Thelma Drake

Mrs. DRAKE

Mrs. DRAKE. 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.

Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. H.R. 853, introduced by our colleague from California (Mr. McKeon), removes land use restrictions on property acquired from the Forest Service by the Mammoth Community Water District in Mono County, California. In 1987, the U.S. Forest Service conveyed 25 acres to the water district under land use conditions at the time. Of these lands, 12 acres are now needed for different uses, including much-needed water utility operations. Implementation of this noncontroversial bill will ultimately benefit the local water consumer and will adhere to all Federal, State, and local environmental laws. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers and yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. DRAKE

Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 975) to provide consistent enforcement authority to the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Forest Service to respond to violations of regulations regarding the management, use, and protection of public lands under the jurisdiction of these agencies, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. DRAKE

Ms. DRAKE. 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.

Mrs. DRAKE

Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 975, introduced by the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tancredo), would provide consistent enforcement authority to the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Forest Service to respond to violation of regulations regarding the management, use, and protection of public lands under the jurisdiction of these agencies. Additionally, this measure includes two technical corrections to drafting errors. I would like to recognize and thank Chairman Goodlatte and the House Agriculture Committee for its cooperation on this bill. H.R. 975 shares bipartisan support, and I urge its adoption. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. DRAKE

Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. DRAKE. 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.

Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 3443, introduced by the gentlewoman from Colorado (Mrs. Musgrave), will transfer ownership of three Bureau of Reclamation water distribution facilities within the Big Thompson project in Colorado to the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District. This local water district has operated and maintained these canals since 1957 and has repaid all capital costs associated with the facilities. Transfer of these single-purpose projects creates a win-win situation by decreasing Federal liability, allowing more cost-effective and efficient management by the water district and fostering local ownership. In light of these benefits, the Bureau of Reclamation should be more proactive in working with local water users to ensure that more transfers take place. I commend Mrs. Musgrave for introducing this legislation and urge support for this bipartisan noncontroversial bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Mrs. Musgrave).

Mrs. DRAKE

Mrs. DRAKE. 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.

Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 452 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating a military memorial in St. Louis as a unit of the National Park System. In 1923, the City of St. Louis voted to spend $6 million to purchase a memorial plaza and building dedicated to citizens of St. Louis who lost their lives in World War I. The purchase of the memorial site exhausted the funds. In 1933, the city government raised another $1 million to construct a memorial building on the site. On October 14, 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt officially dedicated the site, and the building was open to the public on Memorial Day, 1938. Currently, the memorial is administered by the City of St. Louis with a budget of $192,000. Local officials have expressed that the memorial faces an uncertain future without Federal assistance and would like a Federal agency to administer the site. Again, this bill only proposes a study of this memorial and the possibility of its becoming a unit of the National Park System. I urge adoption of the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. DRAKE

Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey) for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I think this is a perfect time to talk about the very brave acts of our men and women who are serving to defend this Nation. I recently led an armed services trip to Iraq. The very first person that I met looked me in the eye and he said to me, Ma'am, do not worry about me. He said, I know what I am doing. He said I know what the threat to this Nation is; and if I have anything to do with it, we will never have another attack on our Nation. He picked up his gear. He said, So do not worry. Just pray for me. And he walked away. The thing that I brought back from that trip to Iraq, and I realized it immediately, is that these men and women are true heroes. They volunteered to serve in our military and many of them have volunteered to serve in Iraq because they understand the threat that faces this Nation if we were to fail. But what they want to know, Mr. Speaker, is what is America saying and what is America thinking? They watch C-SPAN. They watch the words that you say. And I was proud to be able to be there in Iraq and tell them the stories of America, about true Americans who value what they are doing who are at Sea World and stand and clap and cheer, the marines that walked through the airport in Ireland on our way back and everyone stood and everyone clapped for those marines. The reason we are on this floor today talking about this is because the other side has made this an issue; and for the last several months, all we have heard is that we need to bring our troops home. I do not know if you have seen the letter that has come from a- Zawahiri to al-Zarqawi. One of the quotes in this letter is: ``Things may develop faster than we imagined. The aftermath of the collapse of American power in Vietnam and how they ran and left their agents is noteworthy.'' When the speaker of the Iraq General Assembly came to Washington about 6 weeks ago, four of us went to hear him; and he repeatedly said, there is no other option. When Members of this body went on January 30 to the first election in Iraq, there were two things that they said to our Members: one, you cannot have purple ink on your finger because you are not an Iraqi; and, two, do not abandon us. Mr. Speaker, we are on the brink of a democracy and freedom in Iraq. If we were to cut and run like they expect us to do, then what is going to happen is the 2,000-plus Americans who have died and given their lives for freedom will be for naught. Mr. Speaker, I hope that we defeat this resolution on the floor today and show those men and women that are watching us on TV that we support what they are doing.

