Trent Franks

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I would now yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Speaker, I just would suggest to you that, in the time that I have been in Congress--nearly 12 years now, about 12 years--I do not know of a greater defender of humanity and truth and just the kind of principle that made America what we are than one Congressman Chris Smith, and I just consider it a privilege for the time that I have been able to serve with him. Mr. Speaker, 30 years ago, Soviet Marshal Ogarkov announced that Flight 007 of Korean Airlines had been terminated, that the Soviets had shot down a civilian airliner killing all 269 passengers aboard. President Reagan immediately addressed the entire Nation about the tragedy and resolutely called for justice and for action. He then proceeded to accelerate work on America's missile defense system. He worked with Congress on the Reagan defense buildup, he built relationships with European allies and enforced strong sanctions that ultimately bankrupt and brought down the once-unshakeable Soviet Union. Mr. Speaker, last week, another civilian airliner, flight MH17, with 298 innocent people aboard, was also shot down and this time by Russian-backed separatists. On that same day in which the conflict in Israel also escalated to new heights, The New York Times reported President Obama's schedule as, ``a cheeseburger with fries at the Charcoal Pit in Delaware, a speech about infrastructure, and two splashy fundraisers in New York City.'' Mr. Speaker, where would America be today if we had elected Barack Obama in 1980? Where will this President's leadership take us tomorrow? With that question, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 105) conferring honorary citizenship of the United States on Bernardo de Galvez y Madrid, Viscount of Galveston and Count of Galvez.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I thank the gentleman for his support. Mr. Speaker, H.J. Res. 105 confers honorary United States citizenship upon Bernardo de Galvez y Madrid in recognition of his many contributions to and sacrifices for the cause of American independence. I want to commend again our colleague, Jeff Miller, for introducing this legislation, and I certainly urge my colleagues to support it. American citizenship, Mr. Speaker, is the highest honor that our country can confer upon a person who is a citizen of another land. The granting of honorary citizenship is a symbolic gesture that welcomes the recipient into our national family. Honorary citizenship is and should always be an extraordinary honor not lightly conferred. Congress has granted honorary citizens on only six occasions in the past to seven individuals. The seven recipients have been Casimir Pulaski, the Marquis de Lafayette, Mother Teresa, William and Hannah Penn, Raoul Wallenberg, and Winston Churchill. The last two recipients, Casimir Pulaski and the Marquis de Lafayette, both played crucial roles in the United States' victory in the Revolutionary War. General Galvez's contributions to the war effort compare very favorably with those of Casimir Pulaski and the Marquis de Lafayette. H.J. Res. 105 states that Galvez ``provided supplies, intelligence, and strong military support to the war effort.'' Indeed, the historical record indicates that, due to the British blockade of seaports on the eastern seaboard, Galvez's secretly- coordinated smuggling operation and efforts to clear the Mississippi River of British influence helped to ensure that George Washington's Continental Army received necessary weapons and other provisions. H.J. Res. 105 states that: Galvez recruited an army of 7,500 men . . . and led the effort of Spain to aid the United States' colonists . . . he and his troops seized the Port of New Orleans and successfully defeated the British at battles in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Natchez, Mississippi; and Mobile, Alabama. Commentators and historians have uniformly lauded General Galvez's bravery, tenacity, and tactical military skill in rapidly assembling and leading a diverse, multiethnic regiment. Galvez's forces were victorious in every battle into which he led them. H.J. Res. 105 states that Galvez ``led the successful 2-month siege of Pensacola, Florida, where his troops captured the capital of British West Florida and left the British with no naval bases in the Gulf of Mexico.'' The historical narrative surrounding Galvez's actions leading up to and throughout the 2-month-long Battle of Pensacola underscores his heroism and leadership in pursuit of the objective of pinning down the British forces and driving them from the Gulf of Mexico. There is no question that keeping the British occupied on a second front during the war was crucial and critical to the success of General Washington's campaign. Mr. Speaker, some historians have noted that the length and timing of the Battle of Pensacola, in particular, impacted the number of forces and ships the British could commit to the Battle of Yorktown, which was the final campaign of the Revolutionary War. Finally, H.J. Res. 105 states that Galvez' victories against the British were recognized by George Washington as a deciding factor in the outcome of the Revolutionary War. I believe that Bernardo de Galvez y Madrid deeply deserves honorary citizenship, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.J. Res. 105, currently under consideration.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Miller).

