Phil Gingrey

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I don't question the gentleman from California's right to take an opportunity to advocate on behalf of his district and the construction of that Federal facility, and I am sure he knows of what he speaks. But getting more to the point of this particular bill, the gentleman, my good friend from Florida, wanted an open rule. Of course, I understand that. I think if I were on the other side, I would always want an open rule as well. But in the spirit of openness, I want to point out to my colleagues, Mr. Speaker, that I think there were eight or nine amendments submitted. We accepted five. Three of those amendments to this bill were Democratic amendments, one was a bipartisan amendment. Yes, there was one Republican amendment. The last time we passed this bill, there were something like, we had an open rule, and there were 14 amendments that were accepted. All of those amendments are included now in the text of this bill that we are discussing today. I just want to point out that the process of bipartisanship and openness, Mr. Speaker, let me just tell you, and remind my colleague from Florida, and I know he is aware of this, but in the committee, the ranking member, Mr. Conyers, supported this bill as did Mr. Watt, Mrs. Maloney, Ms. Waters, and Mr. Frank. The main amendment that came through committee concerned this issue of training, of better training of our current Federal prison population to help them be better rehabilitated and have an opportunity, as they go out into the 21st century. As we point out, we are trying to revise something that started in 1934 with people stamping license plates. There is a lot of modern technology, Mr. Speaker. I know all of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle understand that. If there is some way that we can give that training to these people in the prison system who want to change their lives, and, as soon as they get out, they get a good job, maybe even go to work for one of these private companies that is helping provide for their training through this program, that was a wonderful addition to the bill. That, in fact, was new since the last time this bill came up. Again, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Watt, Mrs. Maloney, Ms. Waters and Mr. Frank were all very supportive of that. So the statement that ``if it ain't broke, don't fix it,'' I think it was broke, and I think my good friend from Florida's colleagues felt that it was broken, and in a bipartisan way we are trying to fix it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 997 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Madam Speaker, if the gentleman will yield further, I just wanted to interject as he developed this line of thought. I was at a rally in my district yesterday, we did a tribute to the 9/11 victims, and in the newspaper in Marietta, GA, there was an article, Madam Speaker, written by a former State representative who is now our chief deputy sheriff, Colonel Linda Coker, who had been to Israel with a group of law enforcement personnel to study what they do in Israel, in that small country of 6.8 million people, particularly in the city of Jerusalem and in Tel Aviv, and what their citizens have to go through to protect them from these horrific improvised explosive devices and bombs that are strapped to bodies and folks walking into shopping centers, crowded shopping malls. The lesson, Madam Speaker, that we learned from them, and I think what Representative King is pointing out that we need to understand, and I think the American people do now understand, is that we are not, because of what we have had to do, we all wish, pray to God, that we could go back to September 10, 2001, and enjoy that false sense of security. But now we know that we can't. And it is not about taking away our liberties, but it is very much about inconveniencing us. Madam Speaker and my colleague, Representative King, I just wanted to point out that Colonel Coker said when she was there in Israel on this recent trip with law enforcement, she noticed that people there when they go into a shopping mall, they go into a Parisians or whatever, they have to check their purses, they have to go through metal detectors. We fret about that because we do it on getting on airplanes, and yet they do that even going to shopping malls. But they understand that is important. I think we just need to understand that too. I hope my colleagues agree with me that we can put up with a lot of inconveniences without infringing on our liberty for the safety and protection of ourselves and our families and our children and our grandchildren.

Mr. GINGREY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I just want to interject, he is exactly right. And his friend, the veteran that was with him on that fateful morning and said, ``Pearl Harbor,'' that attack on December 7, 1941, that day which President Roosevelt said would live in infamy, certainly it has. And as Representative King pointed out, Madam Speaker and my colleagues, something like 2,400, slightly less than 2,500, people were lost on that Sunday morning at Pearl Harbor in that unprovoked sneak attack by the Japanese. And the Twin Towers was very, very similar: an unprovoked sneak attack on 2,997 people. Representative King, I was asked recently in my district on a radio interview, and the reporter said, in Operation Iraqi Freedom, we have lost almost 2,700 of our brightest and bravest patriots. Is it worth it? And is it worth it, indeed. Losing one life is painful. It is painful for the families, of course, and for the Commander in Chief and from this Congress who gave the President the authority to wage war against these dastardly Islamic extremists. But it is worth it. It is worth it because that is the price we have to pay. I think Thomas Jefferson said a long time ago that the tree of liberty has to be nourished occasionally by the blood of patriots. And I think about World War II. The island of Iwo Jima, that very important foothold in the mid-Pacific. In 30 days we lost 7,000 of our best generation, our Greatest Generation. But it was worth it. I just felt like I had to make these points with my colleague and say that that is why the President says we will stay the course, we will not fail those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, and their families.

