Lane Evans

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in support of the Veterans Health Programs and Facilities Enhancement Act of 2004. I'd like to thank both Congressman Rodriguez, ranking member of the Health Subcommittee, and Congressman Simmons, chairman of the Health Subcommittee, for their hard work in developing this bill. VA has requested many of the authorities in this bill, and the establishment of the Capital Asset Fund will help to renovate some of VA's underused facilities. The VA needs to meet construction priorities in order to maintain a health care system infrastructure that will be called on increasingly as our service personnel return from Iraq with physical and psychological disabilities. I also support the need to continue some pilot programs we authorized in the Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act of 1999. I certainly agree that veterans who have been program beneficiaries should be able to continue receiving services. Under this bill, VA's authority to care for veterans participating in long-term care pilots will be extended until December 2005.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4231. It is a good bill that will give the Department of Veterans Affairs some new opportunities to meet the challenges of maintaining a strong nursing workforce during the severe nursing shortage projected for the near future. I have said many times that nurses are the lifeblood of our medical care system. VA should be looking at any and all feasible options for ensuring that it is able to satisfy the needs and expectations of these valuable employees. I want to commend the chairman and ranking member of our Health Subcommittee for their work on this bill and urge Members to support it.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, on August 16, President Bush stood before the national convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and proclaimed: ``. . . my administration has a solid record of accomplishment for our veterans . . . To provide health care to veterans, we've increased VA medical care funding by 41 percent over the past 4 years.'' The reality is far more complex. In 1997, Congress gave the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) the authority to collect and retain veterans' copayments for health care. As a result, about 6.4 percent of the VA's medical care system is now (fiscal year 2004) comprised of veterans' copayments. The Bush Administration has made no secret that it would like to increase the share of this budget borne by veterans, including combat decorated veterans, while at the same time taking steps to discourage veterans' use of their health care system or explicitly bar their entrance into the system. The Administration's budget request for fiscal year 2005 would increase the share of the budget financed by veterans to 8.7 percent. The Congress--for the third consecutive year--has rejected the legislative proposals in the President's budget that would charge a new enrollment fee for certain veterans and increase copayments for pharmaceutical drugs. Democrats in the House and Senate have also asked VA Secretary Anthony J. Principi to reconsider his current position to prohibit some veterans from enrolling in the VA health care system. The President's claim that ``we've'' added 41 percent for VA medical care gives the false impression that he has endorsed all of these increases to the VA budget. In fact, the President has requested only about a 25 percent increase in appropriated funding over 5 years; the remainder has come from funding added by Congress and from increased collections of copayments from veterans. Keep in mind that during the same period, the number of veterans entering the VA health care system grew by almost 50 percent. Additionally, medical inflation (which VA forecast at five percent per year) increased by seven to eight percent per year. The total average annual increases of eight percent over the five budget cycles in question still have required VA to take dramatic action to continue to deliver health care services to veterans. In addition to halting enrollment for tens of thousands of veterans with incomes as low as $25,000 who might not be able to afford private health insurance, VA has proposed elimination of nursing home care for all but the most severely service-disabled veterans. Moreover, the President has actually opposed Congressional efforts to add funds to the VA health care system. On July 26, 2002, Congress authorized $275 million to address the costs of caring for VA's higher priority groups--service-connected and low-income veterans and those in need of specialized services. The President failed to designate these funds as emergency spending pursuant to the Balanced Budget Act, so the additional resources Congress sought to provide, which would have remained available to the agency throughout fiscal year 2003, were sacrificed. The Bush Administration also objected to Congressional attempts to add $1.3 billion for veterans' health care in the FY 2004 Emergency Supplemental for Iraq and Afghanistan Security and Reconstruction Bill. Joshua Bolten, Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) wrote to House and Senate appropriators on October 21, 2003: ``The Administration strongly opposes these provisions that would allocate an additional $1.3 billion for VA medical care . . .'' A second Bush term would likely create an even more difficult funding environment for veterans' programs. OMB guidance leaked to the Washington Post this spring indicated that, for fiscal year 2006, the White House would require VA to identify $910 million to cut from its fiscal year 2005 budget request for discretionary programs--primarily, medical care, construction, and research. The President also told the VFW: ``We've reduced the large backlog of disability claims by about a third; we will reduce it even further.'' Again, not so and not likely. When President Bush assumed office in January 2001, 278,334 veterans' disability claims were awaiting a VA rating decision. As of August 21, 2004, there were 330,380 disability claims awaiting a rating decision. The one-third reduction claimed by President Bush is not supported by VA's own data. I am concerned that the Bush Administration's emphasis on productivity as a goal in itself, has actually been harmful to veterans. Veterans need a timely accurate decision when they apply for benefits. In an effort to meet production goals, I have found veterans rated on the basis of inadequate medical examinations which do not fully address the impact of a veteran's disability on his or her ability to function. It is tempting for well-meaning VA employees under pressure to reduce the backlog to decide the claim rather than sending the examination back to correct the deficiencies. One measure of accuracy is the marked increase in veterans' claims pending at the Board of Veterans Appeals (BVA). When President Bush assumed office, 87,291 appeals were pending. As of August 14, 2004, there were 149,222 appeals pending. With increasing frequency, BVA continues to send claims back for evidence which should have been obtained before the claim was decided. The prospect for the future is even worse. Despite increasing numbers of claims for service-connected compensation from the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as past conflicts, the Bush Administration fiscal year 2005 budget calls for 289 fewer full-time employees to handle disability compensation claims than were on the rolls in 2003. Cutting employees who decide these claims at a time when the number and complexity of claims is increasing does a great disservice to veterans. The misdirection in the President's speech continued: ``For more than a century, federal law prohibited disabled veterans from receiving both their military retired pay and their VA disability compensation. Combat-injured and severely disabled veterans deserve better. I was proud to be the first President in over 100 years to sign concurrent receipt legislation.'' Considering his threats to veto it, his party's vehement objections to it, and the behind-closed-doors Republican ``compromise'' that excludes two-thirds of those eligible and forces the rest to wait 10 years to receive full benefits, ``proud'' seems an odd choice of words. ``We're getting the job done in Washington, D.C.,'' said the President to the VFW. Earlier this year, VFW then-Commander-in-Chief Edward S. Banas, Sr., gave his own assessment: ``The President ignored veterans in the State of the Union Address and with [the] release of his 2005 budget, it is further evident that veterans are no longer a priority with this administration . . . the American people will not tolerate this shoddy treatment of America's veterans, especially at a time of war.''

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I was not present for votes on Monday, September 13, 2004. Had I been here I would have voted ``aye'' on H. Con. Res. 363 expressing the grave concern of Congress regarding the continuing gross violations of human rights and civil liberties of the Syrian people by the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic. I would have voted ``aye'' on H. Res. 667 expressing support for freedom in Hong Kong. I would have voted ``aye'' on H. Res. 760 condemning the series of terrorist attacks against the Russian Federation that occurred in late August and early September 2004.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 771, legislation recognizing the contributions toward our freedoms by our POWs, and I am proud to co-sponsor the resolution which has been introduced by the good Member from Connecticut. I praise his efforts on this issue and many others. I have served on the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs for almost the last 22 years. It has given me an opportunity to meet a lot of our country's heroes. I have always had the utmost respect for our POWs and our MIAs for their sacrifices, and their sacrifices leaves us all silenced in their respect. I would also like to recognize the government of Vietnam, which has provided the recovery of our service members' remains. Our growing relationship with Vietnam has been conditional on their cooperation and support in the recovery of our fallen servicemembers. Deputy Under Secretary Jerry Jennings who leads the American efforts has praised the cooperation and the openness by the government of Vietnam that has ensured the repatriation of nearly 800 remains of our missing servicemembers. It has been an important task that provides a great deal for the members of the service and their families, which will continue until every fallen soldier is brought back home. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Dave and Mary Costigan on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary, which they celebrated on August 21, 2004. They have five children and nine grandchildren and have lived in Quincy, Illinois for most of their marriage. Dave and Mary were both born and raised in Bloomington, Illinois. Mary Ensenberger graduated from Fontbonne College in St. Louis and majored in Physical Education. David Costigan graduated from Notre Dame University and received his Masters and PhD in History from Illinois State University. He served in the U.S. Army from 1953-1955 and was honorably discharged. Since 1957 David Costigan has taught history at Quincy University. He has held the Aaron M. Pembleton Chair in History and is now Professor Emeritus at the University. After many years and many awards for outstanding teaching, Dave continues to lecture