Trent Franks

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. I thank the gentleman so much. I now yield to the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Sali).

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I just thank the gentleman so much for his moving words. Now I yield to the gentleman from Iowa, Congressman King.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Speaker, I would now yield to the very distinguished gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence). (Mr. PENCE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Garrett for this privilege of this time. Madam Speaker, I believe the cornerstone of all human freedom is that of religious freedom. Indeed, a small separatist church congregation in England possessed a desire so strong to practice their faith freely that it compelled them to cross the ocean in a little wooden ship called the Mayflower. While theirs was a quest to be able to practice the faith of Christianity, a central tenet of their Christian faith was the belief that all human beings were given the right by God to embrace whatever religious conviction they truly held in their hearts, and that human beings should protect that right for each other. Madam Speaker, today we considered and passed H. Res. 847, ``recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith.'' Of course, Madam Speaker, there will be those who will criticize any effort to recognize a particular faith or holiday. However, Madam Speaker, aside from the debatable aspects of this resolution, or any other, those who are even slightly acquainted with history know that the Bible, the founding document of the Christian faith, was the essential rationale and substance that inspired our Declaration of Independence and was, further, the bedrock foundational document of the Western world. The objective of this resolution is to honor those Judeo-Christian principles that have shaped American history and policy since the founding of our Nation and that have informed and influenced our ideas of justice and equality 7 years into the 21st century. Indeed, Madam Speaker, it was the Christian principles hailed in this resolution that led our country to be the very first beacon of religious freedom in the history of the world and, further, to finally reject the practice of human slavery that had plagued civilization across the world for nearly 7,000 years. Madam Speaker, I believe that it would be wrong for this body to ever pass any law that would compel or forbid any person in this Nation or any other nation to accept or reject any article of faith, so long as they did not deprive their fellow Americans or human beings of those same constitutional rights. However, in recognizing the influence of Christianity upon Western civilization, we are also commending the unshakable commitment of Christian principles, the very ones that compelled our Founding Fathers to resolutely declare that all men are created equal by God himself, and that because they are created equal, they are also created free, Madam Speaker, and that includes being free to embrace the religion of their own conviction. Religious freedom is a central component of the Christian faith this resolution references. Indeed, the message of the one born on Christmas Day was from a savior who came to offer every member of the human family ultimate and eternal freedom, even at the cost of his own life. Madam Speaker, as we enjoy our religious freedom in this season of peace, may we not forget that at this very moment American men and women in uniform are fighting a battle across the world so that all Americans might continue to freely exercise their faith, and that that right might ultimately some day be extended to all of mankind. President Roosevelt probably said it best, Madam Speaker. He said in his Christmas Eve Nation message to the Nation, December 24, 1941, ``Our strongest weapon in this war is that conviction of the dignity and brotherhood of man, which Christmas Day signifies more than any other day or any other symbol. Against enemies who preach the principles of hate and practice them, we set our faith in human love and in God's care for us and all men everywhere.'' So, Madam Speaker, with those feelings in mind and with love in my heart for people of every faith, let me here on this floor exercise my own religious freedom and wish you and everyone else under the sound of my voice a happy, holy, and merry Christmas.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. I thank Congressman Manzullo. Henry Hyde was perhaps more responsible than any other Member of this body for allowing me to become a Member of Congress, and I stand here thanking him for his work and for him allowing me to come to this place. Mr. Speaker, our moment in history is marked by mortal conflict between a culture of life and a culture of death. God put us in this world to do noble things, to love and to cherish our fellow human beings, not to destroy them. Today, we must choose sides. Mr. Speaker, those words were spoken by one Henry Hyde, who in 1924 was born in the same State that once gave us an Abraham Lincoln who guided America through that terrible storm that brought about the end of a cancer called slavery that it had embedded itself so deeply in American policy. That same greatness of spirit that compelled Abraham Lincoln to remind our Nation that all men are created equal also compelled Henry Hyde to spend 32 years of his life serving this body in defense of that same truth. Mr. Speaker, Henry Hyde said, ``We are the heirs of 1776, and of an epic moment in history of human affairs when the Founders of this Republic pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. Think