If I could, if my subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Istook), is available, I will be sure to yield to him. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher).

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham).

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, this is a national security issue. The Congress has already spoken through the PATRIOT Act. Section 326 requires the Treasury Department to adopt rules requiring banks to verify the identity of persons opening an account, to keep records of that person's identity, and to consult lists of known terrorists. The Treasury Department did not do that. The rule adopted by Treasury, against the advice of the FBI, against the advice of the Department of Justice, the rule that the Committee on Appropriations has cut off funding for, the rule the Treasury Department adopted, says that a bank can open an account of a non-U.S. citizen as long as that person shows any government-issued document with a photograph. This is why the families of 9/11 have come out strongly in opposition to the gentleman from Ohio's (Mr. Oxley) amendment. This is why the Committee on Appropriations voted to cut off funding for this rule. To quote the families of 9/11, I think they say it so well: All the Members are aware that the 9/11 murderers relied upon government-issued IDs.'' The Committee on Appropriations cut off funding to this rule because the rule does not require banks to keep records. The rule does not allow banks to accept any kind of foreign government-issued identification. So it is important that Members understand that they need to vote ``no'' against this amendment in the interest of national security to ensure that Congress' intent in the PATRIOT Act is enforced. It is the only way to stop this Treasury rule from being implemented.

Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King). (Mr. KING of Iowa asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)