Mike Coffman

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier) who has said, and I agree with him, that we can make this bill a better bill if we open up the amendment process. I certainly agree with my colleague from the great State of Colorado (Mr. Perlmutter) who says that this is not a perfect bill. One provision of this bill gives U.S. taxpayer dollars to the Gaza Strip in the aftermath of the fighting between Israel and Hamas for reconstruction aid. It does this by giving $119 million to the United Nations. In 2004 Peter Hansen, then commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency remarked that, ``I am sure that there are Hamas members on our payroll, and I don't see that as a crime. Hamas as a political organization does not mean that every member is a militant. And we do not do political vetting and exclude people from one persuasion against another.'' Hamas is a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization. The United Nations might not consider having Hamas members on their payroll a problem, but it certainly is a problem for the United States and Israel. The supplemental before us provides up to $119 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency to spend in Hamas-controlled Gaza, which means that Hamas members on the U.N. payroll will effectively be on the U.S. payroll. I intend to vote against this rule because it does not allow the chance to amend this provision. I filed an amendment that would have instead provided $119 million for humanitarian relief to go to USAID. The rule before us would bar this amendment from being offered. I appreciate the attempt at additional oversight placed on the U.N. in this supplemental, but it is simply too little too late.

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Thank you. I wrote Secretary Clinton in March, along with 21 of my colleagues, noting there is no way to spend money in Gaza without inappropriately benefiting Hamas. Unfortunately out of the several ways to save money that might inappropriately benefit Hamas, we are choosing one of the worst. Mr. Speaker I would urge a ``no'' vote on the previous question and a ``no'' vote on the rule.

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Madam Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. I rise in support of H.R. 2101. This legislation respects the needs of those who serve in defense of our freedom, as well as the taxpayers who are asked to burden the cost. Mr. Speaker, I am a combat veteran, with service in both the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps. One aspect of this legislation that is extremely important to me is a provision that formally requires the input of our combatant commanders on the acquisition decisions for weapon systems and equipment. This will require the views of the end users that are deployed soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen in making their voices heard so that they can better perform their missions at the least cost in lives. Madam Speaker, I stand before you today to express my strong support for this important piece of legislation. As a Member of the House Armed Services Committee, and a new Member of Congress, I was honored to be appointed to the Acquisition Reform Panel. As an active participant on the panel, I appreciate this opportunity to help ``fix'' an obviously flawed defense acquisition system. My emphasis on the Panel has been how to achieve the best use of taxpayer dollars to provide the right equipment, at the right time for our Marines, soldiers, sailors, and airmen. As a combat veteran with two tours in Iraq, I realize from personal experience just how critical a well-functioning acquisition system is to our nation's servicemembers--especially our warfighters in the field. We must always fully take the ``end user'' into account whenever we address the acquisition process and to this end, I was pleased my amendment giving the Combatant Commanders (COCOMs) a more defined role and input into the process was included. This bill institutes a much needed level of focus and precision regarding the input sought from Combatant Commanders to best inform the Joint Requirements Oversight Council as to whether a new program is truly needed and what its fungible benefit will be in the current and future battlefield. Such precise input aims to prevent the DOD from going down the road of spending billions of dollars on unnecessary programs of no real value to the warfighter. Our legislation addresses acquisition organization, oversight of cost estimation, performance assessment, and weapons acquisition oversight, and fully takes into account the current problems within the Department of Defense Acquisition process. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this well-crafted and critical piece of legislation.

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Madam Speaker, missile defense is critical to the protection of our Nation. It requires constant improvement and innovation in order to meet the growing challenges by those who may wish to destroy us. Iran is currently focused on developing nuclear weapons, and North Korea is hard at work, extending its military capability into space and, correspondingly, achieving a status where they can pose a threat to the security of the United States. Some 25 countries and counting are acquiring domestic missiles, many capable of carrying weapons of mass destruction. Despite all this, the Obama administration plans to cut the Missile Defense Agency's budget for fiscal year 2010 by $1.4 billion. The reduction in missile defense should be of concern to all Americans. Without an investment in missile defense today, given the complexity of the science and engineering involved in developing new systems, we will not be able to respond to the threats to the United States of tomorrow.