of that, their sacred honor, to the defense of the rule of law. The rule of law is to safeguard our liberties. The rule of law is what allows us to live in our freedom in ways that honor the freedom of others.'' Mr. Speaker, whether working to overturn the horrors of child sex slavery, of sex trafficking, or advocating to protect victims of human rights abuse, or improving the lives of children, families, seniors, and military veterans, or protecting the innocent from the threat of terrorism, or striving to bring clean water and basic sanitation to the poorest of the poor all over the world, Henry Hyde was truly a man who gave himself to the cause of honoring and protecting the equal, inherent, and profound dignity of every member of the human family. He carried himself with such honor and dignity and true nobility, and yet never wavered in the strength or perseverance of his convictions. Like President Ronald Reagan, he carried a reputation for being a happy warrior. And, Mr. Speaker, while the hallmark of Henry Hyde's life was the compassion for all of humanity, the driving force of his work in Congress was the dedication to protecting and restoring the constitutional rights for an entirely unprotected class of humanity he called the ``defenseless unborn.'' Henry Hyde was instrumental in crafting legislation such as the Mexico City policy and the partial birth abortion ban. Perhaps his most world-changing initiative came in the form of the legendary Hyde amendment which passed 2 years after he first came to Washington in 1976. It prohibited the practice of taxpayers being forced to pay for abortions. The year before, taxpayer funds had provided for more than 300,000 abortions in America. Mr. Speaker, at the very least, over 1 million little souls have lived to feel the warmth of sunlight and freedom on their faces because of the Hyde amendment and the work of Henry Hyde, and that number could well be in the millions. That is a legacy no words of mine can ever express. Mr. Speaker, Henry Hyde once said, ``This is not a debate about religious doctrine or even about public policy options. It is a debate about our understanding of human dignity, what it means to be a member of the human family, even though tiny, powerless and unwanted.'' Henry Hyde was a man of unwavering principle, an unflinching patriot who never hesitated to confront even the fiercest controversies once he believed that he was fighting on the side of truth, God, and human freedom. Not only did he fight tirelessly for those truths, he spoke them so powerfully that he deeply and profoundly moved the heart of America. He stirred this body on countless occasions and helped to rekindle the conscience of this Nation, and the legacy of his words will resonate long after every one of us has walked out of that Chamber for the very last time. Last month, Mr. Speaker, Congressman Henry Hyde was honored by the President of the United States with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest award that can be bestowed on any civilian. ``He used his persuasive powers for noble causes'' according to the President. ``He was a gallant champion of the weak and the forgotten, and a fearless defender of life in all of his seasons.'' Mr. Speaker, back in 1857 in the Dred Scott decision, the Supreme Court said that the black man was not a person under the Constitution, and it took a civil war to reverse that tragedy. In the rise of the Nazi Holocaust, we saw the German high tribunal say that Jews were unworthy of being classed as humans, and a tragedy that beggars our understanding followed as a result. Then in 1973 we saw the Supreme Court of the United States of America take from the innocent unborn children the most basic human right of all, the right to live. And in all three cases, Mr. Speaker, a great human tragedy followed. The Civil War took more lives than any war in our history. The world war that arrested the Nazi Holocaust took 50 million lives worldwide, and even saw atomic bombs fall on cities. And today we stand in retrospect and wonder how the compassion of humanity did not rise in defense of those who could not defend themselves when such horrible atrocities might have been prevented. And yet, there and here, in the land of the free and the home of the brave, we have killed 50 million of our own children in what should have been the safe sanctuary of their own mother's wombs. They died nameless and alone, their mothers were never the same, Mr. Speaker, and all of the gifts those children might have brought to humanity are now lost forever. Mr. Speaker, there is no way for me to add to the power of the immortal words of that gallant statesman, Henry Hyde himself. He said something I wish that every American, every person on Earth could hear. He said, ``When the time comes, as it surely will, when we face that awesome moment, the final judgment, I've often thought, as Fulton Sheen wrote, that it is a terrible moment of loneliness. You have no advocates. You are there standing alone before God, and a terror will rip through your soul like nothing you can imagine. But I really think that those in the pro-life movement will not be alone. I think there will be a chorus of voices that have never been heard in this world, but are heard beautifully and clearly in the next world. And they will plead for everyone who has been in this movement. They will say to God, spare him because he loved us. And God will look at you and say, not did you succeed, but did you try?'' Mr. Speaker, Henry Hyde truly tried. And I am convinced that the day will still come in America when the warm sunlight of life will finally break through these clouds and shine once again on the faces of unborn