Louie Gohmert

Mr. GOHMERT

Mr. GOHMERT. 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 in the Record on the 21 bills just considered.

Mr. GOHMERT

Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. GOHMERT

Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, H.R. 2110 would require the Forest Service to review lands in or adjacent to the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest and report to the Congress on the present ownership of the lands, which undeveloped lands may be risk of development, and what appropriate actions could be taken to preserve the open and undeveloped character of the lands. This study involves how best to protect the open space between the western Denver metro area and the National Forest from development. This bill was amended in committee to address issues raised by the Forest Service, and we urge its support. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2110) to provide for a study of options for protecting the open space characteristics of certain lands in and adjacent to the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in Colorado, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. GOHMERT

Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers. We urge adoption and yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, S. 213 would convey 171 acres of Bureau of Land Management lands located on the Sebastian Martin Land Grant to Rio Arriba County. The land is needed for county facilities, a cemetery for a local parish and a new public school. Representative Heather Wilson, as well as the two Senators from New Mexico, are also supportive of this bill. I urge the passage of this measure. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 213) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain Federal land to Rio Arriba County, New Mexico.

Mr. GOHMERT

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

Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, last week we witnessed Mr. Kind from Wisconsin as the quarterback of the Congressional team run and pass doing amazing feats on the football field, and now we have seen him run with this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to help him pass this bill.

Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, under H.R. 5340, the U.S. Geological Survey will supplement, coordinate and manage data collection on sediments and nutrients in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. The data would be used to provide the baseline data and modeling tools needed to make the scientifically sound and cost-effective river management decisions. The House passed a similar version of this bill in the 108th Congress, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill at this time. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5340) to promote Department of the Interior efforts to provide a scientific basis for the management of sediment and nutrient loss in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. GOHMERT

Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5692) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to carry out a study to determine the suitability and feasibility of establishing memorials to the Space Shuttle Columbia on parcels of land in the State of Texas, as amended.

Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 5692, introduced by myself, would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to determine the feasibility and suitability of establishing a memorial to the Space Shuttle Columbia in the State of Texas and for its inclusion as a unit in the National Park System. Madam Speaker, I rise today to properly commemorate and memorialize one of this Nation's most heroic, yet heartbreaking, tragedies, the disintegration of the Space Shuttle Columbia as it reentered earth's atmosphere in the spring of 2003. This legislation will serve to begin the process of appropriately honoring the bravery and sacrifice not only of the seven heroic souls of her crew and their families, but also of the numerous citizens that lent a hand in the recovery effort following the catastrophe by initiating a study of the Secretary of the Interior to determine the suitability and feasibility of establishing memorials to the Space Shuttle Columbia on parcels of land in East Texas where the major debris from the shuttle was recovered. Tragically, it was strewn over hundreds of miles in my district. The commitment by my constituents in the effort to recover as much of the wreckage as possible was pivotal in determining the cause of the incident. These contributions, as well as those made by the crew of the Columbia, deserve this recognition. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 5692 and commemorate ultimately the sacrifice by Commander Rick Husband, Pilot William McCool, Payload Commander Michael Anderson, Mission Specialist David Brown, Mission Specialist Kalpana Chalwa, Mission Specialist Laurel Blair Salton Clark, and Payload Commander Ilan Ramon deserve a memorial befitting their devotion to their fellow man, their spirit of exploration and discovery, along with their courage. I urge adoption of the bill. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOHMERT

Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, we are grateful to the gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra) for his work. We have no additional speakers, and yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, H.R. 2134 would create a commission to study and report on the potential creation of a National Museum of American Latino Heritage. The commission would be comprised of 23 members appointed by the President, the Speaker, the House Minority Leader, the Senate Majority Leader, and the Senate Minority Leader. The commission would issue a report on the cost of the museum, fund-raising, its impact on other Hispanic- and Latino-related museums, the possible location, and how the museum should be operated. I appreciate the cooperation of Chairman Ehlers of the Committee on House Administration to allow this bill to be scheduled today, and I urge adoption of the bill. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2134) to establish the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino Community to develop a plan of action for the establishment and maintenance of a National Museum of the American Latino Community in Washington, D.C., and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. GOHMERT

Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, H.R. 5516, sponsored by Congressman Mike Thompson, amends Public Law 100-516 and allows for the renegotiation of the payment schedule of water contracts between the Secretary of the Interior and the Redwood Valley County Water District in northern California. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5516) to allow for the renegotiation of the payment schedule of contracts between the Secretary of the Interior and the Redwood Valley County Water District, and for other purposes.

Mr. GOHMERT

Mr. GOHMERT. Mr. Speaker, there are some things that need to be addressed. For one thing, putting the judge advocate generals of the service, as great as some of them are, on a pedestal is inappropriate. When I served 4 years in the Judge Advocate General Corps on active duty, we had one TJAG that did not even know what post he was at from time to time. So it must be taken in context. But when I hear Members here on the floor say, gee, by passing this bill we are putting troops at risk, let me tell you what will put troops at risk, when we start applying criminal law standards that I observed during my years as a judge and chief justice, you start applying those, the forensics in the battleground area, you are putting troops at risk. When a man and a woman has to fire in self-defense and also be thinking about, gee, can I go get that that has fingerprints, DNA, I better go collect evidence for the trial that will be upcoming, then that puts them at risk. Please do not put our troops at further risk by making them comply with civil standards back here in this country. You know, people have declared war on us, and to say that those people will deserve constitutional standards, let me tell you, there are judges that have ruled the Constitution means inmates require electric typewriters, televisions, things like that. It is totally inappropriate. The Constitution itself says, in article I, that: ``We shall constitute tribunals.'' We will do these things. That is what we are doing. It is constitutional. To respond to perhaps the rhetorical question by the minority leader, how dare we? How dare we? How dare I? Because the Constitution says: We will provide for the common defense, not provide for the criminal defense of those at war with us. That is how dare I, that is how dare we.

