John Carter

Mr. CARTER

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to discuss what my colleagues have been discussing here today: issues of waste, fraud, and abuse. But, before I do, I would like to make one statement. I operated as a trial judge in Texas for about 21 years, and we had rules in the court at that time that if the opposing counsel for any purpose attacked or impugned the honesty or integrity of another member or got vicious and attacked them in any form or fashion, we could correct them; and if they continued in that type of style, we could actually fine them. It has been my limited experience here in Congress that if we were able to allow the Chair to issue such fines, we could probably balance the budget here in Congress without much problem at all. And I think we have seen a lot of that here today with the use of some terms like ``liar'' that I have heard here used today. I just as an aside wanted to say that. Back about a year-and-a-half ago, I was in a meeting in Houston, Texas. As I said, I have been a trial judge. Before the meeting, I had an undercover Department of Public Safety officer come to me at this meeting and say he would like to talk to me in private for just a minute; and I went in and talked to him. He said, Judge, I want to tell you about something. There is something going on here in Houston that I think you ought to know about it. There is a gang of Middle Eastern folks that are stealing baby formula from our local supermarkets and selling it to the WIC program. Well, my first reaction would be the reaction I would think of most Americans, and that was, gee, whiz. I mean, do you guys not have anything better to do than go out and investigate shoplifting? But knowing that he was part of an undercover task force, I figured he had something to say, and I said, well, how big a deal could that be, Lieutenant? He said, well, Judge, here in Houston it is about $1 million a month. And I said, good Lord, $1 million a month for baby formula? He said, yes, sir; and, you know, it is not against the law to possess baby formula. It is against the law to possess narcotics and dangerous drugs, but it is not against the law to possess baby formula. So if we catch a guy with a trunk load of baby formula, we cannot do anything to him. But we know what he is doing. He is stealing this formula, and he is selling it to the WIC program to the tune of about $1 million a month. In fact, the estimates are that in Texas alone it is $1.5 million a month Statewide. He said, we have followed this group to Phoenix, Arizona. We have followed them to New Mexico, although I do not remember which town in New Mexico; to California, San Diego and Los Angeles. They have an operation in each one of those towns, to the possible tune of $30 million a month Nationwide. I was shocked. And he said, we also have evidence that this is being used to fund terrorism. Now when you want to talk about waste, fraud, and abuse, how much more fraudulent could it be than stealing from the mouths of our children and the poorest of our Nation, taking away a program that was designed to help poor mothers feed their babies, stealing from them, and letting a government agency be a fence for that purpose? I asked him, I said, have you talked to the people in the WIC program? He said, yes, I have explained to them that they should not be buying this stuff off the street, that buying it off the street was fencing for criminal activity. And he said, ``Well, they do not see the seriousness in it.'' Mr. Speaker, those of us who have been in criminal justice in this country have sent people to the penitentiary for a whole lot less than stealing a million dollars a month. I, for one, have done that on several different occasions. It shocked me so that I am proud to let my colleagues know that in H.R. 3873 I got an amendment which now requires that the WIC program have certified vendors that they buy this product from. But when our government has risen to the size that it has risen, that it misses that kind of waste, fraud, and abuse; we have got a serious problem. And yet the other side of the aisle, the Democrats, want to raise our taxes to grow a bigger government, a bigger government that in many instances the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing. For that reason, I honor the members of Waste Watchers for the hard work they are doing trying to be watch dogs.

Mr. CARTER

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, on May 11, 2004, during rollcall vote Nos. 153, 154 and 155 I was unavoidably detained. If I had been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote Nos. 153, 154 and 155.

Mr. CARTER

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, during rollcall votes 126, 127, 128, 129, and 130 I was unavoidably detained. If I had been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall votes 126, 127, and 130. I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall votes 128 and 129.