Mrs. DRAKE

Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I too rise in strong support of H.R. 4326. After 13 historic deployments, the nuclear carrier USS Carl Vinson is ready to undertake a large and complex refueling process at Newport News, Virginia. The Refueling and Complex Overhaul will provide the necessary work for the 2,000 workers standing by at Newport News who are simply waiting on Congress to do its job and authorize this work to begin. Funds are authorized in both versions of the fiscal year 2006 defense authorization bill and appropriated in both versions of the fiscal year 2006 defense appropriations bill. However, delays with both bills have created a serious situation. If the Navy is not granted this authority to enter into this contract, the result will be the laying off of hundreds of shipyard workers in Hampton Roads. The ship is currently being prepped for refueling, using fiscal year 2005 dollars. However, the funding for such preparation runs out this Friday. Without this legislation, the workers, materials, and resources that have already been assigned to complete such work will have to be reallocated, thus costing the American taxpayer millions. The passage of this bill will allow the Navy to contract and fund this maintenance for 30 to 45 days until the defense authorization and appropriations conference reports can be acted upon. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to thank Chairman Duncan Hunter, the staff of the Armed Services Committee, Congresswoman Davis, as well as House leadership and Congressman Eric Cantor, for their hard work on this legislation.

Mrs. DRAKE

Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Tennessee for hosting this event tonight and for inviting us here to tell the American people exactly what is in this bill that we will all vote on tomorrow. I know that she joins me as a Republican in our belief in smaller government, personal responsibility, and accountability. This deficit reduction bill is an example of this philosophy. This bill creates a planned reform and savings for taxpayers. It is important that we set priorities and that we make tough choices. I also know the gentlewoman from Tennessee would agree with me that how we spend taxpayer dollars is one of our greatest responsibilities as Members of Congress, and that we need to spend smarter and wiser. It is unfortunate, Mr. Speaker, that this plan is being misrepresented. Just Monday of this week it was represented on the House floor by Mr. Meek, and this was in regards to veterans' care, who said, and I quote, ``because the majority side has made a 5-year cut of $14 billion.'' That same night Ms. Wasserman Schultz said, and I quote ``There is a proposal to cut $600 million in veterans' health care.'' Mr. Speaker, the reality is in this deficit reduction bill there are no cuts proposed for veterans' health care. In fact, in the last 5 years, funding has increased by 50 percent. In fact, the Veterans Committee was not asked to participate in spending reform. We recognize, we appreciate, and we value the service of our military members and our veterans, and we know that their health care and their benefits are critical and very, very important to them. On November 2, this House unanimously approved H.R. 4061, the Department of Veterans' Affairs Information Technology Management Improvement Act. This Act combines three information technology programs into one. Currently, benefits, health, and burial claims are handled by three separate IT departments. This was common-sense reform to turn these into one and will save the Federal Government $1.7 billion simply by turning three programs into one. This is exactly the type of example which shows we are redesigning government, reforming programs, and saving taxpayer dollars. Mr. Speaker, billions have been spent on IT systems by both the VA and Department of Defense, and these agencies still cannot share medical information. This is corrected in H.R. 4061. The result of this reform is not only to save taxpayer dollars, but it provides a seamless transition for our servicemembers and makes the process easier. I know the gentlewoman from Tennessee is happy to hear that: save money, do it easier, and do something that makes sense. The Department of Defense and the VA will be able to share information on health records and claims for disability benefits. Also understand that these necessary responsible reforms are critical to be sure that important programs remain in place and are able to sustain themselves. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for sharing her time with me today and being able to talk just before Veterans Day about the wonderful service of our veterans and our military.