and teach particularly in his areas of interest which include local Quincy history, the Civil War, and U.S. foreign policy. Throughout her life, Mary Costigan has been an extraordinary teacher in her own right. Upon graduation from college, she taught Physical Education at my alma mater, Alleman High School in Rock Island. For many years, she also served as a tennis instructor in the Quincy area. Mary won many area tennis titles in Quincy as well as throughout the tri-state area of Illinois, Iowa and Missouri during her years on the courts. Both Mary and Dave have contributed their time and energy to a variety of community and civic projects during the past 50 years. They have been very active in their church and local schools and regularly attend church services at St. Francis Solanus Church. Through their church they helped sponsor a family from Laos, bringing a Laotian family to Quincy to escape war and poverty in Southeast Asia. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Mr. and Mrs. Costigan on this joyous occasion. I wish them all the best as they celebrate the life they have created and as they enjoy their many years to come.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to congratulate Illinois native Todd Hamilton on his win at the 133rd British Open Championship on Sunday, July 18, 2004. Born on October 18, 1965 in Galesburg, Illinois, Todd Hamilton was raised in the town of Oquawka. He practiced golf at Hend-Co Hills Golf Club in Biggsville and attended Biggsville's Union High School. At Union, he petitioned the school to create a golf club, and then went on to win the Illinois state high school golf championships during his junior and senior years. Next, Todd was an All-American golfer at the University of Oklahoma. Todd Hamilton went pro in 1987, and then spent 11 years golfing in Asia between 1992 and 2003, where he won tournaments such as the Thailand Open, Singapore Masters, Korean Open, and the Japan Golf Tour's Acom International. However, the esteemed PGA Tour eluded him. He finally made the PGA Tour in December 2003 on his eighth attempt, tying for 16th in the qualifying tournament at the age of 38. The four most important tournaments in golf are known as the ``majors.'' They are the British Open, the U.S. Open, the Masters, and the USPGA championships, which make up the most important events in the golfing calendar. The British Open is golf's oldest national championship and the only one of the majors that is played outside the USA. When Todd Hamilton was given the opportunity to compete in the Open Championship, as the British Open is known in the United Kingdom, he defeated some of golf's best and most wellknown players, including Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Winning this competition has elevated Todd Hamilton to rank among the world's best golfers. I am proud to represent the place where Todd Hamilton learned to play golf, and I think I speak for everyone in Oquawka and throughout Illinois when I say that we are so proud of Todd's remarkable achievement in the Open Championship. Todd Hamilton has demonstrated the tenacity, perseverance, and skill of a champion in his long journey to the top, and I wish him and his family the best of luck in this new chapter of his career.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of Donald R. England. ``Don,'' as his friends called him, had a distinguished career with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, serving our nation's disabled veterans and their families. Don died from cancer July 2, 2004, in Carbon Cliff, Illinois, at the age of 57. He was buried July 6 in East Moline, Illinois. Don was born August 18, 1946, in Moline, the son of Robert and Margaret ``Jane'' (Simpson) England. He was a graduate of United Township High School, Class of 1964, and Northern Illinois University, Class of 1968, where he earned his Degree in Music. He served in the U.S. Army from 1968-1971, where he was stationed in Washington D.C., and played in the U.S. Army Band. In 1974, while living in Bogota, Colombia, Don played in the Bogota Symphony. In 1976, Don began his career with the Department of Veterans Affairs in the Chicago Regional Office. He held several positions of increasing authority in the Chicago office before coming to VA Central Office as a consultant for Compensation and Pension Service in 1988. In 1990, Don was promoted to Chief of the Regulations Staff of the Compensation and Pension Service, a position he held until he retired earlier this year due to illness. In that position, he supervised the writing and maintenance of all the VA rules providing compensation and pension benefits for disabled veterans and their families. Don was considered one of the most knowledgeable people in VA regarding those benefit programs. In addition, he was loved and respected by his colleagues for his hard work and compassion to others. I urge my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Donald R. England and in offering our condolences to his family for their loss.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Madam Speaker, I am proud to have served with Bob Michel. In the 1980s he represented the greater Peoria region, and the Peoria clinic serves many of my constituents in Fulton and Knox Counties. Bob Michel is a rare breed in today's Congress. He knew the art of compromise well. He worked well with Members on both sides of the aisle, was a worthy adversary on the floor, but forgot about the battles once he was out of the Chamber. He was really everybody's friend here. He worked with Members on both sides, and most importantly, he played fair. This is a fitting tribute to a former colleague and friend. We have a lot of good memories of Bob, and my good friend, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood) has done an excellent job of filling his shoes. I want to thank him for bringing this legislation to the floor and I thank the chairman for your tribute.