Pete Hoekstra

Mr. HOEKSTRA

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 13) congratulating the Grand Valley State University Lakers for winning the 2002 NCAA Division II Football National Championship.

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Grand Valley State University Lakers Football Team. On December 14, approximately 3 weeks before the Ohio State Buckeyes became national champions, the Grand Valley State University Lakers Football Team set the national standard by winning the NCAA Division II Football National Championship by defeating Valdosta State University. In all seriousness, as a Wolverine from the great State of Michigan, just north of the State of Ohio, congratulations to our colleagues of the Big Ten, the Ohio State Buckeyes. It was a great year for the Midwest. My sympathy to my colleagues in other parts of the country who did not enjoy the same type of success the Midwest had this year during the football season. This game also was an exciting game that pitted the number one ranked Grand Valley State Lakers against the number two ranked and perennial football powerhouse Valdosta State University from the great State of Georgia. Ultimately, the game was won by the Lakers when quarterback Curt Anes threw a 10-yard scoring pass to wide receiver David Kircus with 1:04 left in the game to lift the Lakers to a 31-24 victory. In addition to the national championship victory and the second consecutive trip to the national championship game, Grand Valley captured its second consecutive Great Lake Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Football Championship with a perfect 9-0 record, and going through the playoffs and concluding the season with a perfect record of 14-0. Head Coach Brian Kelly, who has been with the team since 1991, has led the team to a 104-34-2 overall record and has much to be proud of. Coach Kelly assembled an extraordinary football program and a stellar coaching staff. Led by senior quarterback Curt Anes, who on the evening before the championship game was awarded the 2002 Harlon Hill Trophy as Division II Football's most outstanding player, the Grand Valley State Football Team was an example of resiliency and determination as they strived to meet their team goal of a national championship. This triumph was truly a team effort. Finally, I would like to also offer my thanks and congratulations to the extended family of Grand Valley State University, the alumni, the faculty, the fans, and of course the students who supported this team. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my colleague from the State of Michigan (Mr. Ehlers), who also represents a number of Grand Valley State campuses in his district.

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time, and I would once again like to congratulate the Grand Valley State University Lakers. They have had an awesome year. Today we recognize them and congratulate them for that performance. Mr. Speaker, as we pass this resolution, I would extend to the President a request that he invite the Grand Valley State University football team to Washington, D.C., to a White House ceremony that the White House traditionally hosts for Division II national championships of all sports; and we look forward to that happening. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the extended Grand Valley State University family. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HOEKSTRA

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 17) honoring the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky University from Bowling Green, Kentucky, for winning the 2002 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-AA football championship.

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 17.

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

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Res. 17 honoring the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky University from Bowling Green, Kentucky for winning the 2002 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-AA football championship. I want to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Lewis), for sponsoring this resolution and congratulate the gentleman for the success this school has had from his district and for his opportunity to represent them in Washington, D.C. Today the House has recognized the outstanding athletic accomplishment of our Nation's young people. These championships are a testament to the spirit of athletic competition; and, frankly, they are enormous fun to watch. I congratulate all of the athletes and schools who have participated in collegiate athletics, and express my specific congratulations to Western Kentucky University.

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Lewis).

Mr. HOEKSTRA

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that in the engrossment of House Resolution 13 the Clerk be authorized to correct section numbers, punctuation, and cross references and to make such other technical and conforming changes as may be necessary to reflect the actions of the House.