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Thank you, Congressman Akin. I think that Congressman Franks is right in discussing that this administration is de-emphasizing missile defense at the very time when we need it the most in the uncertain age, international environment, security environment that we're coming into. And I think to say that, well, if we develop it anyway, they will develop the capability to overwhelm the system I think presupposes that we're not going to be able to continue to improve technology as we always have been.

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Thank you, Congressman Akin. I was just in a discussion with the Armed Services Committee, which we both sit on. And it is interesting that the discussion today was on missile defense, and that those who were opposed to saying that missile defense is a strategy, wish to rely on the Cold War strategy of mutually assured destruction. I think the problem with that strategy----

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Yes. And it surprises me. I am not sure why or the origins of the partisanship.

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Well, there is some thawing of that, some signals of change. But certainly the majority still fall, unfortunately, on the other side of this issue. And the thinking is that nation states will behave rationally and that they will not attack the United States because the United States could in fact retaliate in kind, and that their nation would be destroyed. The difficulty, I think, with that is if we look at a nation state like Iran gaining nuclear weapons capability, if we look at Pakistan, should the government be destabilized and fall into radical Islamist hands, will those nation states behave in a rational way? Will North Korea continue to behave in a rational way?

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Congressman Akin, I think what the budget fails to realize is how much the American people are suffering, that the level of stress on small business and the level of stress on the average American family, that it is Congress' first responsibility to stabilize this economy, to end this steep descent into a recession. And then afterwards, we ought to have a debate on energy policy. We ought to have a debate on health care. We ought to have a debate on global warming. We ought to have a debate on all these other things. But our first and foremost responsibility is to stabilize this economy. And I think that the President's Chief of Staff said it well; that a crisis is a terrible thing to waste, and words to the effect that we need to use it as an opportunity to do other agenda-driven items. And in doing so, I think they compromise the value of the stimulus and stabilizing this economy.

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Thank you. I think that what is most alarming about the level of borrowing, as a freshman Congressman, in our orientation process, we had economists of all ideological stripes, and I think that they differed on what was stimulative spending. They maybe differed on the amount of deficit spending that might be required for the recession. But one thing that they were all in agreement with is that we had to close that deficit gap. We had to control our spending within certainly the next 2 or 3 years because if we don't, and this plan that we're talking about that you have just referenced does not in any way close that spending gap, then we are going to have government borrowing competing with private sector borrowing as we try to move out of this recession and it's going to lead to high interest rates, high inflation rates. And if you overlay these taxes that are envisioned in this budget plan, you've really got a recipe for 1979/ 1980: stagflation, double-digit interest rates, double-digit inflation, slow to no growth in the economy. Only my worry is, again, unless we control spending, it's not going to be temporary as it was in 1980 and then, of course, we got the Reagan tax cuts and we moved out of it, but that we are not going to return to prosperity and we are going to have some real problems.

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Congressman Akin, you know, I think that it is best categorized as generational theft. I had a high school senior when I was back home over this Easter recess and met with a high school, with a government class, and she said something very interesting. She said, I don't think this is fair to me, what the Congress is doing. I tried to describe it to the class as saying it is like if your parents with their credit cards were given no limit on their credit cards and signed you up as the guarantor for that debt. So in trying to put it in something they can relate to, it is very hard to relate to this extraordinary amount of debt that I think the majority in the Congress is thinking about today, and not thinking about tomorrow. To use the financial crisis as an excuse for their going into debt in the third year and the fourth year and the fifth year and the sixth year absolutely doesn't make sense.

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Well, thank you Congressman Akin. I think if you wanted to hurt small business, unfortunately, where you would start is certainly by increasing their tax burden.

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Well, Congressman Akin, I think one of the issues we are going to be debating very soon in the Congress that is in the budget plan is certainly cap-and-trade, that tax on carbon, putting a burden across America from the standpoint of consumers as well as businesses in terms of a carbon tax. I think that is going to lead to the greatest export of America will continue to be jobs overseas. It is an economic development tool for India and China.