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), chairman of the full committee; the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown), the Subcommittee on Benefits chairman; and the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Michaud), the ranking Democratic member, for their spirt of bipartisanship. Their work has resulted in a bill strongly supported by Members on both sides of the aisle. H.R. 4175, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2004, will help our service-disabled veterans and their survivors maintain the value of their benefits despite any increases in cost-of- living adjustments. Our Nation's veterans and survivors have earned these benefits, and we must maintain their purchasing power. I strongly support the provision adding osteoarthritis to the list of conditions which are presumptively service-connected for veterans who are former prisoners of war. Last year, the Congress passed legislation which I introduced to add additional disabilities to the presumptive list and to eliminate the time period of internment for certain conditions. I am a cosponsor and strongly support efforts to improve benefits for prisoners of war. Additional presumptive conditions and the establishment of criteria for the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish new presumptive conditions are contained in H.R. 348, introduced by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), my good friend. I hope that all of these provisions will one day become law. This is a bill which deserves the support of all of the Members of this House. I urge all Members to support it.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I am opposed to the motion.

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I have a great deal of respect for my long-time colleague and friend, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith). We have worked together for the veterans of America for many years. However, I do not see eye to eye with him on this issue as the best way to address human rights in Vietnam. I am also afraid that this resolution and the sanctions enclosed will damage relations between our two countries. I also feel that this resolution will only embolden hardliners within Vietnam. Mr. Speaker, yes, Vietnam can improve its human rights record, but I also believe it is a very complex relationship. It is a relationship built on dialogue and gradual steps, not sanctions. The country of Vietnam has provided unparalleled assistance to recover our soldiers' remains. The Vietnamese are working hard to protect intellectual property rights and improve the climate for foreign investment. Vietnam is also the 15th focus country of the President's HIV/AIDS initiative. These are three important steps that would be endangered by the shift in relations under this legislation. Mr. Speaker, we can make progress with Vietnam, but this resolution is not the proper way. The Members supporting this legislation are good friends, and I respect their commitments. However, I hope that we work with each other to advance human rights in Vietnam. But I do not believe that this legislation is the proper vehicle. I urge my colleagues to vote against this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller). (Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I only have one more speaker, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I have one last speaker, and I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons). (Mr. SIMMONS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks, and include extraneous material.)

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs.

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

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

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Madam Speaker, I am proud to support this Commemorative Coin Act. I want to thank my friend and fellow Marine, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha), for sponsoring this legislation. We have worked hard together to get our colleagues out in cosponsoring this legislation. I am really impressed how eager our colleagues are to support the United States Marine Corps. There are currently only six enlisted men serving in the United States House of Representatives that were in the Marine Corps. My friend, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Houghton), is the oldest Marine; and I am proud to serve with him. As we all know, the gentleman is retiring this year and will be missed. He represents the generation of Marines that motivated my brother and myself to join the corps. It was his generation and their heroics in Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima and other places of legend and lore that seduced thousands of men and women to join. Madam Speaker, many people can point to a time in their life when everything changed. For me, it was my time in the United States Marine Corps. Not only did it give me discipline and rigorous physical conditioning, but it gave me a purpose in life. The Marine Corps has continued to give generations of young Americans a purpose for their lives. So I thank the Chair for sponsoring this and for helping us to get it to this point.