Chet Edwards

Mr. EDWARDS

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I represent over 40,000 patriotic Americans who have served in Iraq. Over 200 Army soldiers have given their lives there. I revere them, their service and their sacrifice, and that is exactly why I believe a vote on war is the single most solemn responsibility we ever have as a Member of Congress. Yet tonight the House leadership, on a partisan basis, has given each Member of Congress on average 7.8 seconds. That is right, 7.8 seconds to speak his or her conscience on whether or not we should keep or remove our troops from Iraq. This process, especially without a single hearing, a single witness, on a resolution just introduced a few hours ago, does a disservice to the enormity of the issue of war and peace before us, to the integrity of this House, and to the sacrifice of our servicemen and -women now in harm's way. In 1991, when this House debated whether to go to war in Iraq, and I was in that debate, Speaker Foley gave each Member of the House 5 minutes, and the country was mesmerized by the voices of conscience on each side. What was the result? When the vote was cast, the country was united and the troops I represented knew their Nation was behind them. But this partisan process tonight does a disservice to our troops. It divides our Nation, and it divides this Congress. If we are going to debate the issue, the solemn issue of war and peace, let us do it the right way. Vote ``no'' on this resolution and let every Member of the House have the right to voice his or her conscience.

Mr. EDWARDS

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker, at long last we are supporting America's veterans with our deeds and not just with our words, and in that process, I want to salute the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh), my colleague, friend and chairman of the Veterans' Affairs, Military Quality of Life Subcommittee in that effort. This is a good bill that takes positive steps to redress the wrongs done to veterans over the last several years when, in fact, we were cutting veterans services during a time of war, something that many of us on the floor of this House time and again said was immoral. This bill increases VA medical services by $2.5 billion over the President's original request. I salute this committee and the House and its leadership for doing that. I also would point out that that itself suggests that the administration has woefully underfunded veterans health care needs during a time of war. Never again should our country send young Americans into war and then scrimp on supporting those who have sacrificed the most to their service during that war. This bill specifically sets aside $2.2 billion for VA mental health care medical services, and on that particular point, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh) deserves special recognition for taking the initiative to see that the VA does put more resources into helping those young Americans, men and women alike, who have paid a serious mental health care price for their love of country and service to country. The fact is that we have and the VA has been underfunding mental health care services to our veterans. Third, this bill restores funding of $85 million for State nursing home construction. We have an aging of the veterans population. I guess I had a great difference with the administration in its original proposal to cut by as much as two-thirds the number of veterans that we provide for in long-term nursing home care. This bill corrects that mistake of the administration. I salute the bipartisan effort in this bill to reject the administration's proposal to have a $250 enrollment fee for every veteran wanting to sign up for VA health care services. Many of us have long felt that our veterans have paid their enrollment fee when they put on our country's uniform and went into harm's way in protection of all of us. I am glad this committee rejected the administration proposal to double prescription copays for veterans, veterans who are struggling every month to make ends meet. I think a very important part of this bill that was put together somewhat at my urging, but truly on a bipartisan basis, and that is, that no longer are we going to be just completely dependent upon the VA Secretary or OMB to tell us whether we are cutting veterans services during a time of war. This bill has some very stringent reporting requirements to be done on a quarterly basis, where the VA must provide this Congress with information about whether we are reducing staff, cutting services, underfunding health care for veterans, especially during a time of war. I think this Congress has a moral responsibility to make its own independent judgment about whether we are adequately supporting our veterans and not have to be completely dependent upon what the Director of OMB or the Secretary of the VA have said. Having said all of that about the very positive things in this bill for veterans, I must just for a brief moment add to what the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) said about this process. I hope this step forward for America's veterans in a tangible way ends what I think has been a sad chapter over the last 2 years. How ironic it is that the funding for veterans health care in this bill is equivalent to the funding called for over 2 years ago by Republican Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey who chaired the Veterans' Affairs Committee. How did the House Republican leadership, not this committee, how did the House Republican leadership respond to the gentleman from New Jersey's call to adequately support veterans health care? Did they thank him? Did they salute him? Did they award him? No. They fired him. They took away his chairmanship of the Veterans' Affairs Committee and even took him off the committee itself. That was a sad moment in the history of this House in our service to veterans, and I hope never again will a chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee be fired for standing up for veterans and putting his commitment to veterans above his commitment to partisan loyalty. I salute this bill and the chairman of this subcommittee for the step forward in military construction. It provides about $2 billion more than we spent on military construction last year. These are training ranges. These are houses and barracks and much-needed quality-of-life improvements for our service men and women. I am proud of what this committee has done under the leadership of the chairman and on a bipartisan basis for military construction commitments and improving the quality of life for Americans who are sacrificing so very much every day for our Nation. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would just express two concerns, not about this committee's work, but about the future for veterans and our military. One is the VA is still grossly underestimating the net number of new veterans coming into the VA health care system. The latest numbers I saw said they projected 84,000 net new veterans this year in the VA medical system. That is in total contrast to a net increase of about 250,000 each year for the last 2, 3, or 4 years. I think it is going to be important for our subcommittee and for the full Appropriations Committee in this House to monitor every month in the months ahead whether the increase in the number of veterans into the VA medical care system makes even this substantially improved medical budget inadequate. I look forward to carrying out that responsibility on a bipartisan basis. Finally, in terms of military construction, I am not sure we yet have from the administration or the Department of Defense a full cost accounting for the cost of construction, military construction, as a result of the base closing and realignment process and the redeployment of our troops from Germany and South Korea. My own prediction is that the administration has grossly underestimated the actual cost of military construction. So while this bill does have a very significant increase in MILCON projects, and, again, I enthusiastically support that increase, I think it is going to be important for this House to monitor what the true cost of military construction will be so that over the next 12 to 24 months, we are not cutting corners for better housing for our service men and women and their families even as they sacrifice for all of us during time of war. This is a good bill, Mr. Speaker. I salute the chairman of the committee, Mr. Walsh; the leadership of the full Committee on Appropriations, Mr. Lewis and Mr. Obey, for asking the question of what is right for America's veterans. I think this bill is a great step in the right direction, and I urge my colleagues on a bipartisan basis to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr).