Mr. HOEKSTRA

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that we are here today to consider H.R. 5601, the ``Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2002'' which reauthorizes and improves the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), the Adoption Opportunities program, and the Abandoned Infants Act. While I recognize and am disappointed that we were not able to come to agreement on all issues of the original bill, H.R. 3839, the bill before us shows our effort and commitment to ensure that programs aimed at the prevention of child abuse and neglect continue. I would like to thank my colleagues on both sides for their hard work and efforts in developing this mutual compromise in the bill before us for consideration today. I especially want to thank the full committee chairman, Mr. Boehner, for his support of this bill, and Mr. Greenwood for his diligence in ensuring that infants bom addicted to alcohol or drugs receive necessary services. I want to also thank the ranking member of the subcommittee, Mr. Roemer, and the ranking member of the full committee, Mr. Miller, for their cooperation in working towards this alternative bill before us today. This bill provides for the continued provision of important federal resources for identifying and addressing the issues of child abuse and neglect, and for supporting effective methods of prevention and treatment. It also continues local projects with demonstrated value in eliminating barriers to permanent adoption and addressing the circumstances that often lead to child abandonment. Mr. Speaker, this bill emphasizes the prevention of child abuse and neglect before it occurs. It promotes partnerships between child protective services and private and community-based organizations, including education, and health systems to ensure that services and linkages are more effectively provided. The bill retains language that appropriately addresses a growing concern over parents being falsely accused of child abuse and neglect and the aggressiveness of social workers in their child abuse investigations. It retains language to increase public education opportunities to strengthen the public's understanding of the child protection system and appropriate reporting of suspected incidents of child maltreatment. The agreement continues to foster cooperation between parents and child protective service workers by requiring caseworkers to inform parents of the allegations made against them, and improves the training opportunities and requirements for child protective services personnel regarding the extent and limits of their legal authority and the legal rights of parents and legal guardians. It also ensures the safety of foster and adoptive children by requiring states to conduct criminal background checks for prospective foster and adoptive parents and other adult relatives and non-relatives residing in the household. Lastly, this bill expands adoption opportunities to provide for services for infants and young children who are disabled or born with life-threatening conditions, and requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study on the annual number of infants and young children abandoned each year. I again want to thank my colleagues for their work on this bill and urge them to join me in support of this effort to improve the prevention and treatment of child abuse by supporting H.R. 5601, the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2002.

Mr. HOEKSTRA

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that we are here today to consider H.R. 5601, the ``Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2002'' which reauthorizes and improves the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), the Adoption Opportunities program, and the Abandoned Infants Act. While I recognize and am disappointed that we were not able to come to agreement on all issues of the original bill, H.R. 3839, the bill before us shows our effort and commitment to ensure that programs aimed at the prevention of child abuse and neglect continue. I would like to thank my colleagues on both sides for their hard work and efforts in developing this mutual compromise in the bill before us for consideration today. I especially want to thank the full committee chairman, Mr. Boehner, for his support of this bill, and Mr. Greenwood for his diligence in ensuring that infants born addicted to alcohol or drugs receive necessary services. I want to also thank the ranking member of the subcommittee, Mr. Roemer, and the ranking member of the full committee, Mr. Miller, for their cooperation in working towards this alternative bill before us today. This bill provides for the continued provision of important federal resources for identifying and addressing the issues of child abuse and neglect, and for supporting effective methods of prevention and treatment. It also continues local projects with demonstrated value in eliminating barriers to permanent adoption and addressing the circumstances that often lead to child abandonment. Mr. Speaker, this bill emphasizes the prevention of child abuse and neglect before it occurs. It promotes partnerships between child protective services and private and community-based organizations, including education, and health systems to ensure that services and linkages are more effectively provided. The bill retains language that appropriately addresses a growing concern over parents being falsely accused of child abuse and neglect and the aggressiveness of social workers in their child abuse investigations. It retains language to increase public education opportunities to strengthen the public's understanding of the child protection system and appropriate reporting of suspected incidents of child maltreatment. The agreement continues to foster cooperation between parents and child protective service workers by requiring caseworkers to inform parents of the allegations made against them, and improves the training opportunities and requirements for child protective services personnel regarding the extent and limits of their legal authority and the legal rights of parents and legal guardians. It also ensures the safety of foster and adoptive children by requiring states to conduct criminal background checks for prospective foster and adoptive parents and other adult relatives and non-relatives residing in the household. Lastly, this bill expands adoption opportunities to provide for services for infants and young children who are disabled or born with life-threatening conditions, and requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study on the annual number of infants and young children abandoned each year. I again want to thank my colleagues for their work on this bill and urge them to join me in support of this effort to improve the prevention and treatment of child abuse by supporting H.R. 5601, the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2002.