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the amendment offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin, Mr. Obey, and I want to express my appreciation to the gentleman for recognizing the great need in the veterans' health care system. I also want to state my opposition to some of the other measures we are considering today that would cap discretionary spending and reinstate pay-as-you-go measures through fiscal year 2009. These rules would have significant impacts on VA health care and many other domestic discretionary and mandatory programs. This February, Veterans Affairs Chairman Chris Smith and I recommended that the budget committee add $2.5 billion to the President's request for VA discretionary programs. We agreed, on a bipartisan basis, that this was the bare minimum necessary to continue to operate current services in fiscal year 2005. Mr. Obey's amendment adds the other half of the recommended funding that the House neglected to provide in passing its budget resolution. This will ensure that veterans can rely upon the system created to serve their special needs rather than being subjected to increased copayments, new enrollment fees and the waiting lists for care that could reappear and worsen in the absence of adequate funding. As dangerous as the budget proposed by the Administration for fiscal year 2005 is, the budget planned for future years is even more perilous for our veterans' programs. Ranking Member Spratt and I have produced a report to be released tomorrow that will identify some of the scenarios that could come from the planning guidance issued by the Office of Management and Budget. The planning guidance leaked to the press recently indicates that VA should find $910 million to cut from its fiscal year 2006 budget request for VA discretionary programs. This guidance was offered in the absence of discretionary caps and pay-as-you-go enforcement for mandatory funding. We could expect even worse if there were an overall ceiling applied to discretionary spending. In the Spending Control bill, only the tax cuts that benefit our wealthiest Americans are protected. We could do things far differently and far more fairly. If we must impose discipline upon ourselves, we should subject tax cuts to the same enforcement we would impose upon our veterans' benefits. As it now stands, tax cuts are driving vital funding and policy decisions for all of our veterans' programs. Tax cuts have taken so much out of the pie that all of our appropriated programs are fighting to keep what they've got rather than growing to fulfill new or evolving needs. There is no question that we must provide adequate resources to our fighting men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan for as long as we choose to continue these engagements. Prioritizing tax cuts in a time of war is flat out irresponsible. If we trust ourselves to impose self-discipline on decisions regarding tax cuts, why shouldn't we trust ourselves to have the same restraint in regard to high-priority programs? Why subject Congress to the double standard H.R. 3973 would impose? I hope Congress will wake up and realize that we do have limited resources and our funding choices must reflect our priorities. Those who value tax cuts from the wealthiest Americans more than social programs for veterans, for the environment, for our less fortunate Americans, for children and education, and for our seniors will make that clear by supporting Mr. Nussle's bill. Mr. Obey's resolution on Democratic priorities is a much better reflection of my values than the standing House-passed budget resolution. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4345. This bill is an example of bipartisan legislation that the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs has voted for. It includes provisions drawn from H.R. 1735, introduced on April 10, 2003, by the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Davis), and H.R. 4065, introduced by the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite) in March of this year. H.R. 4345, a compromise bill, increases the VA home loan amount to that provided by the Freddie Mac program for a single family residence. It also indexes the VA home loan amount to the Freddie Mac program, thereby taking into account future needs in this program. This is something that the veterans deserve. In addition, I would like to note that the original Davis bill would have generated more savings than the original Brown-Waite bill, but this bill exceeds the CBO savings for either bill. These savings will be needed to pay for improvements to benefit our Nation's current and future veterans. The Committee on Veterans' Affairs has ordered these much-needed improvements reported to the House in H.R. 1716, which contains the provisions and cost savings of H.R. 4345. Veterans across the country are anxiously awaiting this bill's scheduling to come under suspension.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Speaker, I rise in full support of H. Con. Res. 56. There are 1.5 million visually impaired Americans struggling to gain and maintain their independence. Many gain independence through the use of aids to mobility, such as white canes and guide dogs. Unfortunately, not all licensed drivers recognize the significance of pedestrians using these canes or these dogs. They do not make the connection that the user of these mobility aids may be blind. They do not exercise increased caution while driving in proximity to pedestrians using these mobility aids. Some blind individuals have had their white canes broken by motorists not exercising caution as they drive in close proximity. Others have suffered serious personal injury caused by careless drivers. This resolution will make pedestrian travel a little safer for the visually impaired individuals using mobility aids. It is a near-zero- cost motion to encourage States to update their requirements for award of driver's licenses to reflect the need to recognize mobility aids for the blind and the need to increase greatly increase caution while driving near individuals using these aids. The resolution has been fully supported by major associations for the blind, principally the American Council for the Blind, the American Foundation of the Blind, and the Blinded Veterans Association. It also has the support of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense resolution and make America's crossroads safer for the blind.