Mr. GINGREY. I realize the time is drawing to a close in this hour, but I wanted to point out, Madam Speaker, to our colleagues, that of course tomorrow on the floor of this House we will have 4 hours of debate on a resolution, a House Resolution, recognizing these men and women that Representative King just referred to, and I am talking about the first responders. We all honored them yesterday across this Nation, the 350-something firefighters that lost their lives on 9/11 as they charged into those burning towers. I am sure that none of them thought for a moment about their own safety. They just knew that there were men and women, possibly children in those buildings that needed to be rescued. So, again, I hope tomorrow we will have a unanimous vote on that resolution, and I look forward to being a part of that.

Mr. GINGREY. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Iowa, Representative King, for taking the hour to discuss such important matters, and, of course, in a timely manner, here, one day more than 5 years from the anniversary of that horrific event on 9/11. The gentleman was mentioning, I think, earlier about people remembering, of course, where they were at that horrific time of that initial plane attack on the first Twin Tower. We all do. We think back about that. We remember almost exactly what we were doing. Just like back in 1963, I can remember exactly what I was doing when our President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, was brutally assassinated. I remember exactly where I was on the campus at Georgia Tech and what meeting that I was in and who the faculty leader was at that meeting at the campus YMCA and how I left that meeting and walked slowly across campus to my fraternity house to turn on the television set where we all were glued for the next 72 hours. That was the same shocked feeling that I felt 5 years ago yesterday when I was a medical doctor and actually in the operating room performing surgery early on that morning when the announcement was made that a plane had struck one of the Twin Towers. We thought that maybe it was a small private plane like the one that had hit the Empire State Building in New York City many years ago, with not a massive loss of life, and certainly no building came tumbling down. So you remember. We all do, and, of course, today, as we are here back in Washington on the floor of this hallowed Chamber, talking a little bit about our memories, and why it is so important, as President Bush said, the very next day, and Representative King has brought it out so clearly, we will not cower against this horrific enemy. We will fight them to their death. We will do everything in our power as a people and the President as Commander in Chief and we as the Congress to prevent another attack on our soil. You know the old adage, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, certainly that is true today. We can listen to all the naysayers and the criticism of what we should have done, could have done, would have done, what has gone wrong, why the plan is not perfect; but the bottom line, Madam Speaker, my colleagues, Representative King, we all know, is that we have not been attacked. That is not to say that it couldn't or won't occur at some time in the future, but I say we are where we are today because of the action that this President, this Commander in Chief, this Congress and our military and the will of the American people to not continue to draw lines in the sand against the Islamic extremists, in this instance, of course, al Qaeda. But we had been attacked before, and last week when we talked about this, you know, you can enumerate date time and event, loss of life, really going all the way back to the Iran capture of the men and women at our embassy in Tehran, and then after that, of course, the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut and the loss of 241 lives, and the first attack on the World Trade Center and the USS Cole and 17 of our sailors killed in that attack. And what did we do? You say you better not do that again. As my colleague from Iowa, and I think all of my colleagues, our colleagues on both sides of the aisle understand, at some point you have got to show some real courage and respond in the appropriate manner, and that is indeed exactly what we have done. It starts, of course, with the PATRIOT Act and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the detention of these enemy combatants that have been caught on the field of battle in Afghanistan. Those people are not detained, whether it is at Guantanamo or these so- called secret prisons in Eastern Europe, they are not detained because they were caught jaywalking or spitting on the sidewalk, Madam Speaker. These were enemy combatants that were at the scene of the battle with literally their hands caught in the cookie jar. We have, because of the ability to interrogate them in a humane fashion, a tough fashion, we have been able to get actionable intelligence, and that is exactly what has led to things like the capture, actually not capture, but the ferreting out and killing of al Zarqawi, and finding Saddam Hussein himself and the ferreting out and killing of his two sons. This is because we were able to obtain actionable intelligence in the interrogation process. Now we hear from the other side and all the naysayers saying, you know, you have got to be kind and warm and fuzzy and treat these people with respect. I say to my colleague, what kind of respect did they show, Madam Speaker, to those 2,997 men and women, from not just the United States, but from a lot of other countries, who were working, law-abiding individuals at the Twin Towers that fateful day 5 years ago? They were shown absolutely no mercy. So it is important for our colleagues, it is important for the American people, to understand that this President is doing exactly what is necessary to protect this country. He is the Commander in Chief. That is his first and foremost responsibility, to maintain internal order and protect us, protect the domestic tranquility and protect the American people. So for us to have an opportunity tonight to talk about that I think is a great thing, and I commend Representative King for leading this hour. I am proud to be here with him and will be here to listen carefully as we continue and as some of our other colleagues weigh in on this issue and discuss this further. At this point I yield back to my colleague, but intend to stay right with him for the rest of this hour as we continue to discuss this most important subject.