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 3 minutes. Mr. Speaker, I will conclude with several comments. First, I could not agree more with Mr. Lewis, the chairman of the full Appropriations Committee, that it would be a positive step for all of us to work in carrying out our responsibility for congressional oversight over VA health care programs, and I would add to that, over military construction programs. I know that is something the chairman of the subcommittee has worked on and actually started the process on, and I look forward to continuing that effort. It is important that we not only adequately fund veterans health care and other veterans programs, the quality-of-life programs for military servicemen and women and their families, we need to be sure those dollars are being spent in the way that Congress intended them to be spent. I want to thank several groups. First, I want to thank our veterans service organizations, made up of millions of men and women who have served our country proudly in uniform during time of war and peace. And yet like so many veterans, when they take that uniform off, their love of country does not wane, and their continuing commitment to service is an inspiration to all of us. Without the strong leadership over the last 2 years of the veterans service organizations who have never let up in saying it would be wrong, and it is wrong, to cut veterans health care services during a time of war, I am not sure we would be at this funding level today. So I salute them. I also want to salute the incredibly able staff of this subcommittee. On the Democratic side: Tom Forhan and Bob Bonner. On the Republican side, hard-working, dedicated employees as well: Carol Murphy, the staff director of this committee; Tim Peterson; Sarah Young; Walter Hearne; and Mary Arnold. What a privilege it is for the chairman and me to be able to work with a staff that at every step of the way is simply asking one question: What is the right thing to do for our servicemen and women and their families and what is the right thing to do for our veterans? Like so many of our veterans that are not honored with memorials in this Nation's Capitol, this subcommittee staff is working every day behind the scenes to make a positive difference for very, very deserving people, and I want to thank them for all they do, day in and day out, without any expectation of public acclaim. My final note is left to honor a veteran. As we approach Thanksgiving and in a few minutes pass this bill, I cannot help but think, Mr. Speaker, about a young veteran, 20 years old, that I met at Walter Reed Army Hospital on Thanksgiving morning 2 years ago. He had come back from Iraq with an amputated leg, sitting in his room alone with the exception of being there with his mother. When I walked in and saw his condition, the first thing he said to me was, ``Sir, I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me. I'm proud to have served my country, and I would be proud to serve it again.'' I hope we will always remember that is what this bill is all about, standing up for those who have stood up for our Nation and the American family. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. EDWARDS

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I would challenge any Member who votes for this budget to answer just one question: name one, just one religion in the world that preaches the values of asking the most from those who have the least and asking nothing from those who have the most. Sadly, that is what this budget does. This budget is an assault on the faith-based values of American families. It is about mean-spirited cuts in college student loans and harmful cuts in health care for low- and middle-income working families. Why? To pay for Katrina? No. To reduce the deficit? No. This budget increases the deficit. These cuts are being made tonight to pay for tomorrow's $220,000 tax cut and dividend tax cuts for those making $1 million a year. That is right. But it is wrong. If the House Republican leadership thinks this budget truly reflects American values, it proves just how sadly out of touch they are with the values of average working families. All the fig-leaf sound bites in the world will not hide the sad truth that this budget is an assault on the dreams of middle- and low-income working families, dreams of decent health care, a college education, and a better life for their children: the American Dream. The congressional architects of the three largest deficits in American history once again tonight fail the test of fairness and fiscal responsibility.