children in this Nation. And when that day comes, history will record that it is a great champion named Henry Hyde who waged a quiet war for the defenseless unborn in the Halls of this Congress. And he reached up to hold the hand of an unseen God and reached down to hold the hand of an unnamed little baby and refused to let go until the storm was gone. And, Mr. Speaker, if I'm wrong, and somehow America never finds its way out of this horrible darkness of abortion on demand, I know more than anything else in the world that the Lord of the universe still hears the cries of every last one of his children. And no matter who or where they are, if time turns every star in heaven to ashes, I know in my soul, as Henry Hyde knew in his, that that eternal moment of God's deliverance will come to every last one of them. Mr. Speaker, Henry Hyde was a true and noble champion and he will live forever in our hearts and minds as a warrior for the cause of human freedom and human life. May his family, his many friends, and loved ones be comforted in the peace and assurance of knowing that their courageous father and husband and friend has been welcomed by an eternal chorus of voices and has now walked safely into the arms of God and heard him whisper, ``Well done, thou good and faithful servant.'' God bless Henry Hyde.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 1002, I was unavoidably detained and missed the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 1001, I was unavoidably detained and missed the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 1003, I was unavoidably detained and missed the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, most of my adult life has been related to children's issues. Before I came to Congress, I had the privilege of serving in the Arizona House of Representatives as chairman of the Subcommittee on Child Protection and Family Preservation. Later, I was director of the Arizona Governor's Office for Children, which had oversight of all of the State's programs for children in Arizona. I was also chairman of both the Arizona State Children's Cabinet and the Interagency Study Committee on Children and AIDS. And for another 4\1/2\ years, Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege of being the executive director of the Arizona Family Research Institute. I later wrote the Arizona scholarship tax credit legislation, a version of which has now gone through five States and serves to scholarship more than 100,000 low-income children who go to a school of their parents' choice. I also wrote Arizona's child obscenity and pornography bill, which became a national precedent and protects children from the insidious harm of both adult and child pornography. Mr. Speaker, the reason I say those things is that there is one critical component of protecting innocent children I have learned over and over again; and that is if you desire to protect children, you must protect the family. Because either families, or government bureaucrats, will ultimately make the decisions about nearly all aspects of our children's lives. The proposed SCHIP legislation funds and empowers government bureaucracies and not families. It is a quintessential example of a misguided and overreaching program that is an entitlement program and affixes itself to a funding mechanism that is a declining revenue source. Not only does it place this generation of children into a Hillary-care, government-run health care system, but it also places the burden of cost on the next generation of children, Mr. Speaker, and those many times who will be forced to pay for it will be those making less money than those benefiting from the program. Mr. Speaker, Americans care desperately about their children. And, unfortunately, in this SCHIP debate, liberal Democrats are exploiting America's love for children for temporary political gain. The majority has cast this entire debate in terms of Republicans being against children and Democrats being for them. For a Republican like myself who has spent their entire life dedicated to children's issues, it is an equation that I have to reject in the strongest possible terms. And it is especially difficult for me, Mr. Speaker, in light of the fact that the same party who says they advocate for poor children leaves the very poorest children of all out of the equation. It is the Democrat Party, Mr. Speaker, that has for decades fought for an abortion-on-demand policy that has allowed thousands of unborn children to be killed in America every day. At the beginning of this Congress, newly elected Democrat Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, ``We are here for the children.'' And she called the House to order for ``all of America's children.'' But she didn't mean all of them, Mr. Speaker. In fact, most Democrat Members of this body, including Speaker Pelosi, voted against, in the last Congress, allowing unborn children to even receive anesthetic when undergoing abortion procedures so torturous that they would be a felony if performed on an animal. Mr. Speaker, behind me this picture is a little baby who deserves to be protected like every other child in this country, and yet before the sun sets in America today, 4,000 unborn children will be killed through abortion on demand, and, Mr. Speaker, their mothers will never be the same. The Democrat Speaker and the majority of this Congress have to somehow understand that there are better ways to help mothers than killing their children for them. And they must also realize that they can never have credibility as advocates for children while they still support an abortion-on-demand policy that has killed nearly 50 million innocent children. Mr. Speaker, it is time for Members of this body to come together and to truly do the right thing for all of America's children, even those yet unborn.