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, the Committee on Rules may meet the week of September 11 to grant a rule which could limit the amendment process for floor consideration of H.R. 2965, the Federal Prison Industries Competition in Contracting Act. Any Member wishing to offer an amendment should submit 55 copies of the amendment and one copy of a brief explanation of the amendment to the Rules Committee in room H-312 of the Capitol by noon on Tuesday, September 12, 2006. Members should draft their amendments to the bill as ordered reported by the Committee on the Judiciary, which was filed with the House on July 21, 2006. Members should use the Office of Legislative Counsel to ensure that their amendments are drafted in the most appropriate format, and they should check with the Office of the Parliamentarian to be certain that their amendments comply with the rules of the House.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. And, indeed, it is a pleasure to be here tonight, Mr. Speaker, with my good friend Judge Carter. We are about the same age, and he was giving us a little bit of a history lesson, much better than I can, in regard to some of the things that went on with our Greatest Generation in defending this country in World War II, and I think that some of these statistics are so telling, the things that Judge Carter talked about in regard to, of course, that day that will live in infamy, December 7, 1941. And, of course, I am referencing again, as he did, Pearl Harbor. I think Judge Carter mentioned that something like 2,400 of our sailors and airmen and a lot of civilian workers were killed that Sunday morning, a day of rest, a day of worship. An unprovoked attack. And the very next day, as John Carter pointed out, this Congress declared war against imperial Japan for this dastardly act, this unprovoked sneak attack on that early Sunday morning. Here again we think back now, and next Monday, 5 days from now, will be the fifth anniversary of an attack that was just as unprovoked and just as dastardly as Pearl Harbor and resulted actually in the loss of a greater number of lives. Something above 3,000 innocent men and women were killed in the Twin Towers attacks of September 11, 2001. And as I think about the numbers, and we are all very saddened when we read in the newspaper that another of our brave young soldiers has either been injured or killed in Iraq, maybe by one of these improvised explosive devices, and we are getting beyond the 3-year anniversary. We are more than 3 years engaged in that battle, and the number is something like 2,470 killed. Mr. Speaker, I remind my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and the American people that in the battle of Iwo Jima, we lost 7,000 of our Greatest Generation in 30 days; 7,000 to secure that strategic island in the mid-Pacific. That was a tremendous price for our Greatest Generation to pay. But we didn't hear Members of Congress telling President Roosevelt, well, that is too high a price, and we need to bring the troops home. We need to come back and batten down the hatches and cut our losses. I could say the same thing to my colleagues about the Battle of the Bulge, as tough as that was. Representative Carter referenced some Civil War battles, Antietam, Gettysburg. When the going gets tough, the tough don't leave. The tough fight back. And that was what happened in the Battle of the Bulge. That was what happened on the island of Iwo Jima where that famous flag was raised on Mount Suribachi. We cannot afford to cut and run. I am not saying that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are necessarily advocating that, but certainly some of the rhetoric sounds a lot like that, Mr. Speaker, and I think the American people are hearing that. But even worse, our soldiers that are doing the fighting and the dying and the suffering on our behalf are hearing it. One of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle a few minutes ago was talking about what things that President Bush should have known and how he should have responded even before 9/11. And as I listened, Mr. Speaker, I heard him talk about the United States embassies in East Africa; the attack on the USS Cole, where I think 17 of our soldiers were killed there; the first attack on the World Trade Center in the early 1990s; the Khobar Towers bombing. Well, I would remind my colleagues on the other side of the aisle that that was under the administration of one William Jefferson Clinton, a Democratic President, where basically the response was the bombing of an aspirin factory in Sudan, and I think maybe one janitor was injured a little bit in that bomb attack. That was the kind of response we got from them. The bottom line is you cannot continue to dare and double-dog dare and triple-dog dare and draw lines in the sand that you ignore, and that was what led us to this situation and that culminated in 9/11. This President responded. This President had the guts, if you will pardon my Georgia slang, to stand up and get permission from Congress, just as President Roosevelt did on December 8, 1941, and declared war on these people that were responsible for that attack. And I will just take a couple of minutes more, and then I will turn it back over to my colleagues and the gentleman from Tennessee for his remarks. The President was just speaking to the Reserve Officers Association a couple days ago, and this is what he said and this is, so telling, Mr. Speaker. And I quote: ``The experience of September 11th made clear, in the long run, the only way to secure our Nation is to change the course of the Middle East. So America has committed its influence in the world to advancing freedom and liberty and democracy as the great alternatives to repression and radicalism. We're taking the side of democratic leaders and moderates and reformers across the Middle East. We strongly support the voices of tolerance and moderation in the Muslim world. We're standing with Afghanistan's elected government against al Qaeda and the Taliban remnants that are trying to restore tyranny in that country. We're also standing with Lebanon's young democracy against the foreign forces that are seeking to undermine the country's sovereignty and independence. And we're standing with the leaders of Iraq's unity government as they work to defeat the enemies of freedom and chart a more hopeful course for their people. This is why victory is so important in Iraq. By helping freedom succeed in Iraq, we will help America, and the Middle East, and the world become more secure.'' I cannot improve on that, Mr. Speaker. I think the President said it well. I thank God that we have a President that has the moral character and the intestinal strength to fight when we need to fight, to lead us, as President Roosevelt did, in that war that our Greatest Generation fought. So I am really proud to be here and share a little time with my colleagues. I thank Congressman John Carter for leading this hour and giving me an opportunity to discuss such a vital issue as this with my colleagues.