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I would just join with the gentleman in urging its passage. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on S. 1799, currently under consideration.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today to speak in favor of S. 1799, the Victims of Child Abuse Act Reauthorization Act of 2013. This bill, introduced by Senators Coons and Blunt, reauthorizes the funding streams for child advocacy centers, which are often the first line of service providers for the young victims of child abuse, sexual assault, and other crimes. There are over 750 child advocacy centers located in all 50 States and in the District of Columbia and four regional centers that provide training and technical assistance to the local centers. The child advocacy centers are designed to limit additional trauma to victimized children by bringing all of the necessary law enforcement agencies and service providers to a single safe place. Depending on the case, they can include forensic interview teams, child protection and social services, medical care, and mental health services. In addition to limiting the trauma for the children, this is an efficient and effective approach to investigating child abuse cases. In 2013 alone, Mr. Speaker, over 294,000 children were served at child advocacy centers, and over 200,000 of those children were victims of sexual abuse. More than one-third of the victims seen by the centers are under the age of 6 years old, and two-thirds are under the age of 13. Despite being unauthorized since 2005, the child advocacy center programs have received appropriations every year. S. 1799 reauthorizes the funding at its current authorization level and provides additional accountability measures to ensure that Federal funds are spent appropriately. A House companion to this legislation, H.R. 3706, was introduced by Representative Ted Poe and was included in the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, which passed the Judiciary Committee and the House floor unanimously earlier this year. In addition to reauthorizing the child advocacy centers, S. 1799 clarifies that funds available to the FBI for victims' services under the Justice Department's Crime Victims Fund may only be used to directly benefit victims and not for administrative purposes. This provision was contained in a House bill, the Justice for Crime Victims Act of 2014, which I introduced in March of this year. Mr. Speaker, the purpose of section 3 of this bipartisan legislation is simple: to reassert Congress' control over the use of the Crime Victims Fund, which is so critical for crime victims. Victim specialists, also referred to as victim advocates, along with their supervisors, victim witness coordinators, should be improving services for the benefit of crime victims and not be diverted to other purposes. To quote Joan Ganz Cooney: ``Cherishing children is the mark of a civilized society.'' S. 1799 will reauthorize an important tool in our ongoing fight against child abuse. I commend all of my colleagues who dedicated their efforts to this legislation. I urge its passage and quick signature into law. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1799) to reauthorize subtitle A of the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, 30 years ago, Soviet Marshal Ogarkov announced that Korean Airlines Flight 7 had been ``terminated.'' The Soviets had shot down a civilian airliner, killing all 269 passengers aboard. President Reagan immediately addressed the entire Nation about the tragedy and resolutely called for justice and for action. He then proceeded to accelerate work on America's missile defense system, worked with Congress on the Reagan defense buildup, building relationships with European allies, and enforced strong sanctions that ultimately bankrupted and brought down the once unshakable Soviet Union. Last week, Mr. Speaker, another civilian airliner, Flight MH17, with 298 innocent people aboard, was shot down by Russian-backed separatists. On that same day, in which the conflict in Israel also escalated to new heights, The New York Times reported President Barack Obama's schedule as: ``a cheeseburger with fries at the Charcoal Pit in Delaware, a speech about infrastructure, and two splashy fundraisers in New York City.'' Mr. Speaker, where would America be today if we had elected Barack Obama in 1980? Where will this President's leadership take us tomorrow? Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, last month, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas openly united with the evil terrorist group Hamas, and at this very moment they are raining down rockets upon the innocent citizens of Israel. Half of all Israelis have sought cover in bomb shelters across their tiny country. And the Obama administration has had the reprehensible gall to praise Abbas as someone who is ``committed to nonviolence and cooperation with Israel,'' and to further proclaim in an Israeli newspaper that ``finally, peace is possible.'' Mr. Speaker, I thought nothing this President could ever say or do would surprise me anymore, but this flushed and breathless rush to embrace terrorists launching rockets at Israeli children is an unprecedented act of cowardice and betrayal. America's fleet should, this minute, be off the coast of Israel, and the world, including Abbas, Hamas, and Hezbollah, should know that America's arsenal of freedom stands ready to defend our most precious ally on Earth.