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Well, thank you Congressman Akin. We are truly in a challenging time, and the American people have to hope that this budget is not fully implemented, that we in the Congress wake up and stop this madness of spending and taxing. I think it has been certainly said before that this budget spends too much, taxes too much and borrows too much. Again, it is a generational theft.

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Madam Speaker, to my colleagues, please join me in a moment of silence for the victims and their families.

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Madam Speaker, I know that the whole House joins the Colorado delegation in their sorrow at the tragic events of 1999. The Nation was horrified. This was an event that changed the Nation and still casts a shadow on our culture. The community around Columbine still deals with this event, and I believe it is appropriate for us to pause and reflect on what happened that terrible day. I would now yield to my colleague, Ms. DeGette.

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of House Resolution 339. I am pleased to join my colleagues, Peter Welch and Jim Langevin, as well as the many cosponsors of this resolution, in expressing the pride of the United States House of Representatives regarding the heroic actions of Captain Richard Phillips, the crew of the Maersk Alabama, and the professionalism and skill of the crews of the USS Bainbridge, the USS Boxer, the USS Halyburton, Patrol Squadron (VP) 8 and the U.S. Navy SEALs. On April 8, 2009, in what has now become a well-known story, a group of armed Somali pirates hijacked the Norfolk, Virginia-based Maersk Alabama, which is a cargo ship sailing under a U.S. flag. The Alabama was on a mission to deliver over 8,000 metric tons of vital food aid to Kenya, Somalia, and Uganda. This food aid had been provided by U.S. taxpayers through the United States Agency for International Development. It was highly ironic, then, that the Somali pirates targeted a vessel destined to provide relief to their home country. When the Alabama came under attack, it was also the first such attack on a U.S.-flagged vessel in modern history. But the surprise that the crew of the Alabama must have felt did little to deter positive action on their part. The crew of the Maersk Alabama overpowered one of the pirate attackers, and the ship's commander, Captain Richard Phillips, offered himself up in return for the safe release of his crew and ship. Captain Phillips' courageous action is a credit to him, his 20 years of maritime experience, his alma mater, the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, and his hometown of Underhill, Vermont. Four of the Somali pirates fled with Captain Phillips to an 18-foot lifeboat and set off for the Somali coast. The length of the Somali coastline is vast, roughly the same length as the entire eastern seaboard of the United States. Despite the diligent efforts of the international community and the U.S.-led Combined Task Force 151 counter-piracy operations, military vessels cannot be every place at once. As a result, the nearest U.S. ship at the time of the incident was more than 300 nautical miles away. In response to the distress call from the Maersk Alabama, the United States Fifth Fleet immediately dispatched maritime patrol aircraft to locate, positively identify and monitor the Maersk Alabama to direct the closest U.S. Navy ship to the rescue. The United States Navy destroyer USS Bainbridge, which had been patrolling the region due to the increase in pirate activity, soon arrived. The Bainbridge, under command of U.S. Navy Commander Frank Castellano, monitored the conditions on the lifeboat and prevented the pirates from escaping. Commander Castellano also served as the on-the-scene coordinator for the combined rescue efforts of the State Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation hostage negotiators, and the United States Navy. While being held by pirates, Captain Phillips attempted a daring escape-- diving into the ocean and trying to swim to safety before being captured. Captain Phillips' ordeal cannot be understated. The pirates held him at gunpoint for 5 days until the U.S. Navy SEALs, who had quickly deployed to the scene onboard the USS Bainbridge, rescued Captain Phillips, demonstrating their extraordinary valor and skill. The captain and crew of the Bainbridge were supported by two additional U.S. Navy ships. The USS Halyburton, an Oliver Hazard Perry- class frigate, assisted the USS Bainbridge with the rescue operation by ensuring that the pirates were blocked in their attempts to reach the Somali coast. The USS Boxer, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, assisted in the rescue operation by standing by to provide immediate medical support, which was, thankfully, not needed in this operation. It is also remarkable to note that the namesake for the USS Bainbridge is Captain William Bainbridge, one of the United States' earliest naval officers who became the country's most famous pirate hostage. In October 1803, Captain Bainbridge was in command of the USS Philadelphia, a 36-gun frigate, on a mission to blockade North African pirate ships from Tripoli. Following an unfortunate grounding of the Philadelphia on a shallow reef near shore, Captain Bainbridge and his crew of 300 were taken hostage and held in captivity for nearly 2 years. When Captain Bainbridge finally returned