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Little Leaguers from Columbus, Georgia, who on August 28 defeated their worthy opponents from Japan to win the Little League World Series. Mr. Speaker, this is a truly remarkable accomplishment. It is the ultimate achievement in Little League sports. Performing so well under pressure in front of the massive Williamsport crowds, as well as millions watching on national television, it is a testament to the tremendous talent, character and fortitude of these boys from Columbus. Mr. Speaker, in 1983, another team from Georgia bested the Dominican Republic to win the Little League World Series. By now, these boys are grown men, and some pursued a future in professional baseball. Adam Olmstead, the starting third baseman and son of my nurse, Lynn, when I practiced medicine, is now a prominent radiologist in Florida. Mr. Speaker, this shows us that many of our best and brightest student athletes pass through Williamsport in this character-building experience on their way to excellence in a variety of professional fields. These boys from Columbus are no exception. They made their community and their country very proud, Mr. Speaker, and are a great example of the future leaders our Nation needs. Again, I offer my congratulations on a job well done.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding, and I rise today to congratulate Spelman College on its 125th anniversary. This is a historic anniversary for a historic institution, and I am indeed proud to cosponsor the resolution of my good friend Mr. Lewis and my other Georgia colleagues in honoring Spelman College. In 1881, two female schoolteachers, Sophia Packard and Harriet Giles, established Spelman College in Atlanta for the purpose of educating African American women and girls. Over its 125-year history, there have been many individuals who have worked hard to bring excellence to this institution, a tradition that indeed continues today. Spelman College today encompasses a student body of more than 2,100 students from more than 21 States and 15 foreign countries. In 2006, their excellence was noted nationally when U.S. News and World Report ranked Spelman College among the top 75 best liberal arts colleges in the country. Mr. Speaker, in this resolution, just looking at a couple of points, Spelman College was ranked, as I say, among the top 75 best liberal arts colleges, according to U.S. News and World Report; also the Association of Medical Colleges ranked Spelman fifth among undergraduate programs for black students accepted to medical school; and Spelman is one of six institutions designated by the National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as a model institution for excellence in undergraduate science and math studies. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to commend Spelman College President Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, as well as the administration, the faculty, students, and alumni for contributing to the enormous success Spelman College has achieved over these past 125 years. With Dr. Tatum's vision for achieving excellence, I know the next 125-plus years will see the same quality education and the strong community support of Spelman College.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to proudly reflect upon the accomplishments of this Congress. As we head into the August district work period, let us look back on all we have achieved for the American people. Under Republican leadership this House has passed legislation to bolster our economy and prevent a tax increase on millions of Americans, including small business owners, seniors, and families. We have worked to pass a fiscally responsible budget. We have funded the War on Terror, giving our servicemen and women the tools and support they need to take the fight to the enemy. Equally important, we have worked to secure this homeland. We have passed legislation helping American families. We got tough on child exploitation over the Internet and voted to increase funding and resources to fight methamphetamine in all our communities. We have passed legislation to protect our Pledge of Allegiance, to curb illegal Internet gambling, and to protect our right to display the American flag. Mr. Speaker, the list goes on and on and on. This Congress is working for the American people, and I ask that you join me in praising all that we have accomplished.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to commend a fine constituent of the 11th District of Georgia, Dr. Roch Doliveux. Dr. Doliveux is the chief executive officer of UCB, Incorporated, a leading global biopharmaceutical company with facilities in my district, the 11th of Georgia, in the town of Smyrna. Earlier this year, Dr. Doliveux received the Epilepsy Foundation's Distinguished Achievement Award in New York City. The Epilepsy Foundation annually recognizes individuals who have made outstanding efforts on the behalf of those living with epilepsy. As the CEO of UCB, Incorporated, Dr. Doliveux has spearheaded his company's efforts to raise awareness of this disease, and he has leveraged its resources to develop and provide medicines to help patients return to their daily activities. In our country, epilepsy affects 2.7 million Americans and their families. Mr. Speaker, epilepsy is a seizure disorder that can develop at any time in life, and it can stem from a variety of causes; but it is always a costly and frequently debilitating disease. That is why, as a physician Member, I am so proud to stand on the floor of this body and extend my congratulations to Dr. Doliveux for his fine work on behalf of the Epilepsy Foundation.