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Madam Chair, my amendment would not allow funds to be used to transfer or divest the mission at the Electronic Proving Grounds, or EPG, at Fort Huachuca in Arizona. EPG is the U.S. Army's primary Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber and Intelligence--or C5I--Developmental Tester. EPG plans, conducts, and analyzes the results of technical tests for C5I systems, signal intelligence, and electronic combat and electronic warfare equipment. EPG has an available area of operation that includes more than 9,000 square miles of public and private lands in and around Fort Huachuca, and its unique interference-free electromagnetic environment makes it the prime location for electronic testing. Madam Chair, EPG, the Electronic Proving Ground at Fort Huachuca, is a national strategic asset. It can accomplish, in a real open-air environment, what others can only simulate in a closed laboratory environment. EPG gives our C5I systems a place to be tested and simulated in real-world environments, leaving our warfighters with the best tested and the most advanced functioning systems available. Further, this amendment saves money in this fiscally constrained environment as the Department would have to spend millions of dollars to transfer such a mission. There is no reason, therefore, that we should even consider moving such an asset into a closed laboratory. Madam Chair, I believe this is a commonsense amendment and that it preserves the strategic asset, and it is, ultimately, in the best interests of the national security of the United States of America. I thank the committee for its time and support of this amendment, and I thank the chairman especially for his indulgence. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. I appreciate the comments of both the ranking member and the chairman. I suppose, Madam Chair, it is important for me just to point out that the underlying predicate of this amendment is the need, in my mind, to protect this country against the potential use of the electromagnetic pulse as an offensive weapon against this country, and this facility in Fort Huachuca is one of our best ways to ascertain the dangers that are involved and to try to find ways to protect this country against that danger. It is very possible, Madam Chair, that the electromagnetic pulse has become one of the more significant short-term national security threats to this Nation. Enemies across the world are now starting to develop this capability, and I think it is very important for us to make sure that we understand it and that we have the kinds of facilities that can test our vulnerability to the electromagnetic pulse in real-world situations; and even though there are a few others, the Fort Huachuca facility is one of the few that can do that. I believe, in terms of the long-term costs, a major electromagnetic pulse attack on this country could prove astronomically expensive. For that reason, I would encourage a ``yes'' vote. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Rogers. I believe he has exhibited the best of the House of Representatives and has rendered this country magnificent service, both to our national security and to the stability of this Nation. I thank him deeply for it, and also for the time to speak on this amendment. Mr. Chairman, the Intelligence Authorization Act of 2015 is a critical milestone toward protecting Americans at home and those who serve our interests and Nation overseas. However, it does not currently address one of the critical concerns, and that is the threat of a manmade nuclear or electromagnetic pulse, or EMP, weapon. My amendment would task the Director of National Intelligence to report to the Congress on the threat posed by manmade electromagnetic pulse weapons to the United States interests through 2025, including those threats from foreign countries and foreign nonstate actors. Mr. Chairman, it is important to note that my amendment does not task another Federal agency with the responsibility of determining our vulnerabilities to EMP and GMD and the potential dangers these threats represent to our civilization. These studies have already been finalized, and their conclusions provide our Nation's leaders and industry officials with the clarity they need to move forward toward protecting our grid. In fact, Mr. Chairman, there have now been nearly a dozen Federal Government reports and studies on the dangers, threats, and vulnerabilities the U.S. electric grid faces from EMP and GMD, including reports from the EMP Commission, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the National Academy of Sciences, and the U.S. national laboratories. All of them come to similar conclusions. The U.S. electric grid is dangerously vulnerable to EMP and GMD. Further, many warn that, given the Nation's current lack of preparedness, a nuclear or natural EMP event is potentially a cataclysmic threat that would be a top national priority for our national security and homeland security. In 2008, the congressionally authorized EMP Commission stated that Russian scientists had proliferated knowledge of a specifically designed EMP weapon to North Korea. There may also exist a form of mobile EMP devices that can take out our electric substations. As The Wall Street Journal reported recently, taking out just a few of these substations simultaneously could potentially cause a nationwide blackout. Our