to this country, he continued to serve in the U.S. Navy and went on to distinguish himself in the War of 1812. Now, 200 years later, pirates continue to operate along the coast of Africa, and the U.S. Navy ship named in his honor has played such a critical role in thwarting their efforts. In conclusion, I urge the international community, as well as President Obama, to apply both private and government means to combat piracy. While the U.S. military can have a significant deterrence on piracy and can play a key role in disrupting pirate attacks, a long- term solution to this problem cannot be found through military force alone. I also urge my colleagues to adopt House Resolution 339 to recognize the bravery of the crew of the Maersk Alabama, commend Captain Phillips who selflessly placed himself in harm's way to protect his crew, congratulate the United States Navy, the crews of the USS Bainbridge, Boxer, Halyburton, Patrol Squadron 8 and the Navy SEALs on the scene for their decisive action that resulted in the rescue of Captain Phillips and join all Americans in expressing great relief that the crew has returned home safely. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I would like to further comment on the issue of piracy and how we address this in that I feel that there is a cost-effective solution available to us. Right now, in trying to patrol 1.1 million square miles of ocean, we have deployed a carrier strike group and an additional combined task force; and it is a sledgehammer going after a fly when all we need is a flyswatter. I would like to propose that the administration consider placing a small detachment of United States Marines or sailors with cruiser weapons aboard U.S.-flagged merchant ships sailing through these waters. There is an average of one U.S. flagship per day sailing through the Gulf of Aiden. And so the Department of Defense response was that we are stretched in resources, and it would be difficult to deploy a squad of marines or the equivalent of sailors aboard this one U.S.-flagged merchant ship going through the Gulf of Aiden on a daily basis. Yet, we are deploying over 10 ships on a daily basis in these waters, which require far more resources than a small detachment of U.S. marines or sailors. The precedent for this is certainly during World War II, when we did so to protect our U.S.-flagged merchant shipping. I believe the situation exists today where we have cause to do so. And this is not simply a criminal activity. In 1803, when Captain Bainbridge was in command of the USS Philadelphia, President Thomas Jefferson saw fit to see the actions of the Barbary pirates as an act of war, and I view the conduct of the Somalia pirates as the same. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, Sunday night a candlelight vigil was held at Columbine Memorial at Clement Park in Littleton, Colorado. Yesterday, April 20th, marks the 10-year anniversary of the shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. This senseless act of violence touched all Americans. As a community and Nation, we were in shock and disbelief that such a horrific incident could take place anywhere in the United States. The volunteer members of the Columbine Memorial Foundation have dedicated themselves to preserving the memories of those who were lost on that terrible day. I am proud to recognize their tireless efforts in establishing the memorial. The Columbine Memorial Foundation gives a description of the events that occurred immediately following the shootings at Columbine on April 20, 1999, that eventually led to the establishment of the memorial: ``At first, there was an outpouring of flowers, notes, poems, ribbons, stuffed animals, pictures and other objects that were brought to Clement Park to pay tribute to those who had died, were injured or traumatized. From the initial outpouring of emotions and disbelief came the concept of establishing a permanent public memorial near the high school. This memorial should serve to honor those innocent victims, but also provide an historic record of this tragedy and to deliver a message of hope for many generations to come. This memorial is dedicated to honor and remember the victims of the April 20th, 1999, shootings at Columbine High School. ``The Columbine Memorial consists of an inner ring of Remembrance with unique personal remembrances submitted from the families of those who were murdered. The outer ring of Healing is for all those who were injured on April 20th, 1999, and for the larger community who was touched by the tragic events at Columbine. A variety of general text gathered from interviews of students, teachers, the injured and their families and other community members tell diverse stories of healing, changes in the community and hopes of the future. ``There are overlooks along and on top of Rebel Hill providing panoramic views of the Rocky Mountains, the eastern plains and the Columbine community.'' The candlelight vigil was a moving tribute to the memories of the students and the teacher who had fallen and to their families and to the members of this community who have suffered so much from their loss. We will never be able to thank the members of the Columbine Memorial Foundation enough for their leadership in making the memorial a reality. Through their extraordinary personal contributions to preserve the memories of the lives lost that day, we will never forget the tragic events of April 20th, 1999, at Columbine High School.