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to speak out of turn.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Chairman, I am very happy to rise in support of the amendment of the gentlewoman from Washington. A little disappointed my own great amendments were not made in order but very happy to support hers. As a physician, having practiced 30 years of clinical medicine, there is no question that the cost of chronic disease management is the most costly, and particularly under Medicaid. I think the gentlewoman has the exact right idea, to be able to monitor this information on a real- time basis so that physicians know exactly what they are spending and what is cost effective. I was very happy as a member of the Rules Committee to recommend her amendment be made in order. Thank goodness it was, and I proudly stand here today to recommend this amendment to all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. I commend her for the good job she has done. Miss McMORRIS. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the great chairman of the subcommittee who, without her support, we would not be having this amendment before us today.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I want to say the gentleman from Iowa in just a brief colloquy with him, and of course thanking him for being with us tonight, that I am sure that he would agree that our Commander- in-Chief needs to rely on the combatant commanders. Certain today of course is General Casey, before that General Sanchez, before that General Franks, to let him know in regard to how many troops need to be on the ground and where they need to be positioned and how long they need to stay. I know that we have heard a lot from Members on the other side of the aisle particularly calling for a date certain for a troop withdrawal or reduction or redeployment 6,000 miles away, to Okinawa or whatever. Mr. Speaker, I am sure my colleague from Iowa would agree that this is a call that we need to leave to the combatant commanders to make these decisions. I know that because of the insurgency, the up tick in the insurgency, as these Islamic extremists continue to struggle in their death throes post-Zarqawi, there is going to be some tough times; and this is certainly not the time to give them your playbook. Would you not agree with that?

Mr. GINGREY. I thank the gentleman from Virginia. I don't think anyone could possibly say it any better. We must not break faith with those who have died for this cause and those who have been severely injured and their families. We have an obligation to them and to the Iraqi people. I know all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle were comforted to have the opportunity today to hear from the Iraqi Prime Minister and to have him answer some of these tough questions in regard to their commitment as well as our commitment. Because, as he said, we are a freedom-loving people throughout the world. They feel the same about liberty as we do, and their commitment to it is there, and it is strong, and their deep appreciation. Mr. Speaker, I thank the leadership for giving this opportunity to spend about 30 minutes with our colleagues; and now we will turn it over to our friends on the other side of the aisle for their time.