Mr. GOHMERT

Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, H.R. 3606 is a simple measure that updates a land patent reference to an outdated management plan currently being used by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. This 8-acre property was obtained in 1992 from the Department of the Interior under a land grant patent. Under the new resource management plan, the museum will be able to greatly improve its visitor access to wildlife areas and expand its facilities to accommodate additional shipwreck exhibits. I urge an ``aye'' vote on this legislation. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3606) to modify a land grant patent issued by the Secretary of the Interior.

Mr. GOHMERT

Mr. GOHMERT. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my good friend, Mr. Shuster, yielding. I do rise today to speak in support of H.R. 5606, to designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 221 and 211 West Ferguson Street in Tyler as the William M. Steger Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse. Immediately after Judge Steger's death, my good and long-time friend, Congressman Ralph Hall, had spoken to me about what I also had in my heart, and that is paying a tribute to Judge Steger by naming this Federal building for Judge Steger. I appreciate my friend, Mr. Hall, and his commitment to his old friend and also the respect we both had for Judge Steger. Judge Steger was a heroic patriot, he was a caring father, he was a loving husband, an evenhanded, clear-thinking, constitutionally understanding judge, and he was a personal mentor. He was a cherished friend. After I finished the 4 years I owed the United States Army from a scholarship at A&M and my wife and I considered coming back to Tyler, Judge Steger was one of the first people I talked to about it. Judge Steger was the father of Reed Steger and husband of Ann Steger, and their son Reed was one of my little brother's very best friends. I learned a great deal from Judge Steger. Most people never did really come to know all that he had done and what he was, but he was a Dallas native originally. He always wanted the opportunity to become a pilot; and when the Nation entered World War II, he took the chance. On November 9, 1942, he got his wings; and, after training, he was sent to Casablanca and flew 56 combat missions, for which he received an Air Medal and four oak leaf clusters. While later training other pilots, Captain Steger also tested the first U.S. jet airplanes. If judged only by his service here, he would be counted as a hero, but he was much more than that. Once his Nation was secure, Bill Steger went back to school, received his law degree from Southern Methodist University Law School, and then he engaged in private practice in Longview and Tyler and headed up numerous east Texas campaign clubs for a gentleman named Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was running for president. After the election, President Eisenhower appointed Judge Steger in 1953 to the position of U.S. Attorney for east Texas at the very young age of 32. Judge Steger was up to the task. He became a Federal District Judge for the Eastern District of Texas in December, 1970, after President Richard Nixon nominated him. He did truly love being a jurist. He was a hardworking, dedicated, cerebral, no-nonsense constitutional constructionist judge, whose discerning intellect could always cut straight to the heart of any issue. I know. I tried cases in front of this great judge. In 1987, Judge Steger assumed senior active status duty, but since there still needed cases to be handled, Judge Steger stepped in and stood in the gap. December 1, 2005, marked 35 years on the Federal bench for Judge Steger. Since his appointment in 1970, he had handled more than 15,000 cases. Judge Steger not only made his home in Tyler, Texas, a better place, but he changed Texas politics. In 1960, he and a good friend debated as to which one should run for Governor and which one should run for Senator. Their goal was to bring the Republican Party into popularity in the State of Texas. Because Texas was conservative, it seemed to Judge Steger that it would be a good fit, but he was blazing a trail. He ended up being the one to run for Governor against a very popular John Connolly. Judge Steger's good friend, named John Tower, ran for Senator. The Republican Party had never received enough votes to hold a primary, and even though Judge Steger knew he couldn't win the race, he hoped he would get the requisite 200,000 votes so the Republican Party could hold a primary in the next election. Judge Steger actually received more than 600,000 votes that year. Texas then became eligible to begin having Republican primaries because of Judge Steger. Always having the courage of his convictions, despite the odds against him, Judge Steger was a profile in courage whose memory will continue to inspire me for the rest of my life. At the 2004 Tyler Law Day, Judge Steger received the Justinian award for his community service, his legal ethics, and professionalism. He was a Baptist, a Baptist's Baptist. He was a charter member and deacon at Green Acres Baptist Church, helping to nurse it through its early days of growing from nonexistence to its current 12,000 members. He was a confidant to me, he was a friend, and he was a wise sounding board. He and Ann endured the worst heartache a couple can face in the loss of their only child, Reed, in a tragic scuba diving accident. But the manner in which Judge Steger dealt with such devastation and allowed his faith, God's help and Ann's companionship to help overcome this horrendous blow has always and will always be an inspiration to me. It is an honor to be a part of this bill that will create a lasting tribute to such a deserving man. I thank my friend, Mr. Hall, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 5606 in order to commemorate the life of an ideal American.

Mr. GOHMERT

Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, we are also grateful to Mr. Udall from New Mexico for his hard work in resolving this dispute. As a former judge, there is nothing that looks better than when all the parties can come together and agree, and I appreciate the gentleman's hard work in making that happen. Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.