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, last week the Bethany United Church of Christ in Mendon, IL, sent me this letter regarding Major General Antonio Taguba's report on the incidents at Abu Ghraib prison. I respectfully request that this letter be entered into the Record. Dear Congressman Evans: On pages 49 and 50 of the Executive Summary of his report, Article 15-6 Investigation of the 800th Military Police Brigade Major General Antonio M. Taguba writes: 3. (U) Throughout the investigation, we observed many individual soldiers and some subordinate units under the 800th Military Police Brigade that overcame significant obstacles, persevered in extremely poor conditions, and upheld Army Values. We discovered numerous examples of soldiers and sailors taking the initiative in the absence of leadership and accomplishing their assigned tasks. a. (U) The 744th Military Police (MP) Battalion, commanded by LTC Dennis McGlone, efficiently operated the HVD Detention Facility at Camp Cropper and met mission requirements with little to no guidance from the 800th, Military Police Brigade. The unit was disciplined, proficient, and appeared to understand their basic tasks. b. (U) The 530th MP Battalion, commanded by LTC Stephen J. Novotny, effectively maintained the MEK Detention Facility at Camp Ashraf. His soldiers were proficient in their individual tasks and adapted well to this highly unique and non- doctrinal operation. c. (U) The 165th Military Intelligence (MI) Battalion excelled in providing perimeter security and force protection at Abu Ghraib (BCCF). LTC Robert P. Walters, Jr., demanded standards be enforced and worked endlessly to improve discipline throughout the FOB. 4. (U) The individual soldiers and sailors that we observed and believe should be favorably noted include: a. (U) Master-at-Arms First Class William J. Kimbro, US Navy Dog Handler, knew his duties and refused to participate in improper interrogations despite significant pressure from the MI personnel at Abu Ghraib. b. (U) SPC Joseph M. Darby, 372nd MP Company discovered evidence of abuse and turned it over to military law enforcement. c. (U) 1LT David O. Sutton, 229th MP Company, took immediate action and stopped an abuse, then reported the incident to the chain of command. By this letter we express our admiration and appreciation for the courageous and decent execution of military duties by these individuals and units, as we admire and appreciate the work of MG Taguba and his staff and assistants. It is painfully and visibly evident that there have been abuses and violations of legal, Christian, and humane standards of conduct. We are shamed by the facts, and we know only too well how long the world's memory is likely to be. In the midst of the darkness, however, we take particular comfort from knowing that in spite of the pressures and in spite of the many bad examples, and perhaps even bad orders, there were men and women whose deeds may inspire us all to live up to all that is noble and right. We share with all people of faith, and especially with other Christians, Jews, and Muslims, many understandings of what divine direction and purpose call us to do and be. In our own language, ``The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. (John 1:4, NRSV)'' We are grateful that God has called men and women in even the most difficult of circumstances to respect the dignity and intrinsic worth of others. We ask you to reflect our tribute in an official way, by reference or quotation in the Congressional Record perhaps. If there is a way for Congress to honor the units and individuals who have distinguished themselves and preserved honor for all of us, we ask you to support it or lead it energetically. Sincerely yours, Rev. Nancy Holmes Nyberg, Pastor. Christine Roskamp, President. Teresa Beeler, Treasurer. Stephen R. Mulch, Vice-President. Shirley M. Roskamp, Secretary. Anna MacArthur, Memorial Fund.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, on June 8th and 9th, 2004, I was unavoidably detained while part of an official Congressional delegation. If I had been present, on rollcall vote Nos. 229, 230 & 231, I would have voted ``aye''.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to salute an outstanding young woman who has been honored with the Girl Scouts of the USA Gold Award by Girl Scouts of Two Rivers Council in Quincy, Illinois. She is Molly Goodman of Astoria, Illinois. She is being honored for earning the highest achievement award in Girl Scouting. The Girl Scout Gold Award symbolizes outstanding accomplishments in the areas of leadership, community service, career planning, and personal development. The Girl Scout Gold Award can be earned by girls ages 14-17 or in grades 9-12. Girl Scouts of the USA, an organization serving over 2.6 million girls, has awarded more than 20,000 Girl Scout Gold Awards to Senior Girl Scouts since the inception of the program in 1980. To receive the award, a Girl Scout must fulfill five requirements: earn four interest project patches, earn the Career Exploration Pin, earn the Senior Girl Scout Leadership Award, earn the Senior Girl Scout Challenge, and design and implement a Girl Scout Gold project. A plan for fulfilling the requirements of the award is created by the Senior Girl Scout and is carried out through close cooperation between the girl and an adult Girl Scout volunteer. The earning of the Girl Scout Gold Award is a major accomplishment for Molly and I believe she should receive the public recognition due her for this significant service to her community and her country.