Mr. HOEKSTRA

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about what will be the most difficult vote many of us will ever cast. The decision to authorize our President to use force is never an easy one. Leadership is never easy. Like many people in my district, I struggled with this decision. Just as I do not believe any of my constituents wants to go to war, I do not believe any person in this Chamber wants to go to war. But there are those in this world who may leave us no choice. They have already declared war on America. That is where we find ourselves today. Much has changed in our country since the attacks of September 11. We have awakened to a world in which the threats that existed before only outside of our borders are now very real inside of them. None of us will ever forget that day, the horror, and then explaining to our children how the most powerful Nation in the world, in a matter of seconds, became one of its most vulnerable. On September 11 we lost over 3,000 people. They were ordinary Americans going about the business of their lives when they became victims of the global war that terrorists have launched against America. They were not the first victims. Throughout the 1990s, al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations attacked our Nation. We did not heed the warning signs. We see these warning signs in Iraq now. Saddam Hussein has already used weapons of mass destruction against his own people and the people of Iran. He has systematically thwarted every attempt by the United Nations to conduct thorough inspections of his chemical, biological and nuclear arms-making capabilities. He has ignored a decade-plus of U.N. resolutions. The question now is how long do we wait? Do we wait for a dictator who has shown no limits in his willingness to flaunt international law, to killing innocent people? Do we wait to give al Qaeda or some other terrorist group a weapon of mass destruction that Saddam Hussein has provided to them? Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein is a threat to our Nation and to the peace of this planet. He is a rogue leader seeking the world's deadliest weapons, and there is little doubt he will use them for his own evil purposes. Now is the time for the U.S. to lead, to demonstrate real leadership at the United Nations, to demonstrate our conviction and resolve to the dissidents in Iraq that we stand with them. By exercising leadership in the world community, we will send a powerful message to Saddam and terrorists that peace-loving nations and peace-loving people will not stand by silently as they threaten the values that we stand for. In times of crisis, America has always led. Now is the time for the President, for this Congress, and for America to once again show leadership in a dangerous world.

Mr. HOEKSTRA

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his helping in moving this bill to the floor and getting it up for a vote today. Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Resolution 297 recognizes the contributions of Korean-Americans and the contributions that they have made over the last 100 years. Since that first day when Korean-Americans immigrated and landed in Honolulu, they have become an integral part of the diverse fabric that makes up American society. They have contributed economically; but beyond economic contributions, they have eagerly embraced our commonly held American ideals. The first Korean-Americans were united in the cause of achieving freedom for their annexed homeland and for her people. And in this present day, Korean-Americans remain united in their hopes for the reunification of their ancestral homeland and the reunification of families torn apart by war and for an end to the dictatorial oppression of their fellow Koreans in North Korea. By organizing through churches, associations, and other groups, Korean-Americans have built strong mutual-support networks and strong communities. Perhaps most importantly, at the center of Korean-American life are strong family ties and hard work. This has allowed Korean- Americans to prosper and make innumerable contributions to American life and society. In January of 2003, there will be more than 100 communities across America celebrating the 100th anniversary of Korean-American immigration. It is both deserving and important that Congress recognize the significance of this fact, and encourage schools, civic groups, and all levels of government to take part in planning activities and events surrounding this major milestone.