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Madam Speaker, President Barack Obama used a prime time news conference last night to defend his $3.6 trillion budget plan. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says the President's budget would run up a $9.3 trillion debt over the next 10 years. This budget spends too much. Middle class families and small businesses are making sacrifices when it comes to their own budgets, yet Washington continues to spend trillions of taxpayers' dollars on bailouts and other government programs. The budget taxes too much. It contains the largest tax increase in American history. The budget borrows too much. Unchecked spending will result in borrowing hundreds of billions of dollars from China and the Middle East Madam Speaker, the American people deserve a responsible budget from their President. This budget will guarantee that our economy will never fully recover.

Mr. COFFMAN

Mr. COFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. If I voted, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. COFFMAN

Mr. COFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, the President's budget is a recipe for high inflation, higher interest rates and a permanent downsizing of the U.S. economy. For the President to say that this budget has fiscal year discipline defies all common sense. The President says he will cut the deficit in half over the next 5 years. However, that is only after he hikes it to over $1 trillion in the first year. His promise of never having a balanced budget has even caused our largest public debt holder, the People's Republic of China, to take notice and express concern over the lack of fiscal responsibilities in this budget. When the economy begins to recover, public borrowing under the President's budget will compete with the demand for private borrowing, leading to a dramatic rise in interest rates and inflation, weakening the value of the dollar and lessening the value of U.S. Treasury notes. Mr. Speaker, this budget taxes too much, spends too much and borrows too much and must be defeated.

Mr. COFFMAN

Mr. COFFMAN. Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 100 I was not recorded because I was absent so that I might testify at a public hearing before the Colorado Ethics Commission. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.'' On rollcall No. 101 I was not recorded because I was absent so that I might testify at a public hearing before the Colorado Ethics Commission. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' On rollcall no. 102 I was not recorded because I was absent so that I might testify at a public hearing before the Colorado Ethics Commission. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' On rollcall no. 103 I was not recorded because I was absent so that I might testify at a public hearing before the Colorado Ethics Commission. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' On rollcall no. 104 I was not recorded because I was absent so that I might testify at a public hearing before the Colorado Ethics Commission. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.'' On rollcall no. 105 I was not recorded because I was absent so that I might testify at a public hearing before the Colorado Ethics Commission. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.'' On rollcall no. 106 I was not recorded because I was absent so that I might testify at a public hearing before the Colorado Ethics Commission. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' On rollcall no. 107 I was not recorded because I was absent so that I might testify at a public hearing before the Colorado Ethics Commission. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.'' On rollcall no. 108 I was not recorded because I was absent so that I might testify at a public hearing before the Colorado Ethics Commission. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' On rollcall no. 109 I was not recorded because I was absent so that I might testify at a public hearing before the Colorado Ethics Commission. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. COFFMAN

Mr. COFFMAN. Madam Speaker, last Friday, at Ft. Logan National Cemetery in Colorado, Captain Marvin Westberg was laid to his rest with full honors. He passed away February 18 at the age of 87. Captain Westberg attended what is now the University of Northern Colorado, in Greeley. He then joined the United States Navy, spending 22 years on active duty. He served in both WWII and the Korea War. After retiring from the United States Navy in 1964, he started a second long career with United Airlines. I have spoken to Marv on several occasions. Among the best stories he told was about one instance when he was training a young pilot to fly. Marv fired up his trademark pipe in the cockpit and gave the trainee a command, to which the trainee replied, ``Can't see sir, too much smoke, sir!'' Marv never forgot that the trainee was the elder George Bush. Marv also witnessed the surrender of Japan from his ship, anchored next to the USS Missouri in Tokyo harbor, on September 2, 1945. Madam Speaker, our nation and our liberties are built from the service of men and women like Captain Marvin Westberg. He contributed his talents and abilities to our national defense, to our nation's economy, to our political system, and to the life of his friends and neighbors. I just wanted to take a small moment to recognize his service, and his career.