Mr. EDWARDS

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, more than slogans, sound bites and speeches, far more important for Members of Congress is what we do when it comes to expressing our values. What we do in this budget will say more about the values of Members of Congress than any speech given on the floor of the House this year. It is interesting and it is sad that while last week we honored Rosa Parks as the first woman in American history to lie in state in the Rotunda of our Nation's Capitol, just a few days later, this House leadership will dishonor all that she stood for. How? By cutting child support, by cutting foster family programs, by cutting 40,000 students off of school lunch programs, by robbing $14.3 billion from student financial aid to give our hard-working, high-achieving youth a chance for better life through a college education, and by cutting health care programs for low-income families. Rosa Parks did not just fight for a seat on the bus. She fought for fairness for every American, and to see that every child has a chance, a fair chance, to reach his or her highest God-given potential. This legislation is an attack upon those high principles. The mean- spirited cuts in this bill will hurt decent, hard-working American families who are doing their best to help their children have a better life. Why? Not to pay for Hurricane Katrina costs. The House leadership is doing this so that people making $1 million a year this year in dividend income can continue to receive every dime of their $220,000-a- year tax cut. Mr. Speaker, if this is compassionate conservatism, where is the compassion? If this is a faith-based program, I would ask what major religion in the world preaches the values of taking the most from those who have the least and taking nothing from those who have the most? This budget makes a mockery of the American values of fairness and shared sacrifice during time of war. Rosa Parks understood that actions speak far louder than words. The American people understand this. And I believe when the American people find that Republican leadership of this House wants to make college education less affordable for hard- working middle-income and lower-income children in this country; when Americans find out that they want to cut Medicaid health care services for pregnant women and take away school lunches from children who need a decent nutritional lunch in order to reach their highest God-given potential in school, I think they are going to be outraged. This budget bill aptly, or should I say amazingly, named the Deficit Reduction Act, is actually going to raise the deficit as the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt) said by $52 billion. Mr. Speaker, if there were a law against dishonesty in naming legislation before this House, anyone who votes for this bill would deserve a felony conviction. This bill is wrong for America. It does not reflect the values of the vast majority of good, decent, hard- working American citizens, Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike. More than anything I have seen in my 14 years in Congress, I believe this budget bill shows that the House Republican leadership is truly out of touch with the American people. Let us say ``yes'' to the future of this country. Let us say ``yes'' to lower deficit. Let us say ``yes'' to hard-working college students and to families who want to have a dream for a better life for their children by saying ``no'' to this unfair, unwise, ill-thought-out budget bill.

Mr. EDWARDS

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, as the father of two young sons, I am a strong supporter of the Head Start program because I want every child in America to have a chance to reach his or her highest God-given potential. As a person of faith, I believe in the important role of faith-based organizations in addressing society's needs, including the education needs of children. But also as a person of faith, someone who has revered my religious freedom under the Constitution, I am deeply disappointed and offended that the Republican leadership of this House has allowed an amendment on the floor today that would deny potentially hundreds of thousands of American citizens a government-funded job simply because of their religious faith. How ironic and disappointing it is that just at the very same time that we are preaching to the Iraqis that they should adopt a constitution that protects religious freedom, the Republican leadership of this House is willing to deny that freedom, that religious freedom to American citizens. I wonder how the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop), who is the floor manager on the Republican side of this rule, would feel, Mr. Speaker, if right now I asked him to answer my 20-point religious test. I hope he would be offended that I would ask him 20 specific questions about his personal religious faith. Yet that gentleman and others who support this rule and the Boustany amendment would allow faith-based groups, using tax dollars to give every individual applying for a job to teach children how to have a better life in the world, allow them to give a personal detailed religious test. And then they can say, you know what, even though you have a Ph.D. in education and 30 years of experience in helping young children get a better education, we are going to deny you, Mr. Jones or Mrs. Smith, this federally funded Head Start job because you did not pass our personal religious test. No American citizen should have to choose between his or her religious faith and a job, a job paid for by American taxpayers. What is wrong with this, the Boustany amendment, is that it would allow religious discrimination, period. Call it what you want, it would allow religious discrimination. Number two, it is worse than that. It actually uses taxpayers' money to subsidize religious discrimination and bigotry. Next, I think it is inconsistent with article VI of the Constitution. We have heard a lot of debate about strict construction of the Constitution. Article VI, the only reference to religion in the original Constitution before the amendments were passed, said basically that no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States. The spirit of that article is that you should not have to pass a religious test to get a publicly funded taxpayer-paid-for job. Talk about strict interpretation of the Constitution. If having to choose between my religious faith and getting a Head Start tax-funded job is not restricting my religious freedom, then what is? Let me tell you what could happen under the Boustany amendment, which the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner) said he supported, because it is pretty ugly. I could get a Federal million dollar taxpayer job grant and put out a sign that says ``No Jews or Catholics need apply here to this federally funded job.'' Another group might put out a sign that says ``No Baptists or Methodists need apply here for a federally funded job.'' Another group might put out a sign that says ``No Mormons need apply here for a federally funded job.'' Despite the fact they are qualified to help children have a better life, have a Ph.D. in early childhood education or even special education, simply because of their religious faith they are denied the right to have that job to help children. That is morally wrong. Shame on the Republican leadership for endorsing and subsidizing religious discrimination.

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I respect the gentlewoman's views, but let me ask her this question: What is right about letting a group take her or my tax dollars and put out a sign that says ``Jews nor Catholics need not apply here for this Head Start job''? What is right about that?