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Speaker, the bill here at issue, the so-called RESTORE Act, undermines the existing structure that we put in place to reform FISA only 3 months ago. In the midst of a war, any changes to the way that our intelligence community operates should be understood as a somber and delicate undertaking that requires great care. Our national security hangs in the balance. We cannot afford to get this wrong, Mr. Speaker. My amendment aimed to deal with the seriously flawed provision of the RESTORE Act that will do great damage to the civil liberties of the protections of Americans. My amendment would have stricken section 11 of the bill that directs the Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney General to jointly maintain a recordkeeping system of U.S. persons whose communications are intercepted. Mr. Speaker, this would amount to a big government database that would have individuals' identity attached in every practical way. There is simply no way to have a database like this that does not attach individual identities to verify the process. The Democrats maintain that the identity is not attached. But this is an impractical rebuttal. Mr. Speaker, the proposal's not only misguided, it attempts ostensibly to protect Americans' civil liberties and only undermines them further. And we have to understand that these identities would be attached, even if they have no connection to spying or terrorism. And the bottom line is this, Mr. Speaker, this war on terrorism is ultimately fought in the area of intelligence. If we knew where every terrorist was tonight, in 60 days this war would be over. And if we tie those people's hands who are fighting to protect this country with this RESTORE Act by the majority, I believe that we will some day revisit this issue, Mr. Speaker, because when a terrible tragedy comes on this country, it will transform this debate in the most profound way, and we need to be very, very careful. We need to understand that what we're doing here is of vital importance to future generations.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, this last Sunday one of America's grandest ladies turned 97 years old. And tonight it is a sincere privilege for me to stand here in this well to speak a few words of heartfelt tribute to a woman whose impact on three generations of children will be felt in the human family I believe even after this Chamber is dust. I knew this special lady as Mrs. Freeman. Four decades have passed since I gathered my belongings as a fourth grader and left the warmth and safety of her classroom for the very last time. As we all reflect on our childhood, I suppose each of us has that one teacher in our memory who affected our lives more than any other. My memory of her is always that of a truly warm and elegant lady who completely personified class, dignity, and grace. Mrs. Freeman was the model teacher that I believe every teacher truly aspires to be. She made books come alive in class. She made every lesson exciting, every life was important. She made us realize that each of us had an important part to play that only we could play. This gracious lady encouraged us to pursue a standard of integrity simply by the way she lived. And in those times when we disappointed her, Mr. Speaker, she never failed to correct us truthfully but gently, and she was always willing to forgive us and to affirm that we were fully restored in her eyes. While there were so many ways that the guidance of Mrs. Freeman prepared me for life, perhaps the greatest gift I ever received from her and have carried with me through all these years was that of her words of encouragement. I may never have come to this Chamber at all, Mr. Speaker, without some of the soul-lifting things that she said to me. And I am convinced that not a day goes by that I am not affected by those words. And I can say to you, Mr. Speaker, that not a day ever went by in her class that did not include a moment when Mrs. Freeman looked into the eyes of one of her students and, with a warm smile and a loving wink, she would utter those simple words ``You can do it.'' I know without a doubt that mine was only one of hundreds of lives that were changed forever by those magnificent words, not only because they empowered and encouraged but because we each knew that she meant those words from the depth and core of her soul. There were many other lessons she left us with that I have greatly cherished on this road to the United States Congress. When one of us would be left out, she would come along beside us and encourage us with that authentically gracious and generous spirit that characterized her life. When my home burned down, Mr. Speaker, taking nearly every material belonging I had, including my school books, and leaving me feeling a little lost, it was Mrs. Freeman that reminded me that God had spared all of my family and that the rest really didn't matter. And I knew then and I know now more than ever that she was so very right. She also taught me through school plays just to speak my lines sincerely from my heart, and I seek to do that even tonight, Mr. Speaker. Few gifts could have served me better over these many years. When I first ran for the United States Congress, this sweet lady made the trip to attend one of the major events supporting my candidacy. She made a campaign contribution and included a note that ended with those words, ``You can do it.'' But a narrow loss in that election, Mr. Speaker, was a deep disappointment. And still I received a letter from her shortly afterward, and