Mrs. DRAKE

Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Chairman, I am proud to be a cosponsor of H.R. 4128, and I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill on behalf of property owners across our Nation. This legislation clearly prohibits economic development as a public use, period, with no room for misunderstanding. Eminent domain, for the purpose of economic development, is absolutely opposite our belief as Americans of our right to own private property. Our role as Members of Congress is to protect the public. We have a responsibility to use legislative powers to clearly define private property rights. I would like to thank the sponsors of the bill, the chairman and committees that have worked on it, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 4128.

Mrs. DRAKE

Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to be here tonight, along with fellow colleagues and with the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Duncan Hunter, to talk to you about the war in Iraq. During my recent visit to Iraq, it was clear to me that our brave military men and women know what they are doing, why they are doing it, the progress they are making, and the threat to our world and our way of life if they fail. They see the big picture: Iraq is a key piece in a region-wide and worldwide struggle. What they wanted to know was what were the American people saying and thinking, and they wanted to know why their stories are not being told, and why their successes are not being told. Mr. Speaker, recently there was a New York Times article that included this quote. It says: ``I kind of predicted this. A third time just seems like I am pushing my chances.'' But in reality, Mr. Speaker, that was a much longer quote that I would like for you to see and I would like for you to hear. What that quote said was: ``Obviously, if you're reading this, then I have died in Iraq. I kind of predicted this. That is why I am writing this in November. A third time just seemed like I am pushing my chances. I don't regret going. Everybody dies, but few get to do it for something as important as freedom. It may seem confusing why we are in Iraq. It's not to me. I am here helping these people so that they can live the way that we live, not have to worry about tyrants or vicious dictators, to do what they want to do with their lives. To me, that is why I died. Others have died for my freedom. Now this is my mark.'' Corporal Jeffrey B. Starr. We would all like to thank Corporal Starr for his service, to tell him and his family that America mourns their very great loss, and to say that he is a true American hero. We are here tonight to tell his story and to tell the story of the very brave men and women who are serving to keep us free. First, I would like to start by recognizing Congressman Dan Burton from Indiana.

Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman for taking his time to join us tonight to talk about true American heroes and what they are doing. You will find it interesting that today in the Armed Services Committee, we had a panel of three men, Marines and Army both, who have served in Iraq. And when they were questioned about media coverage, they gave a couple of very interesting comments. One told us he never knew the war was going so poorly until he came home. Another one told us that the Iraqi press is doing a wonderful job of reporting what is going on over there, those independent newspapers and magazines that you have just referenced, now having 100 of them in Iraq. Servicemembers there feel that the press is only reporting when bullets are flying and not the progress that they are making. So I thank the gentleman for being here, and I thank the gentleman for his comments.

Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

Mrs. DRAKE. Congressman, I would like to tell you two stories about the Iraqi people. On my trip, I was quite amazed, flying from Baghdad to Balad in a black Army helicopter, very low and very fast over agricultural fields; and the people working the fields were waving at the helicopter. When we got to Balad, I commented, only to be told they always wave at us. The second story was in Arizona this summer I went out for a congressional meeting. Turned out my cab driver was from Iraq. He has been here 16 years. Still has family in Iraq. And he goes to Iraq on a contract working with the Iraqi troops. When he realized I was a Member of Congress, he stopped the cab, turned around and said, ``I would like for you to thank the American people for me for what you have done.'' He said, ``When I go over there, it is like I am on vacation. There is only a few places where there are problems.'' He said, ``You people work so hard and so long, I do not think that you ever sleep, and you do it all for us.''

Mrs. DRAKE. Next I would like to recognize the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey).

Mrs. DRAKE. Congressman, thank you for coming and being with us. I am sure on your trip that it was just like on mine, I realized immediately these are people who have chosen to be here. It is an all-volunteer force. I am sure you also saw, as I did, that many of them volunteered to go to Iraq and to go back to Iraq; and it is just so impressive, the commitment that they have given to our Nation and the words of our men and women just like Corporal Starr. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Tennessee.