Mr. EDWARDS

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Cleburne Lions Club on its 85th Anniversary. The Cleburne Lions Club was chartered on October 20, 1920 with 27 members with J. R. Keith as its first President and is the largest and most active service club in Johnson County and a member of Lions Clubs International--the world's largest service organization. From its very beginning, the Cleburne Lions Club has been a vital part of the community--touching the lives of countless Cleburne and Johnson County citizens through humanitarian efforts and public service. The Cleburne Lions Club provides funding for the Texas Lions Camp for Handicapped and Diabetic Children, the Texas Lions Foundation (Humanitarian and Disaster needs, Texas), Texas Eyeglass Recycling Center, Leader Dogs for the Blind (Guide Dogs), Lions World Services for the Blind, Lions Clubs International Foundation (Humanitarian needs--Worldwide), Lions Organ and Eye Bank, Lions Drug Awareness Council, and Julian C. Hyer Youth Camp (Youth from around the World). The Cleburne Lions Club continues to be involved locally in a wide range of activities such as Adopt-a-School (reading and listening to children read and assisting with other activities at Adams Elementary School), sponsoring Lions drug awareness speech contest and diabetic essay contest for high school students, delivering meals-on-wheels to the elderly and handicapped, providing free eyeglasses for needy children, providing college scholarships to students at Hill College and Southwestern Adventist University, volunteering for the Salvation Army bell ringing, assisting with Whistle Stop Christmas and Christmas parade, sponsoring handicapped and diabetic children attending Texas Lions Camp, collecting used eyeglasses for recycling and shipping to developing countries, providing guidance and assistance to Lions Clubs in Mexico, and leading and assisting with numerous local community improvement projects. It is my honor and privilege to commend and congratulate the Cleburne Lions Club on its 85th anniversary and peerless record of service to Cleburne and Johnson County, Texas.

Mr. EDWARDS

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Chairman, you can use whatever rhetoric you want, but at the end of the day, this amendment not only legalizes religious discrimination in America, it pays for that discrimination using American taxpayer dollars. It is disappointing to me, and I think to the vast majority of Americans, that on the same day we are pleading with Iraqis to provide religious freedom to their citizens, the Republican leadership and this House, with this amendment, is saying it is okay to force an American citizen to choose between his or her faith and his or her job. They are saying it is okay for American citizens to have to pass someone else's private religious test to qualify for a publicly funded job. I do not think most Americans are going to think that is okay. I think they are going to be offended by it. I think people of faith are going to be offended by the fact that some in this House think that groups have got to be able to discriminate based on religion in order to make their programs work. The fact is, this amendment supports and allows and subsidizes racial discrimination in job hiring, and no amount of rhetoric can deny that. I do not know how the majority can stand up and say it is okay to put up a sign, paid for by tax dollars, saying no Jews nor Catholics need apply here for a federally funded job, even though they might have a Ph.D. in education and 20 years of experience helping children get a head start in life; they can still put up that sign. I wonder what the majority is going to say and people think they are going to say the first time a Christian is denied a job by a Muslim group that has received $1 million in Federal funding to run a Head Start program and say, no Christians need apply here for a job. Mr. Chairman, our country has more religious tolerance than any other Nation in the world and more religious freedom than any other Nation in the world because we have not allowed this kind of discrimination in America. This is taking America down the wrong path. Defeat this amendment.

Mr. EDWARDS

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, George Wesley Marti was born in Oak Grove, Texas in southern Tarrant County, the son of John and Lula Bell Marti. Driven by the great influence of his grandmother and fascination with radio, George Marti had a vision and developed a business plan at the young age of thirteen that involved establishing a radio station in the city of Cleburne, Texas. In 1937, three years after the original formulation of his business plan for a Cleburne radio station, George Marti earned his Radio Telephone 1st Class Operator's License and Amateur Radio License, at the age of sixteen. Entering the United States Marine Corps in 1942, George Marti later enrolled in the Radio Material School of the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC. George Marti graduated from this training, in 1943, the first in his class, and proceeded to serve on the maiden voyage of the USS Freland, later taking command of the communications for Marine Air Group 13 in American Samoa. After being discharged in 1945, George Marti realized his vision of opening a radio station in Cleburne, Texas, with the on air debut of KCLE in April of 1947. Marti Electronics began to manufacture full time the Marti Remote Pickup System of his own invention that allowed reporters to broadcast remotely for the first time without the installation of telephone wires. By 1994, ``The Marti,'' was operating in more than 80 percent of the world's radio stations. George Marti established the Marti Foundation in 1988 in order to provide college scholarships to students of Johnson County that could otherwise not afford to go to college. The Marti Foundation has provided 551 scholarships in its 17 year history, and is currently supporting over 100 students at this very moment. Marti Foundation scholarships enjoy a 95 percent graduation rate. In addition to his many accomplishments as Mayor of the City of Cleburne, Texas from 1974 to 1986, George Marti has been named the National Association of Broadcasters' 1991 Engineer of the Year, in 2002 the first inductee to the International Charolais Association Hall of Fame, in 2002 the first inductee to the Texas Association of Broadcasters' Hall of Fame. George Marti continues a long history of service and devotion to his home of Johnson County, and is a most valued and regarded citizen of Cleburne, Texas. I am proud to call George Marti my friend.