once again she offered hope and encouragement that I will cherish as long as I live. But it was her last five words that I remember most. They were the hallmark phrase of Marguerite Freeman, teacher of truth and loving encourager to children. Her letter closed with those words, ``You can still do it.'' Mother Theresa once said, ``Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are endless.'' Mr. Speaker, if Mrs. Freeman could be here in this Chamber tonight, I would say to her something like this: that words fail me to express the loving impact that you have had on my life and so many others. And I truly believe that this generation and many generations to come will inherit the beauty and legacy of those endless echoes of your encouragement that you cast into the hearts of so many of those children whose priceless gift it was to call you teacher. Beloved and gallant lady, may God bless you forever.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 942 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, nearly 100 years ago the Department of War made a contract with two all-American men who would revolutionize human life as we know it. Those Ohio-born Wright brothers had a starry-eyed vision, tenacity, and brilliance that transformed their vision from theory to reality when they contracted with the United States Army to build a flying machine for the use of the United States Armed Forces. Since then the United States Air Force has proven that mortals can break the sound barrier many times over in heavier-than-air, high- powered aircraft defying, it seems, the very forces of gravity and transcending the previously incontrovertible dimensions of human capacity. Even at this very moment, the Air Force is working to defend our assets in a new frontier of national security: space itself. Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 60th anniversary of the year in which the United States Air Force became an official separate military service within the Department of Defense. Since then, the ability to protect the forces of freedom all over the world through flight in air, space, and cyberspace has transformed warfare in a way that perhaps only can be truly appreciated by the enemies of liberty. Air power was born through the courage and resilience with which our noble men and women in the Air Force overcame in the crucibles of World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. And today the courageous airmen and women of this generation are shaping history still as the enemies of liberty feel the just fury of the Air Force in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The U.S. Air Force has risen to meet the challenge of international terrorism by attaining a new level of technological capability to surveil a battle space virtually encompassing the entire planet. Mr. Speaker, I have the precious honor of representing the Second Congressional District of Arizona, which includes Luke Air Force Base, a vital strategic asset to our national security and the largest fighter wing in the United States Air Force. Luke Air Force Base trains over 95 percent of all U.S. Air Force F-16 pilots and over 50 percent of all U.S. fighter pilots. The commanders at Luke are entrusted with the solemn mission of effectively equipping the Nation's greatest F-16 pilots and maintainers to be deployed as mission-ready war fighters. It is a center and symbol of excellence to the Air Force and a beacon of courage, honor, military strategy, and effectiveness for our armed services throughout America. As the Nation commends 60 years of noble and selfless service in the cause of the freedom and security of these United States, it is an honor for me to stand here on the floor of the United States House of Representatives and thank Luke Air Force Base and the entire United States Air Force for their selfless dedication and their commitment to the cause of human freedom. None of us can ever fully convey the gratitude that we owe to these warriors who have answered liberty's call to service and sacrifice. So, Mr. Speaker, may I pause this moment and offer my deepest and heartfelt gratitude, and that of the entire Nation, to the gallant men and women of the United States Air Force who have now, for these 60 years, borne upon their noble wings of freedom the cause of America and the hope of humanity. God bless them all, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, today marks the 220th anniversary of the ratification of one of the greatest documents written in the history of man. In fact, Mr. Speaker, it is safe to say that other than the Bible and our Declaration of Independence, no other document has so impacted the course of human history and freedom throughout the world. That is because 220 years ago, the Framers of our Constitution did something singular in the long account of tyrannies, governments, and institutions invented whereby man sought to govern his fellow man. A small courageous set of soldiers, farmers, aristocrats and tradesmen banded together and forever threw off the yoke of the crown of England to ``secure the blessings of liberty to themselves and their posterity.'' Their resolve was ratified with the Declaration of Independence that was in fact a promise to future generations to never again subject our children to the unchecked tyranny of arbitrary human government. In those tumultuous days, there was perhaps no better or more justifiable case for establishing a permanent monarchy than under the noble and flint-like leadership of General George Washington. Many urged the general to do just that. But, Mr. Speaker, instead those first Americans took it upon themselves to do something completely revolutionary. Those