military understands this threat very well, Mr. Chairman, and has protected many of our critical defense assets. We, as a Nation, have spent billions of dollars, in fact, over the years, hardening our nuclear triad, our missile defense capabilities and numerous other critical elements of our national security apparatus against the effects of electromagnetic pulse, particularly the type of electromagnetic pulse that might be generated against us by an enemy. However, our civilian grid, which the Defense Department relies upon for nearly 99 percent of its electricity needs, is completely vulnerable to the same kind of danger. This constitutes, in my opinion, Mr. Chairman, an invitation on the part of certain of our enemies to use the asymmetric capability of an EMP weapon against us, and there is now evidence that such strategy is being considered by certain of those enemies. Mr. Chairman, the time is right for this action, and our efforts today may gain us no note in the annals of history, but my hope is that they will ultimately lead to a time when this country mitigates this threat and disinvites our enemies to try to exploit it against us. I pray it happens just that way. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, last night, the House passed an amendment encouraging our regional partners and allies to develop an interagency strategy to counter the vicious terror attacks perpetrated by Boko Haram. Boko Haram is the terrorist group that recently kidnapped over 300 innocent young Nigerian girls. Mr. Speaker, it is impossible for any of us to imagine the fear and heartbreak these children and their families are experiencing. For some time, it has been known that these groups have extensive links between Boko Haram and al Qaeda affiliates; yet, despite my multiple pleas 2 years ago to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, she would not even consider acknowledging Boko Haram's religious ideology and list them as a foreign terrorist organization. Consequently, Boko Haram is stronger today than ever before. This Islamist group continues their rampage of terror because the administration--this administration--as they have so many times before, refused to look at the facts as they were. I hope now we will face Boko Haram for the terrorist group that it is and defeat it and, somehow, bring these innocent young girls home.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Huizenga for yielding, and I also gratefully express my appreciation to Mr. Kennedy for his work on this. It is always wonderful when Republicans and Democrats can actually get together. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to rise today in favor of H.R. 2939 to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Israel's President, Shimon Peres. This award to Shimon Peres is our highest expression of national appreciation. Indeed, President Peres' lifetime of dedicated service to the State of Israel is unparalleled. No countryman has ever served Israel for so many years, in so many different capacities, as both a key figure in its foundation and its continued survival and rise in the world. In his 70 years of state service, Mr. Peres has served in high-level cabinet positions, including head of the navy, Minister of Defense, Foreign Minister, Prime Minister, and most recently as President of Israel. Throughout his political tenure, he has worked diligently to promote diplomacy, democracy, and freedom in Israel, across the Middle East, and across the world in so very many different ways. Mr. Peres has also been a powerful and dedicated friend to the United States of America, and he has been instrumental in forming this unbreakable bond that we have spoken of so often here that exists between our two nations. So, Mr. Speaker, not only does this award acknowledge the merit and noble endurance of President Shimon Peres, it is also an expression of the American people's continued commitment to the nation of Israel and its place as a beacon of democracy in the Middle East. This award reaffirms the important of Israel as the Holy Land, close to the hearts of millions of committed Jews and Christians in America and around the world. Moreover, it is an expression of America's unwavering resolve to our greatest ally in the world. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my esteemed colleagues on both sides of the aisle for cosponsoring this worthy piece of legislation, and may I also gratefully acknowledge the Shimon Peres Congressional Gold Medal Commemoration Committee for their gallant dedication to the ideals that gave rise to this heartfelt award to Israeli President Shimon Peres. God bless him, and God bless the friendship between Israel and the United States of America forever.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall No. 132 on H.R. 3189, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall No. 129 on H.R. 3973, and I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall No. 135 on H.R. 4015.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 511, I call up the bill (H.R. 3973) to amend section 530D of title 28, United States Code, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Madam 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 H.R. 3973, currently under consideration.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Madam Speaker, I now yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), the distinguished chairman of the full Judiciary Committee.