Mr. EDWARDS

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a champion of the Waco, Texas community, Reverend Lawrence Soler. I would like to extend my most sincere thanks and congratulations to Father Soler for his principled service and dedication to the needs of his parishioners. We are celebrating Rev. Soler's 50th year in the priesthood. Rev. Lawrence Soler has served as Pastor of Sacred Heart Church for over 27 years. He also served as Pastor of St. Francis Church for several years. During his tenure at Sacred Heart Church, Rev. Lawrence Soler directed the fundraising and construction of a new $1.2 million dollar sanctuary to accommodate the ever-increasing Catholic community of south Waco. In the last 2 years, he directed the fundraising and construction of a new Parish Activity Center also. During his service at Sacred Church, he has conducted thousands of marriages, baptisms, confirmations, and communions. The work of Reverend Soler is a model of selfless service and sacrifice. His generous spirit and tireless efforts on behalf of the community have undoubtedly touched countless lives. It is my privilege to honor the contributions of Reverend Lawrence Soler and I personally want to thank him for the shining example has given to us all and wish him well in his future endeavors. Thank you my friend.

Mr. EDWARDS

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, our deepest condolences go to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, who lost their lives, their homes and their livelihoods. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their families. While the devastation caused by this tragedy is vast, our faith and determination ensure that we will rebuild and we will endure. Congress and President Bush have taken the first step in appropriating emergency funds to aid relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and much more is on the way. It is vital that this emergency funding moves quickly toward rescue and relief efforts in the Gulf Coast region and throughout the Nation. Together, Federal, State and local authorities must continue to work diligently to protect and assist those in need. In Texas, we are opening our hearts, homes, and facilities to over 75,000 victims of Hurricane Katrina. The Federal Government has a responsibility to help communities in Texas who are generously helping others during this time of national tragedy. During this difficult time, most Americans have shown an inspirational outpouring of support for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. However, it appears that some have acted out of greed and taken advantage of our national tragedy by price gouging Americans when it comes to basic necessities like gas, food, and shelter. That is totally unacceptable and the Federal Government must act quickly to fulfill its responsibility to protect the public and hold price gougers accountable. History will judge all of us by our response to this national tragedy and it is vital that we come together, rise above the partisanship, and do what's right for the American people in this time of crisis. I am confident that we will and the American spirit of generosity will prevail in the days, weeks, and months ahead, as our American family from coast to coast continues to provide much needed assistance to those who have lost so much.

Mr. EDWARDS

Mr. EDWARDS. Madam Speaker, there is no way our Nation can fully repay military widows and their children who have lost their loved ones in service to our country. However, at the very least we should see that the burden that these families bear is not made heavier by financial difficulties in the wake of their deep personal losses. That is what this legislation is all about. And I want to congratulate the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Renzi) and the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley) for their authorship and leadership on this bill. I want to salute my colleague and leader on the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer), for his work in bringing this together on a bipartisan basis. I salute my Democratic colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans). When we work on things, important legislation, together on a bipartisan basis, the press galleries are always empty. But that is not a reflection on the importance this legislation, because it will make a true difference in the lives of great American citizens and families who have sacrificed so much for all of us. Congress with this bill has taken the first step in the right direction by increasing the death gratuity from $12,420, a paltry amount, to a more significant $100,000 in the 2006 defense authorization bill. I want to emphasize we must absolutely pass that increase this year and make it permanent. In this bill, H.R. 3200, by increasing life insurance from $250,000 to $400,000 for servicemembers' families, we take an important step forward in helping our military families and loved ones who have paid such a dear price and sacrifice to our Nation. If fully enacted, the increase in death gratuity to $100,000 and the availability of relatively low-cost life insurance up to $400,000 should make it difficult if not impossible for anyone to try to take advantage of our military families by selling them outdated, over-priced life insurance policies. As our Nation asks more and more from our military families and our war on terrorism, Congress has a moral obligation to provide all of our military families with quality education, housing, and health care. And when a service man or woman has paid the ultimate price, we have a moral responsibility to provide financial security to their widow and their children. This bill is not the final fulfillment to our obligation to our service men and women and veterans, but it certainly takes us in the right direction. It is a good bill. I salute all of those who had a hand in making it possible for its passage today.