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, today was an historic day on this House floor when we heard in a joint session of Congress from the Prime Minister of Iraq, Nouri Al-Maliki. The Iraqi people have spoken and their prime minister has spoken. Last night during our special hour, Mr. Speaker, two of my colleagues from Georgia talked about the economic activity of this country and how well we have done under the policies of this President and this Republican leadership, and they termed that hour the truth hour as presented by the truth squad, to make sure the facts are presented to our colleagues and to the American people, the true facts. What I would like to do in this short time that we have tonight, Mr. Speaker, is to talk about the true facts in regard to Iraq and the Iraqi people and why we need to continue to support them and not consider for a moment to bail out in these difficult times that they are continuing to go through. Mr. Speaker, I want to just talk about some of the progress that we have made. I have got a couple of slides here that I would like to present. First, just talking about the security in Iraq, Iraq's brutal former dictator, Saddam Hussein, as we all know, is behind bars and has been for the past couple of years. Just in the last couple of months, Mr. Speaker, the infamous, the notorious Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, was eliminated by United States troops, with the help, I might add, Mr. Speaker, of the Iraqi people, from actionable intelligence that we obtained from them. The Iraqi Security Forces now number over 260,000, and they are participating in more than 90 percent, 90 percent, of all security operations in their Nation. The Iraqi citizens are coming forth, as I say, with tips about insurgents like al-Zarqawi and terrorist activities, more than 4,500 tips in March of this year alone. Of course, Mr. Speaker, this infamous photograph of Zarqawi is recognized by every Member in this Chamber. And listen to his quote. ``Americans are the most cowardly of God's creatures. They are an easy quarry. Praise be to God. We ask God to enable us to kill and capture them.'' This was a letter to al Qaeda in February of 2004. Thank our God that this infamous Zarqawi no longer exists and is no longer a threat to the Iraqi people and to our brave military that are fighting in Iraq. Let me just speak a little bit about democracy, and, of course, the prime minister spoke to that so well today. Prime Minister Maliki serves as a democratically elected prime minister of Iraq. More than 70 percent of Iraq's citizens voted in a series of free and fair elections. The Iraqi citizens ratified a constitution and they elected the Iraqi National Unity Government. For the first time, women are part of the political process, holding 31 percent of the assembly seats. The number of judges has increased seven-fold. Let's speak just a little bit about the society in Iraq. Mr. Speaker, this shows a picture, that famous picture of an Iraqi woman holding up that victory sign with that blue ink on her finger signifying that she has voted, having stood in line all day long. There were lots of terrorist attacks that day, yet the Iraqi people voted in a higher percentage than we Americans vote in a presidential election year. Our troops are continuing to help the Iraqi people in building schools, sanitation projects and medical centers. The Iraqi people can now watch commercial television and read independent newspapers, signs of a growing freedom of speech. Primary school enrollment has increased by nearly 3 million children. Iraqi medical schools are graduating 2,250 doctors each year. Unemployment is down dramatically. In the past 3 years, Iraq's GDP per capita has more than doubled. More than 40 countries and international groups have established embassies or missions in Iraqi to assist the developing democracy. Listen, Mr. Speaker, to some of the excerpts of the prime ministers speech to Congress today on the floor of this House, as he thanked the American people. ``Iraq will not forget those who stood with her and who continue to stand with her in times of need. Thank you for your continued resolve in helping us fight the terrorists plaguing Iraq, which is a struggle to defend our nascent democracy, and our people who aspire to liberty, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. All of those are not just western values, they are universal values for humanity. They are as much for me the pinnacle embodiment of my faith and religion and they are for all free spirits''. I quote further. ``Today Iraq is a democracy which stands firm because of the sacrifices of its people, and the sacrifices of all those who stood with us in this crisis. And that is why I thank you. I would like to thank them very much for all their sacrifices''. Again, this is the prime minister speaking today from the floor of this House to the American people. He goes on. ``The journey has been perilous and the future is not guaranteed. Yet many around the world who underestimated that resolve of Iraq's people and were sure that we would never reach this stage. Few believed in us. But you the American people did and we are grateful for this''. I want to just go on briefly before I call on one of my colleagues, the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King), who has joined me and would also like to talk about the success that we have had in Iraq and why we need to continue to stay the course. The prime minister further said, ``I know some of you here question whether Iraq is part of the War on Terror. Let me be very clear. This is a battle between true Islam, for which a person's liberty and rights constitute essential cornerstones, and terrorism, which wraps itself in a fake Islamic cloak, in reality wages a war on Islam and Muslims and values and spreads hatred between humanity''. That quote from prime minister Maliki today. And that is exactly right. He continues by saying, ``wherever human kind suffers a loss at the hands of terrorists is a loss for all humanity. It is your duty and our duty to defeat this terror. Iraq is the front line in this struggle, and history will prove that the sacrifices of Iraqis for freedom will not be in vain. Iraqis are your allies in the War on Terror''. So, Mr. Speaker, let us put to rest this question of doubt, of the resolve of the Iraqi people and their commitment. Sure, we have made tremendous sacrifices in 2,6000 of our soldiers who have been killed, and probably 12,000 to 14,000 that have been severely injured in trying to fight this Global War on Terror, and bring a form of democracy to these people who are striving so hard for the principles of freedom. We have paid a sacrifice. But they have paid a tremendous sacrifice. And the estimate could be as many as 40,000 killed, if not more, many of them innocent Iraqi citizens, and many of them women and children. Mr. Speaker, it is a very important time today on the heels of the prime minister's visit and speech to the Congress today that we talk about this tonight. And, yes, once again the Truth Squad needs to speak loudly on this issue. Mr. Speaker, with that I would like to call on my colleague from Iowa (Mr. King) for his remarks.