Mr. CARTER

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, tonight I stand here to recognize one of Texas's finest soldiers and a true Texas hero. On March 31, 2003, Alan Babin of the First Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment started his second day of war. On that day, the third platoon, a platoon that he had recently joined, was working to secure a bridge on the Euphrates River near Samawah when enemy fire intensified and a soldier took a shot in the head. Alan, who was a paratrooper medic, gave up cover and sprinted the 20 meters to aid the soldier. In that sprint, Alan took a shot in the belly. That single action has warranted Alan the title of war hero; a purple heart, a bronze star medal with V for valor. However, neither Alan's brave action nor the rewards that followed came at a small price. Alan is a fourth generation military man. Both his mother and father served in the military. Now he is fighting a second battle, and it is a long battle. He is fighting that battle from a hospital room. Today he has undergone over 70 surgeries. He has battled severe infection, meningitis, and stroke. Alan lay on the battlefield for 3 hours in pain until he was evacuated to the USS Comfort where he received excellent medical treatment by the folks there and very loving people that took care of him; but in the process, he suffered a stroke, and this infection grew rampant in his entire abdominal cavity. Most people did not think Alan was going to make it. The doctors said, if you are people of faith, you need to begin to pray. My colleagues need to understand Alan's family. His mother, Rosy, and his dad, Alan, and his sister Christy, they went to the task. Rosy started e-mailing her friends and relatives and neighbors in Round Rock, Texas, and in the rest of Texas; and this spread throughout the entire country until thousands of people began to pray for this young man and to send encouragement. When we got Alan finally here at Walter Reed, he was still with an exposed abdominal cavity, which had to be washed every night to fight the infection, and this 23-year-old man was fighting that battle with his mother by his side, and she has vowed not to leave his side until he is well. His little sister came up here to visit him. His dad was here by his side. Now, these folks, along with the folks back in Round Rock, Texas, are helping Alan battle through this terrible tragedy. Alan continues to persevere daily, and he is overcoming all of the odds and the doctors say, whatever you are doing, keep doing it. These obstacles are being overcome. Just the other day I ran into Rosy in church and she told me, Alan actually picked up his glasses and put them on his own nose. That shows his motor skills are coming back from the stroke. That little victory was a huge thing for his mother. They have closed his wounds; the infection is going away. He has come from months and months in bed to therapy sessions. In the doctors' eyes and in the generals' eyes, this young man has overcome the worst odds that anybody can overcome. Now, each day it is a blessing that he continues to recover. His service and his sacrifice has not gone unnoticed. The folks back home, knowing that Alan would not be able to climb stairs, the folks in Round Rock, Texas, the builders and contractors went and built a room on their two-story house at ground level so that Alan will be able to negotiate to and from his bedroom when he gets to come home. The whole community is behind this family. During his stay at Walter Reed Hospital, he was visited by many, many people, including President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Members of Congress, and numerous other military officials. I was there when he was awarded his medals, and one could see what was important in this young man's heart, because every time they called him paratrooper, his eyes sparkled and one could tell that he knew that they were talking about something of which he was proud. Today is almost the anniversary of that tremendous wound that Alan suffered. He is recovering, through the grace of God and some wonderful medical people across this country. He is now back at least in Texas undergoing therapy, recovering every day, only because he and his family are true heroes who support the effort of this country and are proud of the service of their son. Alan, along with his family, serves as an inspiration for his fellow soldiers, as well as his fellow Texans. We in Texas are very proud of Alan and we say, God bless America and God bless Alan for his sacrifice. Alan Babin is a Texas hero.

Mr. CARTER

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 3723. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. On behalf of the Committee on Government Reform, I am pleased to rise in support of H.R. 3723. This meaningful legislation designates the Dallas Postal Service facility as the ``Vaughn Gross Post Office Building.'' Vaughn Gross has spent 35 years educating children in Texas and more than 30 of those years working in the Richardson Independent School District outside of Dallas. She began her career in the district by teaching special education classes at Skyview and Canyon Creek Elementary Schools in the 1970s. She later taught second grade students for 5 years at Northlake Elementary. Ultimately, Vaughn Gross worked her way up to become Assistant Principal at Aiken Elementary in 1989. In 1992, she held the same position at Brenfield Elementary School. A year later, she was elevated to Principal, a capacity in which she served for 6 years. In 1999, Vaughn Gross moved over to Hamilton Park Magnet School to act as principal there. Today, Ms. Gross is Assistant Superintendent For Curriculum and Instruction in the Richardson School District. Mr. Speaker, Vaughn Gross is a respected, appreciated leader in the Dallas area. She earned a Teacher of the Year Award from the Richardson Association of Children with Learning Disabilities in 1977 and PTA life membership status in 1999. She is precisely the type of quality individual after whom the Congress ought to name post offices in our great Nation. I commend the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions) for introducing H.R. 3723. I know the gentleman from Texas genuinely wanted to be present, and I will be submitting a statement for the Record on behalf of the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions). Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge every Member of the House to support H.R. 3723. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3723) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 8135 Forest Lane in Dallas, Texas, as the ``Vaughn Gross Post Office Building''.