Mr. EDWARDS

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, for 2 years, our Nation's respected veterans' organizations, along with Democrats in Congress, have been predicting cuts in veterans' health care services due to inadequate VA health care budgets. In February, in fact, of 2004, nearly a year and a half ago, Republican chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), and his Democratic ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), in a bipartisan letter predicted the administration request for VA health care for this year would be $2.5 billion short. Now, Mr. Speaker, what was the reaction of the House Republican leadership? Did they stand up for veterans' health care needs in funding? No. They fired the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) from his job as chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs and even took him completely off the committee. That may be hard to believe, but it is true. The House Republican leadership punished a Member of Congress, a member of its own party, for putting loyalty to veterans above loyalty to the House leadership during a time of war. It is not only true, it is sad. To make matters worse, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), House Democrats, and veterans' organizations were right in saying veterans' health care services were underfunded and the House leadership was wrong. At every step of the way over the past 2 years, in the Committee on the Budget, in amendments there; in the Committee on Appropriations, in amendments there; in the 302(b) allocation, the amount of money for veterans' care in the Committee on Appropriations, in all of these places and on this House floor repeatedly the House leadership has fought against the money needed to adequately support our veterans' health care needs during a time of our war on terrorism. Even after it became public that the VA has a $1 billion shortfall, a $1 billion-plus shortfall this year, even after that, the House leadership dragged its feet. They are still dragging their feet in trying to adequately fund veterans' health care needs. It is time for Republicans and Democrats alike, today, to do the right thing and to instruct the conferees on the Interior appropriations bill to support the same $1.5 billion emergency veterans' health care funding that was approved by a bipartisan vote of 96 to 0 weeks ago in the Senate. It is morally wrong for our Nation to ask young troops to go into combat and then shortchange their health care when they return home as veterans. Supporting veterans' health care may be costly, but it is the right thing to do. Standing up for veterans may have cost the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) his job as chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, but it was the right thing to do. The right thing to do now is to send a message to this House leadership, that has opposed adequate funding for veterans' health care for 2 years now, that supporting veterans is more important than misplaced partisan loyalty.

Mr. EDWARDS

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, with H. Res. 326, the House of Representatives calls for free and fair parliamentary elections in the Republic of Azerbaijan. Without question, we send a message with this resolution that improvements must be made in Azerbaijan's democratic process, but while we discuss our hopes for improvement, it is important to remember how important Azerbaijan is to American interests in the region. Azerbaijan is a staunch ally in the global war on terrorism. Following September 11, Azerbaijan was amongst the first countries to offer the United States unconditional support in the war against terrorism, providing its airspace and the use of its airports for Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Azerbaijan was the first Muslim nation to send its troops to serve shoulder-to-shoulder with U.S. forces in Iraq. Azerbaijan joined all 12 international conventions on counter- terrorism and reinforces regional cooperation on fighting terrorism through signing numerous agreements and participating in the activities of regional organizations such as NATO, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and others. Azerbaijan serves as the chair of the GUUAM Working Group (Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Moldova) on the fight against terrorism, organized crime and drug trafficking. GUUAM countries actively cooperate in law-enforcement, trade and transportation, and political-military spheres. Azerbaijan was a pioneer in opening the Caspian Sea to international cooperation and oil and gas exploration. Since 1994, Azerbaijan has extensively developed its energy resources to diversify western energy supplies. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline opened May 25 of this year. It is widely recognized that the East-West energy corridor plays an important security role in the region. To the United States, Azerbaijan is a critical partner in the Global War on Terrorism and the energy sector. To Azerbaijan, the United States is a pivotal leader in its efforts to promote democracy and stability within its borders and throughout the region. Azerbaijan is seeking to establish itself as a democratic nation and viable socio-economic partner in the Caucasus, Europe and on the world stage. It is already an important partner on many fronts, and free and fair elections will allow us to further develop that partnership.

Mr. EDWARDS

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I did not just like Jake Pickle; I loved Jake Pickle. Congressman Pickle was one of the finest public servants to have ever served in this House, and he was a true Texas treasure. He was a kind, decent, caring human being who spent his entire life making life better for others. Whether it was helping a veteran receive health care, bringing research dollars, and he brought many of them, to his beloved University of Texas or saving the Social Security system in 1983, Jake was always dedicated to helping others. Jake Pickle's faith was shown time and time again as he lived the commandment to love thy neighbor. Jake Pickle lived every day with another biblical verse, ``This is the day the Lord hath made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.'' Jake lived every day joyfully. He lit up a room when he walked into it because of his joyful, positive approach to life. His positive approach has enlightened the lives of all of us blessed to have known him. Jake Pickle exemplified courage when he voted as a freshman Congressman from I Texas to pass the Civil Rights Act which brought to reality the promise of equal opportunity to millions of African- Americans. He did it because it was the right thing to do, even though it could have ended his political career. I want to tell one story about my friend Jake Pickle. In June of 1994, he and I were part of a U.S. congressional delegation on the 50th anniversary of D-Day. After the ceremony on June 4 of 1994, our bus was about to leave to go back to a hotel an hour to 2 hours away. I noticed Jake getting off the bus by himself. I stopped, walked up to him and said, ``Jake, what are you doing? And he said, Why don't you come with me, Chet?'' So I followed Jake Pickle off that bus. We walked several hundred yards. We went to Point du Hoc, that monument to American GI courage on D-Day when Colonel Earl Rudder led Rudder's Army Rangers up that stiff cliff against murderous fire by the Germans above them. It turned out that Jake Pickle and Earl Rudder roomed together after the death of Jake's first wife when then General Rudder was serving as land commissioner in Austin, Texas. So that June day in 1994, Jake Pickle got off the bus, not knowing how he would get back to his hotel in France, to go pay his respects to his personal friend and fellow Texan and American, Earl Rudder, the hero along with America's Rangers at Point du Hoc. That was the character of Jake Pickle. Our Nation will miss Jake Pickle, but the world is a better place today because of his life of dedicated public service. Mr. Speaker, Winston Churchill once said that we make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give. By that high standard, Jake Pickle led a rich life, a life that enriched everyone of us blessed to have known him. Goodbye, my friend, until we meet another day. Thank you for the memories. Thank you for your friendship. Thank you for making America and the world a better place.