Mr. GINGREY. I thank again the gentleman from Iowa. My good friend, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goode), has joined us at this late hour. At this time, I would like to call on him for his remarks concerning the Iraqi situation.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Pleasant Valley South Baptist Church in Silver Creek, Georgia, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. For a century and a half, Pleasant Valley South has been fulfilling the spiritual and communal needs of its congregants, and I know it will continue this service for many years to come. Pleasant Valley South Baptist Church was founded in 1856. At the time, it was housed in a log cabin that also served as the community school. In 1863, James McBride was named as the church's first pastor, and he preached to a congregation of 22 people. Well, Pastor McBride would hardly recognize Pleasant Valley South today. In 2002, a 900-seat worship center was built to serve the church's 1,700 members. Pastor Philip May presides over services that regularly attract more than 700 congregants on Sunday morning. Mr. Speaker, churches are one of the strongest foundations in our communities, and for 150 years, Pleasant Valley South Baptist has brought inspiration to Silver Creek and her residents. I ask that you join me in congratulating the church on its historic 150th anniversary.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4472, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan legislation is a victory in the fight to keep our children safe. There are many critical and important provisions included in this bill. In particular, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the House and Senate conferees for including in this legislation a provision that I introduced in the House earlier this year, a provision that is entitled Masha's Law. Last year I learned of a shocking inequity that exists in our current law. Currently, a person who illegally downloads music faces penalties in civil court that are three times as harsh as a person who downloads child pornography. This horrible inequity was the inspiration behind the introduction of Masha's Law, and this provision dramatically increases civil statutory damages for child exploitation, creating a civil avenue victims of child sexual exploitation can pursue to recover monetary damages from these predators. This includes those who produce, distribute, and consume child pornography. Mr. Speaker, I want my colleagues to know that Masha's Law is named after a brave 13-year-old girl from my district, Masha Allen. Masha was born in Russia and placed in a state orphanage because her mother was an alcoholic and a drug addict. When she was 5 years old, a man from the United States was allowed to adopt her through an international adoption agency. This man started sexually abusing her the very first night she arrived in America. Fortunately, this perpetrator is now behind bars. However, over the years of his abuse of Masha, he photographed her, posted her pictures, and traded her pornographic images over the Internet. The sad reality is that, although these monsters can be put behind bars, the victims of Internet child pornography will continue to be exploited, and this is why I introduced Masha's Law. Mr. Speaker, a compassionate society looks after the most vulnerable among us, our children. I urge my colleagues to support the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act so we can protect our most precious commodity, innocent children like Masha, and give back hope to those who need it most. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4472, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. This bipartisan legislation is a victory in the fight to keep our children safe. There are many critical and important provisions included in this bill, provisions that allow States to better track convicted sex offenders, ones that tighten up loop holes in current sex offender registration and notification laws, and ones that empower law enforcement through increased coordination. In particular, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the House and Senate conferees for including in this legislation a provision I introduced in the House earlier this year, a provision entitled ``Masha's Law.'' Last year I learned of a shocking inequity that exists in our current law. Currently, a person who illegally downloads music faces penalties in civil court that are three times as harsh as a person who downloads child pornography. This horrible inequity was the inspiration behind the introduction of Masha's Law. This provision dramatically increases civil statutory damages for child exploitation, creating a civil avenue victims of child sexual exploitation can pursue to recover monetary damages from their predators. This includes those who produce, distribute, and consume child pornography. Mr. Speaker, I want my colleagues to know that Masha's Law is named after a brave 13-year old girl from my district, Masha Allen. Masha was born in Russia and placed in a state orphanage because her mother was an alcoholic and drug addict. When she was five years old a man from the United States was allowed to adopt her through an international adoption agency. This man started sexually abusing her the first night she arrived in America. Fortunately, this perpetrator is now behind bars. However over the years of his abuse of Masha he photographed her, posted her pictures and traded her pornographic images over the internet. The sad reality is that although these monsters can be put behind bars, the victims of internet child pornography will continue to be exploited. This is why I introduced Masha's law. It allows these individuals a pathway to recover damages they have suffered from these crimes and allows them to pursue this avenue even after they are no longer a minor. Therefore as their pictures are downloaded and traded, year and year, these victims can continue to seek justice from these horrendous crimes. Mr. Speaker, a compassionate society looks after the most vulnerable among us, our children. I urge my colleagues to support the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, so we can protect our most preciously commodity, innocent, children like Masha, and give back hope to those who need it the most.