men, who had seized for themselves potentially unlimited power over a nascent state completely vulnerable to the dictates of tyranny, chose instead to place immovable checks and limitations upon their own power and upon all those in government who would follow them. The European model of life said that God gave authority to kings and a government of kings who would hold the rights of men in their hands. The American model encapsulated the divine message of human dignity: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created, that they are all equal, and that they are all endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights and that government exists to secure those rights. Mr. Speaker, those first Americans understood that all men were individually accountable to God and that he first gave each of them the right to live. Without this first right of life firmly secured and clearly understood, they knew that all other rights would become meaningless; but with it, all other rights would follow. They were right, Mr. Speaker. The Constitution of the United States built upon the Declaration of Independence and its proclamation of a self-evident truth that all men are created equal, and laid upon that foundation the rights of freedom of all kinds, of speech and religion, the right to own property, the right of individuals to bear arms, and the right to choose a government of the people, for the people, and by the people. Mr. Speaker, the Constitution of the United States is a statement of eternal truths as much as it is a statement of principles that govern a nation. Now more than ever as we take this day to commemorate the framing and establishment of that Constitution that for 220 years has served as the archetype of free democratic nations and governments all over the world, it is absolutely incumbent upon all of us to desperately remember the meaning of those words and to renew our commitment to guard against every erosion of that document and the liberties it embodies. But most importantly, the protection of the right to live. Daniel Webster's admonition to all of us is so appropriate. He said: ``Hold on, my friends, to the Constitution and to the Republic for which it stands. Miracles do not cluster and what has happened once in 6,000 years may never happen again. If the American Constitution should fall, there will be anarchy throughout the world.'' Mr. Speaker, Senator Webster's voice no longer sounds in these Chambers, but I pray that we hear his message anew in our hearts, and I hope we can renew our own oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States, that miraculous document that has so valiantly and nobly served the cause of humanity for 220 years.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, that may be. Let me go ahead and finish here with my comments, and then I'll ask the Appropriations chairman what he feels like would be appropriate at that time. I'm also grateful, Mr. Chairman, that we've taken vital steps for greater cooperation with Israeli ballistic missile defense because I believe that will play a critical role in future pieces of the human family. Having said that, I'm incredibly concerned tonight that the $97.2 million that was cut from the only existing active defense system this Nation has against intercontinental ballistic missiles is a dangerous cut. This is not a far-term system. In fact, this is not a near-term system. It is a current system and the only one we have to defend this Nation against intercontinental ballistic missiles. This $97.2 million cut is inconsistent with even the Democrats' view on the House Armed Services Committee for their support for short-term programs and near- term programs, and it directly conflicts with the legislation passed in last year's National Defense Authorization advocating Department of Defense focus on near-term capabilities. This amendment would restore the $97.2 million for ground-based, mid- course defense without increasing any dollars to the Defense bill. The offset is from research and development defense-wide, which has over $20 billion in the account. Mr. Chairman, this country must plan on being surprised by our enemies. In 1998, intelligence experts indicated that North Korea was years away from fielding multistage rockets. That very next month they demonstrated that capability when, on July 4 of the American Independence Day, North Korea brazenly launched a long-range ballistic missile. Americans witnessed for the first time that day their country activate a missile defense system to protect our homeland against intercontinental ballistic missiles. It is clear that North Korea was using these missiles for coercion and intimidation, and I would ask that we neutralize their ability to do that and bring critical protection to Americans and our homeland by fully supporting the GMB system we currently have. Now, I would yield to the chairman if he has any thoughts.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Reclaiming my time, Mr. Chairman, in sincere and due respect, if the concern were as great as mine, this $97.2 million would not have been cut. I move the amendment, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, if the distinguished chairman of the appropriations committee is saying that the cuts would be restored, then I'm willing to withdraw the amendment. If that's not what he's saying, then I need to go ahead and offer the amendment.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, you may be confused here. We're not talking about ABL here. I was just getting to the next. I was thanking you for restoring ABL.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, are you saying that the cuts would be restored?