Mr. EDWARDS

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, it has now been 14 days since this House could have sent to the President a $1.5 billion emergency spending bill to solve the health care crisis facing America's veterans. Unfortunately, the House leadership chose not to support the bill that passed unanimously on a bipartisan basis by the Senate 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately, to compound that error, the leadership, I guess, decided a vacation for House Members tomorrow was more important than resolving this serious health care crisis, where today as we speak there are veterans not getting the care they deserve because of the shortfall of funding. To add insult to injury, the White House budget director just said a few minutes ago to the Budget Committee that VA funding over the last 3 years has actually been too much. So the White House budget director is saying we funded too much for veterans health care over the last 3 years. I think veterans across America are going to be outraged that that is the position of this administration. We are facing a crisis today because we have underfunded VA health care. We should correct it before Congress takes one more day of recess or vacation.

Mr. EDWARDS

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, it has now been 13 days since the House could have passed a $1.5 billion emergency VA health care spending bill to address the VA health care crisis in America. Unfortunately for millions of America's veterans, the House leadership refused to pass the bipartisan bill that the Senate had already passed by a vote of 96- 0. We could have already had help on the way, but the House leadership said no. Yesterday, the VA confirmed what House Democrats said on this floor 13 days ago, the House leadership-backed VA bill does not fully address the VA health care crisis. Every day that goes by is a day when veterans are either having their important health care delayed or canceled. The House Republican leadership caused this VA health care crisis by underfunding VA health care for 2 years. Now they have a responsibility to deal with it. Now I hear the House leadership says we might be on vacation this Friday. What is more important, Members of the House taking a vacation this Friday or addressing the needs of America's veterans?

Mr. EDWARDS

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I did not just like Jake Pickle; I loved Jake Pickle. Congressman Pickle was one of the finest public servants to have ever served in this House, and he was a true Texas treasure. He was a kind, decent, caring human being who spent his entire life making life better for others. Whether it was helping a veteran receive health care, bringing research dollars, and he brought many of them, to his beloved University of Texas or saving the Social Security system in 1983, Jake was always dedicated to helping others. Jake Pickle's faith was shown time and time again as he lived the commandment to love thy neighbor. Jake Pickle lived every day with another biblical verse, ``This is the day the Lord hath made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.'' Jake lived every day joyfully. He lit up a room when he walked into it because of his joyful, positive approach to life. His positive approach has enlightened the lives of all of us blessed to have known him. Jake Pickle exemplified courage when he voted as a freshman Congressman from Texas to pass the Civil Rights Act which brought to reality the promise of equal opportunity to millions of African- Americans. He did it because it was the right thing to do, even though it could have ended his political career. I want to tell one story about my friend Jake Pickle. In June of 1994, he and I were part of a U.S. congressional delegation at the 50th anniversary of D-Day. After the ceremony on June 4 of 1994, our bus was about to leave to go back to a hotel an hour to 2 hours away. I noticed Jake getting off the bus by himself. I stopped, walked up to him and said, Jake, what are you doing? And he said, Why don't you come with me, Chet? So I followed Jake Pickle off that bus. We walked several hundred yards. We went to Point du Hoc, that monument to American GI courage on D-Day when Colonel Earl Rudder led Rudder's Army Rangers up that stiff cliff against murderous fire by the Germans above them. It turned out that Jake Pickle and Earl Rudder, then the land commissioner of Texas, roomed together after the death of Jake's first wife when then General Rudder was serving as land commissioner in Austin, Texas. So that June day in 1994, Jake Pickle got off the bus, not knowing how he would get back to his hotel in France, to go pay his respects to his personal friend and fellow Texan and American, Earl Rudder, the hero along with America's Rangers at Point du Hoc. That was the character of Jake Pickle. Our Nation will miss Jake Pickle, but the world is a better place today because of his life of dedicated public service. Mr. Speaker, Winston Churchill once said that we make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give. By that high standard, Jake Pickle led a rich life, a life that enriched every one of us blessed to have known him. Goodbye, my friend, until we meet another day. Thank you for the memories. Thank you for your friendship. Thank you for making America and the world a better place.

Mr. EDWARDS

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, the House should not recess this week until we have addressed the VA health care crisis. As we speak, health care services for veterans all across America are either being delayed or cut because of a billion dollar plus shortfall in VA health care programs. Cutting veterans health care during a time of war is inexcusable and wrong. Unfortunately, 12 days ago the House leadership refused to support the billion and a half emergency funding bill passed by the Senate 96 to 0 on a bipartisan basis. We could have had help already on its way to our veterans. It has been 8 days since Members of Congress gave patriotic speeches on July 4 honoring the service of our veterans. Those speeches are fine. Veterans deserve our support with our deeds not just our words. Given the House leadership caused the VA health care crisis in the first place by underfunding, seriously underfunding health care programs for veterans over the last 2 years, they have a moral obligation to bring and pass through this House and send to the President this week an emergency funding bill for veterans. Our veterans deserve no less.