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative LaTourette and my colleagues from Ohio and Iowa, as obviously this is their native son, and to hear them talk about Bullet Bob. I, like so many of the male Members of this body in particular growing up in the early fifties had one of these invaluable collections of baseball cards and almost a complete collection for each team. Right at the top of the stack for the Cleveland Indians was, of course, Bob Feller. I, later on, many years later in fact, met my wife. We married 36 years ago. And to tell you the thrill it was when I found out that her dad, Bill Ayers, who died in 1980 of a heart attack, was also a professional baseball player, in fact, a major league baseball player. During those years I had an opportunity to pepper Bill with baseball questions. He was originally an Atlanta Cracker and had signed with the Atlanta Crackers when he was 19 years old. But listen to some of these similarities between Bullet Bob Feller and my father-in-law Bill Ayers. Of course, Bob Feller was a Hall of Fame baseball player, and my father-in-law spent, I think, a year and a half in the majors, playing for the New York Giants under Leo Durocher. They were the exact same age, almost. Bob Feller born in November of 1918; my father-in-law, August of 1918. They both served in the military; interrupted a professional career. Bob Feller serving from 1941 to 1945 in the Navy; my father-in-law, Bill Ayers, serving under General Patton's Third Army 1943 to 1946 in the United States Army in Europe. Of course, Bob Feller signed a contract, as we know, at age 16. My father-in-law signed a contract at age 19. They were both pitchers. I asked my father-in-law, Bill Ayers, one time about who was the greatest hitter he ever pitched against. And his answer was Joe DiMaggio. I said, well, who was the toughest, the greatest pitcher that you ever batted against? And, Mr. Speaker, you know in those days there was no such thing as a designated hitter. And the Cleveland Indians and the New York Giants actually did their spring training in Tucson, Arizona. And my father-in-law, Bill Ayers, was pitching in an exhibition game against Bob Feller. He told me, he said, Phil, without question, Bob Feller was the greatest pitcher that I have ever faced. He said, in fact, he batted against him one time, and he struck out on three straight pitches, never getting the bat off his shoulder. I said, Bill, why didn't you swing at the ball? He said, because I never saw it. And as I read the resolution by Representative LaTourette and realize that Bullet Bob was throwing a 109 mile-an-hour fastball, it is understandable. So for me to have an opportunity to take just a few minutes to relate that anecdote to my colleagues and say, God bless Bob Feller. Representative LaTourette assures me I will have an opportunity to meet him tomorrow. I really look forward to that. I don't know if he will remember Bill Ayers, but certainly that is a great memory for me and my family.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, the Committee on Rules may meet later this week to grant a rule which could limit the amendment process for floor consideration of H.R. 4157, the Health Information Technology Promotion Act of 2005. The bill was ordered reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce on June 15, 2006. Any Member wishing to offer an amendment should submit 55 copies of the amendment and one copy of a brief explanation of the amendment to the Rules Committee in room H-312 of the Capitol by 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 26, 2006. Members should draft their amendments to the text of the amendment in the nature of a substitute posted on the Web site of the Committee on Rules. Members should use the Office of Legislative Counsel to ensure that their amendments are drafted in the most appropriate format and should check with the Office for the Parliamentarian to be certain their amendments comply with the Rules of the House.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, the Committee on Rules may meet later this week to grant a rule which could limit the amendment process for floor consideration of H.R. 5766, the Government Efficiency Act of 2006. The bill was ordered reported by the Committee on Government Reform on July 20, 2006. Any Member wishing to offer an amendment should submit 55 copies of the amendment and one copy of a brief explanation of the amendment to the Rules Committee in room H-312 of the Capitol by 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 26, 2006. Members should draft their amendments to the bill as ordered reported by the Committee on Government Reform, which is expected to be filed today. The text of the bill as ordered reported will be made available on the Web sites of both the Committee on Rules and the Committee on Government Reform. Members should use the Office of Legislative Counsel to ensure that their amendments are drafted in the most appropriate format and should check with the Office for the Parliamentarian to be certain their amendments comply with the Rules of the House.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate two Georgia hospitals, Piedmont and Piedmont Fayette, which this month were named two of the Nation's Most Wired Hospitals by a Benchmarking survey. The Piedmont health care group is known for its longstanding commitment to health information technology. With this award, the whole Nation now understands how these hospitals are using electronic medical records, e-prescribing, and digital radiology to help streamline practices and to reduce medical errors. I am a strong supporter of health information technology because it saves lives, time, money. And as a physician, I know that encouraging the adoption of health care technology is one of the most important ways we can work to lower costs while also raising quality of care. This is why I have introduced legislation to incentivize more physicians to adopt information technology. And I hope the success of Piedmont health care will encourage other providers to look at the real savings that this technology offers. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in congratulating Piedmont for their leadership in the field of health information technology.