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. CARTER

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 3917. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3917, introduced by the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel), designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 695 Marconi Boulevard in Copiague, New York, as the ``Maxine S. Postal United States Post Office Building.'' Since first being elected in 1987, Maxine Postal was an esteemed member of the Suffolk County Legislature in New York. There is little question that she was an effective public servant and respected across political party lines. Her hallmarks in the legislature included fighting for tax relief, promoting community recycling programs, and revitalizing area recreation centers for citizens of Suffolk County. Outside of her work in the legislature, her community contributions included serving as treasurer of the Amityville Board of Education and founding a library and a local soccer league. Mr. Speaker, one cannot capture the worth of a local leader like Maxine Postal in a mere list of accomplishments. That is why I am pleased that enactment of this legislation will immortalize her legacy by naming a post office after her in the town she represented in the county legislature. Mr. Speaker, Maxine Postal sadly passed away on New Year's Day, 2004, succumbing to a rare brain disorder known as CJD. She had announced her resignation from the legislature just days before she died. Maxine Postal was a valued public servant who is most deserving of this post office commemoration. I thank the gentleman from New York for advancing this legislation through the Committee on Government Reform to the House floor for consideration today. I urge all Members to support H.R. 3917 that honors Maxine Postal. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3917) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 695 Marconi Boulevard in Copiague, New York, as the ``Maxine S. Postal United States Post Office''.

Mr. CARTER

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3873, the Child Nutrition Improvement and Integrity Act, which includes language which I offered to stop infant formula theft. Stolen infant formula is a major problem throughout the country, including Texas. In 2003, an international crime ring stole and sold as much as $2.5 million worth of baby formula a month in Texas. Testimony before the Congress revealed that some of the proceeds may go to terrorism. Undercover work also shows that this extends across the United States. After being stolen, the formula is stored and sometimes repackaged with phony expiration dates and then it is sold to small convenience stores in the United States. The stolen formula is often resold to customers using vouchers from federally funded Women, Infants and Children programs. Undercover agents say WIC is unwittingly the number one fence for this operation in the country. Section 409 of this legislation requires the State agencies to license and maintain a list of infant formula manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers approved to provide infant formula to the vendors. This section closes the loopholes that would allow crime rings to steal infant formula and resell this formula to the retailer, who often is unaware that the formula is stolen. I want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), along with his staff, including Kate Howston and Stephanie Milburn for the important work they have done on this legislation.

Mr. CARTER

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, during rollcall Vote Nos. 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 and 47 I was unavoidably detained. If I had been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. CARTER

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, during rollcall vote 6, H.R. 1385, to extend the provision of title 39, United States Code, under which the United States Postal Service is authorized to issue a special postage stamp to benefit breast cancer research and during rollcall vote 7, H.R. 3493, Medical Devices Technical Corrections Act, I was unavoidably detained due to inclement weather. If I had been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote 6 and 7.

Mr. CARTER

Mr. CARTER. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise to strongly support H.R. 1732 which authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Williamson County, Texas, water recycling and reuse project. I am proud to represent Williamson County, or most of it, and I have been living there for over 30 years. During this time, I have witnessed Williamson County become one of the fastest growing communities in the entire Nation and it has been consistently the fastest growing county for over a decade. I have observed the needs of this county because it has a limited supply of water. Today some would say that water has replaced oil as the commodity most important to the future of Texas. Unfortunately, current water supplies will simply not meet the growing needs of Williamson County and that community. To meet this need, I introduced H.R. 1732 to allow the Lower Colorado River Authority, the Brazos River Authority and local communities to work with the Bureau of Reclamation to design, build and construct permanent facilities to reclaim and reuse water in Williamson County. This partnership will be an essential part of the county's water planning efforts. In short, this legislation will ensure current and future sources of drinking water are made available for the residents of Williamson County. I am excited about this partnership and believe it is a great example of Federal and local agencies working together to make a positive difference. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo), the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert) and their staffs for their efforts in having this legislation brought to the floor in a timely manner. I would also like to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Edwards), my neighbor to the north, for joining me in this effort. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. CARTER

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, during rollcall votes 509, 510, and 511, Representative Ryan (OH) Motion to Instruct Conferees on H.R. 1308, Representative Stenholm Motion to Instruct Conferees on H.R. 1, and Representative Rodriguez Motion to Instruct Conferees on H.R. 1588, I was unavoidably detained. If I had been present, I would have voted ``no.'' During rollcall vote 512, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Land Exchange Act of 2003, H.R. 1409, I was unavoidably detained. If I had been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. CARTER

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment and of this legislation. I just want everyone to know the experience that I had sitting on the committee when the parents and the children were in the audience watching what we did, and to experience the eyes of those children begging us to give them this chance, and those mothers and grandmothers who were crying tears when they saw that they were going to have the opportunity to send their children to schools that would be effective. It is imperative that we give these people an opportunity. They should have an opportunity to send their kids to a good school.