Mr. EDWARDS

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my special order today of J.J. ``Jake'' Pickle's death.

Mr. EDWARDS

Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I will vote for this emergency funding bill for veterans health care for two reasons: first, the VA desperately needs the $975 million right now to address a very serious shortfall in VA health care funding, a shortfall that I wish had never occurred; second, unfortunately, the House Republican leadership decided earlier this evening that the House, Republicans and Democrats alike, would not even be allowed to vote on the $1.5 billion emergency funding bill for VA health care that the Senate has already passed on a unanimous basis 96 to zero earlier this week. For the record, I want to say that I believe the $975 million probably will not cover all of the hole that has been dug for veterans health care for this year. I hope I am wrong; but I was not wrong earlier this year, and I was not wrong last year when I said that the present VA budget would provide cuts in real health care services to veterans during a time of war. Also I want to say for the record that I appreciate very much the leadership of the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh), whose commitment to America's veterans is genuine, deep, and consistent. Had he not called hearings this week and brought the VA leadership before the House in his Subcommittee on Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations, I do not think we would be here on this floor tonight debating additional emergency money for VA health care spending. I want to commend my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer), who worked very hard to bring to light this immediate crisis that we are facing. His leadership on the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs was instrumental in us being here today. Having said that, I believe the American people and America's veterans, Mr. Speaker, have a right to know how we got into this $1 billion hole for veterans health care during a time of war, and, most importantly, need to help us understand how not to get into this hole again. This issue did not just come up. This problem did not just pop up overnight or this week or last week. For 2 years, respected national veterans organizations have been pleading with the administration and Congress to provide adequate funding for the VA health care system. Unfortunately, their pleas were often ignored by the Republican leadership in the House. As far back as February of 2004, the Republican chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, then the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), signed a bipartisan letter saying that unless we funded $2.5 billion more than the administration budget request for VA health care, real services for real veterans would have to be cut this year during a time of war. Did the House leadership salute the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) for standing up for veterans? No. In fact, they fired him. They did not just take away his chairmanship of the VA committee; they took him off the committee itself. What was the crime of the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith)? He refused to support an inadequate budget resolution for VA health care for 2005 which the Republican leadership had endorsed. He put his loyalty to America's veterans above blind partisan loyalty to the House leadership, and he was right to do so. While America's veterans were honoring the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the House Republican leadership was punishing him. In the spring of 2004, House Republicans passed a fiscal year 2005 budget on a partisan basis, a budget that veterans groups, Democrats, and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) had said would require more than $1 billion in cuts to veterans health care services this year. The insight of time has proven that Democrats, veterans groups, including the DAV, American Legion and VFW, were right. The House Republican leadership was wrong: wrong on veterans health care budget resolutions and wrong to put partisanship above loyalty to veterans and veterans health care. Repeatedly over the past 2 years, House Democrats, myself included, have asked the Republican leadership to join on a bipartisan basis to stop real cuts in veterans health care services during a time of war. Over a year ago, we tried genuinely to increase the veterans health care budget for 2005. The leadership said no. This year, veterans groups and Democrats pleaded with the Republican leadership to provide more adequate funding for veterans health care. On the 2006 budget resolution, they said no. Then in May of this year, Democrats and veterans groups pleaded with the Republican leadership one more time to add additional VA health care spending to the Iraqi war supplemental appropriations bill. Once again, the leadership said no. That was not the last time they said no. The gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) tried to add an amendment in the Committee on Appropriations increasing funding for VA health care so we would not get into this hole, cutting services for veterans during a time of war. Again, the answer was no. That is not even the worst of it. The House leadership on a partisan basis pressured Republican colleagues of mine this year to vote for a House budget resolution, and, listen to this, vote for a House budget resolution that would cut present services for veterans by $14 billion over the next 5 years. Let me repeat that in case anybody did not hear it or believe it, because it is a fact: the House leadership passed a budget resolution in this very room earlier this year that would require a $14 billion cut in present health care services to veterans. And, by the way, that includes over 100,000 veterans of the Iraqi and Afghanistan wars who have needed VA health care. I must wonder which Members of the House leadership will include in their Fourth of July speeches the fact that they pushed through this House a budget resolution this year to cut veterans' health care services by $14 billion over the next 5 years. I hope to join with my colleagues on a bipartisan basis in the years ahead to undo what would be a terribly harmful cut to our veterans and send a destructive message to our active duty servicemen and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Having said all of that, we come today to face a shortfall that the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the Republican chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs predicted a year ago, and the VA, American Legion, VFW, and Democrats predicted a year ago. I wish we were voting for a $1.5 billion increase in emergency funding. I think our veterans deserve it. Certainly, the Senate, on a unanimous vote, 96 to 0, endorsed that level of funding. But, thanks to the goodwill and the genuine leadership of people such as my colleague and friend, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh), we have a chance to take a step forward today, an important step forward, in funding, more adequately funding veterans' health care, and for that I am grateful. I hope we can work together, as the gentleman mentioned a few minutes ago, on a bipartisan basis to see that we never, ever again dig this kind of a hole for veterans' health care in time of war or peace, but certainly we should never do it in time of war. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.