Mr. HOEKSTRA

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding, and I think that over the last period of time my colleague has been heroic in his efforts to educate the Congress on the challenges that face our Nation as a result of the conditions on our border. The conditions as we view them, the face of illegal immigration is one thing. In West Michigan it is another when one actually takes a look at it from the border and it is a very different reality that Kris Eggle faced in August. Let me give a little bit of background about Kris. Kris was a 28- year-old National Park Service ranger. He was assigned to the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument at the time of his death. My colleague has given us a little bit of the details about that, but if we go back, Kris was one of the best of the best. He graduated as valedictorian of Cadillac High School in 1991. He was an accomplished cross-country runner at Cadillac High School. He went on to be a top cross-country runner at the University of Michigan, where he graduated with honors in 1995. After the graduation he chose Government service as the field where he was going to commit his life to. He joined the National Park Service. He served at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, where he served as a ranger on both the North and South Manitou Island. He had been stationed in Arizona since 2000. That is a little bit of background about Kris Eggle. A little bit of background on Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. It is one of our finest national parks. It has over, I believe, 327,000 visitors per year. It is just an awesome area that my colleague has visited on a number of occasions that we are trying to preserve. The disappointing thing is that over the last number of years as our border patrol has tried to control illegal immigration and illegal border crossings at the urban centers, what that has resulted in is that we have not stopped the illegal border crossings as we have just moved them from one part of the border to the other, and in this case we moved them to Kris. I met with some of his supervisors this morning who indicated that one of the reasons that these types of individuals were in the area, these types of hit men, is that individuals like Kris were maybe doing their job too well. Last year they seized close to 750,000 pounds of drugs in the park, and this is the reason that folks on the south side of the border were maybe behind in their drug payments and these types of things which got them in trouble. But folks like Kris were going about doing their job and going above and beyond doing their job. Kris's love was the environment, in making sure that Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument lived up to our expectations for what we want our national parks to be. As the border crossings and the illegal border crossings moved over to Organ Pipe, what he found was that he not only had to deal with 327,000 legal visits to the park, he also had to deal with over 200,000 illegal aliens. Let me read a little bit about what Michelle Malkin says about what happened here. She writes and she talks about why Kris did not get much attention, or his death, while other seemingly less important events get more focus in today's society. Whereas someone like Kris is a true hero, some others that maybe make the national media are not. Here is part of what she had written: ``The park where Kris had been stationed for 2 years, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in southern Arizona, is considered the most dangerous national park system in the Nation, according to a national survey conducted by the Fraternal Order of Police. It is a magnet for illegal aliens and Mexican smugglers; some 200,000 illegal border-crossers and 700,000 pounds of drugs were intercepted at the park last year. ``Nonetheless, Eggle embraced his job. He was always cheerful, his co-workers said. A `model citizen.' A `quintessential American boy- turned-ranger.' He baked chocolate chip cookies for fellow rangers and entertained them with songs while on duty. Eggle's father, Robert, said, `Kris was where he wanted to be, and he did what he wanted to do.' A native of Cadillac, Michigan, where he grew up on his family's 130-year-old farm, Eggle was an Eagle Scout, a high school valedictorian, a devout Baptist, and a champion cross-country runner for the University of Michigan. Former coworkers called the fleet- footed Eggle the `Coyote' in honor of his running prowess. ``On August 9, Eggle's speed and dedication may have cost him his life. He and three U.S. border patrol officers responded after Mexican police reported that two armed fugitives had fled across the border into the U.S. A border patrol helicopter gave chase and directed Eggle and the other officers to where three suspects had ditched their vehicle. The American officers pursued the fugitives on foot as they ran into nearby bushes. One of the Mexican nationals was caught; in the attempt to apprehend the other two, Eggle was ambushed and shot by one of the suspects with an AK-47. ``The gunfire hit Eggle below his bulletproof vest. He died at the scene before an emergency helicopter arrived. At the memorial service in tiny Ajo, Arizona, this week, Eggle's casket was draped with an American flag and topped with the Stetson hat he wore on the job.'' He was buried in his hometown in Cadillac, Michigan, following services there. Kris Eggle, after graduating, decided that he would serve the country that he loved. The folks that knew Kris said that he had one of the brightest futures possible at the National Park Service. The award that he is shown receiving here I believe was given to him in Arizona because where he earned the awards were during a training session, and rather than staying for the awards portion of the training session, he said ``I want to get back to Organ Pipe. I want to get back to my job. I want to get back to my coworkers. I want to get back and do the job that I have been hired to do.'' Kris, like all other fellow employees, took an oath to swear his allegiance to this country. Kris did his job. He did it magnificently. The challenge that my colleague from Colorado and that Kris's parents have laid out to me is let us make sure that we give Kris's coworkers the resources, the protection, and whatever tools they need to minimize the risk that national park rangers take. They know the risks when they take the job. They are armed, they are given bullet-proof vests. But we need to make sure that we give them a job that minimizes that risk, that we really do have border security. I am sure my colleague may touch on that, but when we take a look at the issues that are associated with the border there, we recognize that we have given Kris and his coworkers a very, very tough and very, very difficult job. A small number of national park rangers supported and complemented with border patrol folks, but a small number of park rangers and 80 border patrol folks is a small number compared to 200,000 illegal aliens, many of whom are Mexican nationals who are coming to America, looking for a better life and really with no intent to do any harm or danger to our folks patrolling the border, but a small number of whom have used that border location and that border-crossing as a market of opportunity, coming across the border in SUVs, coming across the border heavily armed and with one intent, to get the drugs to market at whatever the cost. And if the costs are the lives of our national park rangers, our border patrol agents, or a gunfight with these individuals, those individuals are willing to take that risk and kill Americans for them to move their drugs into our cities, into our communities, into our schools, and to our kids. Kris was at the front line trying to make sure that that did not happen. To him we owe a great debt of gratitude, to his service. We extend our deepest sympathy to his family, his coworkers, and all that knew Kris, and I think that this Congress then also owes the family, the national park rangers, and American communities and schools and our children all over America the commitment that we will do what needs to be done on the border to ensure that these types of incidents hopefully will be eliminated or will be minimized. We know we can do it. The reason that there are fewer illegal border-crossings in the urban areas is that we put a focus and an emphasis on that. We now need to provide the border patrol and the national park service with the same resources that are essential to close and protect this section of the border as well as other sections of the border because as I talked with the rangers this morning, they recognize that if they close the border and are successful in getting the funding to make the border secure along Organ Pipe, that does not solve the problem. It may solve it for them, but they recognize that that is not enough because the land directly adjacent to Organ Pipe I believe is controlled by the Fish and Wildlife Service. So they do not want to put their folks at the Fish and Wildlife Service at risk just because they have gotten the resources to secure the border here. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for giving me time, for sharing this, and for the commitment that he made. He made the commitment to be in Arizona before this incident ever happened. He has been back in Washington showing us pictures of the border, describing the conditions, telling us what has been going on there. I believe he was at Organ Pipe just briefly or shortly before these tragic events of August 9, and he also took the time, the effort, and the energy that he attended the services back in Arizona for Kris, and I very much appreciate the gentleman's doing that and being a representative of this Congress to the National Park Service, to Kris's family, in demonstrating our concern and our commitment to them, and I can personally convey to him their appreciation for his being there and participating and leading these efforts to make sure that the risks of something like this happening in the future will be very, very much reduced. I thank my colleague, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tancredo), very much.