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, praise is due to certain Members on the Appropriations Committee on both sides of this aisle who had the foresight and the wisdom to fund key missile defense systems in the President's budget. We must remind ourselves that in 2006 alone there were close to 100 foreign ballistic missiles launched around the world. In an age of terrorism, when rogue states and non-State entities can acquire these dangerous missiles, we must prepare a defense for our homeland, for our deployed war fighters and for our friends and allies. The Appropriations Committee preserved the Airborne Laser, which is a system often deemed futuristic or far-term, but as many of us know, ABL is a magnificent ballistic missile defense system that has now been built and continues to successfully meet its knowledge points. And thanks to the ingenuity and hard work of dedicated Americans, Airborne Laser will soon play a critical role in helping us to meet the evolving threat of ballistic missiles.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, 9/11 is the ultimate reminder of the countless innocent American lives at stake when we miss critical or e-mail communications between foreign terrorists in foreign countries. If our national intelligence community is to effectively anticipate future threats, it must be allowed to keep up with the rapidly evolving world of telecommunications technology. Mr. Speaker, last night in this House, Democrats chose to blatantly disregard the appeals of both the Director of National Intelligence as well as those of the FISA courts who have pleaded for a modernization of the system in order to reduce the needless burden of FISA court orders for foreign terrorist surveillance. Instead, Democrat Members passed a bill that only further immobilizes our outdated foreign intelligence system. Mr. Speaker, whether or not liberal Democrats acknowledge the threat that we face, that threat is very real, as terrorists themselves continue to remind us. Al-Manar recently said on BBC: ``Let the entire world hear me. Our hostility to the great Satan [America] is absolute . . . Regardless of how the world has changed after 11 September, death to America will remain our reverberating and powerful slogan: Death to America.'' Mr. Speaker, tonight is the last opportunity before leaving Washington for Members of this House to address the imminent possibility of a terrorist attack by effectively modernizing our FISA regulations to provide for the defense of the American people. One thing is absolutely clear, Mr. Speaker: Al Qaeda will not rest when this body adjourns for the August recess. If we do not address the critical loopholes in our foreign surveillance system tonight, our children may some day face nuclear jihad, perhaps even in this generation. And what we will tell them, Mr. Speaker, when they look back on this day and condemn this generation for unspeakable irresponsibility in the face of such an obvious threat to human peace. We must pass this critical bill.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. I thank the gentleman. Madam Speaker, over the past three decades, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act has become increasingly archaic, and our intelligence community has been inhibited from acting with speed and agility to conduct necessary surveillance of foreign targets. The consequence of missing terrorist communications materialized before our eyes on the morning of 9/11; and, Madam Speaker, in the eyes of our enemy, 9/11 is only the beginning. Madam Speaker, if we knew exactly where every terrorist in the world was at this moment, the war on jihad would be, in practical terms, over in about 6 weeks. However, in this 21st century, it is intelligence that is our most critical challenge. Without intelligence, our entire national defense structure is rendered ineffective and the lives of millions of Americans are placed at the mercy of an enemy possessed with a merciless ideology and a relentless vision of the Western World in nuclear flames. Just this week, Madam Speaker, a new al Qaeda propaganda ad appeared on the Internet entitled, ``Wait for the Big Surprise.'' And it closed with these words: ``Soon, God willing.'' Just today, Madam Speaker, the Director of National Intelligence issued an unequivocal statement that the bill we are now considering is an unacceptable solution and one that would keep him from fulfilling his duty to anticipate threats and to protect our Nation. Madam Speaker, al Qaeda will not adjourn when we do. Today, this night, is our opportunity to address this vital issue. If we let partisan bickering cause us to fail, we should start now to write our apology to the children of the next generation who may see nuclear jihad and the generation beyond that that may see dangers beyond our imagination. Madam Speaker, we must not fail.