Mr. CARTER

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 2210 and in opposition to the Woolsey amendment. The United States Supreme Court has ruled and has looked at this issue in the Corporation of the Presiding Bishop v. Amos and has upheld the title VII exemption as constitutional under our law. Finding that the exemption did not violate the establishment clause, the Supreme Court has made it clear that ``it is a permissible legislative purpose to alleviate significant governmental interference with the ability of religious organizations to define and carry out their religious missions.'' This is not a matter of discrimination or teaching children discrimination. This is a matter of abiding by the law. The Clinton administration passed numerous legislation that followed this same idea. These faith-based organizations provide good services. They should be able to hire the people that they feel are important to their cause, and this would in no way interfere with the rights of the students that come before the Head Start program. It is a good idea led by good people. I urge its support.

Mr. CARTER

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, July 17, 2003 and Friday, July 18, 2003, I was unable to be present for rollcalls #382-#397. The following are the ways I would have voted, had I been present: Rollcall 382--No; rollcall 383--No; rollcall 384--No; rollcall 385-- No; rollcall 386--No; rollcall 387--No; rollcall 388--Aye; rollcall 389--Aye; rollcall 390--No; rollcall 391--Aye; rollcall 392--No; rollcall 393--No; rollcall 394--No; rollcall 395--Aye; rollcall 396-- No; rollcall 397--Aye.

Mr. CARTER

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, during rollcall vote 322, the resolution to provide consideration of H.R. 1, the Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act, I was unavoidably detained due to an urgent family matter. If I had been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. CARTER

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me, and I rise today in support of House Resolution 279 introduced by the gentleman from my home State of Texas (Mr. Smith). This resolution congratulates the San Antonio Spurs, again the champions of the National Basketball Association. On Sunday night, the Spurs defeated the New Jersey Nets 88 to 77 in game six of the NBA Finals to win their second championship in the last 5 years. The city of San Antonio and the entire State of Texas is celebrating the Spurs great victory on the high stage of basketball. Mr. Speaker, this San Antonio Spurs team is truly one for the ages. Beyond being their second title in recent years, this is a team full of superstars, both on and off the court. The Spurs feature the greatest player in the NBA today, two-time reigning Most Valuable Player of the league, Tim Duncan. Duncan capped off his final performance on Sunday night with a near- quadruple-double. He scored 21 points, grabbed 20 rebounds, handed out 10 assists, and blocked eight shots during one of his most outstanding performances of the season. After the game on Sunday night, Duncan was deservedly awarded the finals' Most Valuable Player trophy. After being the number one pick in the NBA draft in 1997, Tim Duncan's first 6 years have been extraordinary, and I commend his efforts. The accolades extend to the Spurs' outstanding head coach, Gregg Popovich, who earned this season's NBA Coach of the Year award. Coach Popovich won his second well-deserved NBA title on Sunday, and I congratulate him for this momentous accomplishment. I am concerned that Coach Popovich may be underappreciated across the country, but I can assure this House that the people of San Antonio and the fans of the Spurs know that Gregg Popovich is a great coach. The Spurs also feature such outstanding standouts as Tony Parker, Stephen Jackson, Bruce Bowen, Manu Ginobili, veterans Kevin Willis and Steve Kerr, among many other players. But I want to particularly recognize another great Spurs player who has been one of the NBA's very best ambassadors over the last decade. David Robinson played his last game in the NBA on Sunday, finishing with 13 points and 17 rebounds. This very strong effort completed a 14-year career, over which Mr. Robinson averaged 21 points and nearly 11 rebounds per game. Also a U.S. Naval officer and compassionate humanitarian, David Robinson was named one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1996, as well as the 1995 MVP, the 1992 Defensive Player of the Year, and the 1990 rookie of the year. I think it is important to note that David Robinson earned his final honor after serving a 2-year Naval Academy commitment, prior to which he was the first selection in the 1987 NBA draft. I congratulate David Robinson for winning this year's NBA championship, for going out on top, and for his remarkable career. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the San Antonio Spurs for winning the 2003 NBA championship. I urge passage of House Resolution 279, and I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding me this time.

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Government Reform be discharged from further consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 279) congratulating the San Antonio Spurs for winning the 2003 NBA championship, and ask for immediate consideration.