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I went to Central Asia and I know my colleague has spent a lot of time on the border, and sometimes our constituents ask us why we go. They think it is some kind of a junket. It is to go to see a couple of things. It is to go to see these Krises around the borders, around the world who are on the front lines each and every day, to put a face with the people on the front line. Central Asia, I was over there and I took a video camera, and I ran into about 10 or 12 constituents who are in K-2, who were at the Moscow embassy, who were on the U.S. George Washington, who were in Bahrain, and what we did is we just asked them to send a message back home. And we asked them, who do you want me to call? And you end up calling parents, husbands, grandparents; and each of these Krises around the world have loved ones that care deeply about them. So we have got to, number one, just to meet our constituents and to demonstrate that we care and we are concerned about the environment that we have put them in. The second reason we go, and my colleague has gone along the border, is to find out whether we have given them the resources to do the job. What my colleague has tragically found out in Arizona is maybe we have not given them the resources, and maybe we have not paid as much attention to this issue as we should have. And for us to put our front line folks in that type of a position, my colleague has identified it, Congress can no longer say we did not know. We now know. And it is now our responsibility to respond. And we will have the opportunity to do that through the appropriations process. I think this year maybe we can move more human resources down to Organ Pipe and also where we can help construct some type of barrier to allow the more sophisticated illegal crossings to stop.

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I would like to just build off of that comment. Obviously, today is September 10. September 11 we will again remember, as we have for almost every day over the last year, the heroism of the firefighters and the emergency personnel in New York City; the same at the Pentagon; the folks on United Flight No. 93. They very much deserve that recognition, and I am pleased that we are able to do that. We recognize that we are now in a war on terrorism. But as we have noticed, during the month of August, I had the opportunity to travel to central Asia and met with our troops in Uzbekistan, met with our troops in Afghanistan, saw our troops on the U.S.S. George Washington, saw them in Bahrain. There are a whole lot of people who have their lives on the front line each and every day in central Asia. Then we have individuals like Kris, who have their lives on the line each and every day along our borders. America has so many people to be grateful for who are willing to make that sacrifice and that commitment to our country. They have very, very many different faces. It is the responsibility of this Congress that in each of those wars that we are engaged in, whether it is the war on homeland security to make sure that we are safe in our homes and in our communities, and those are emergency first responders; whether it is the face of the American troops that have taken the war to the terrorists, they have their lives on the line; or whether it is the individuals like Kris, who maybe come into a war unexpectedly, who are going in and wanting to protect our national environmental treasures and are finding out that all of a sudden they are in the drug war, we need to remember each of these. It is a commitment and responsibility of Congress that in each of these situations where we ask our young men and women, and Kris was maybe one of the older ones. He was 28, and he would have been 29 on his parents' anniversary in the month of August. If we take a look at the young people on the U.S.S. George Washington, more than 5,000, and I call them kids, because the average age is 20 years old, and my oldest daughter is 20, we ask our young people, in many cases, to fight our wars. We need to make sure that if we are going to declare these kinds of wars, that we need to be serious about equipping them and giving them all of the resources that are necessary to fight the war effectively. We cannot have them go in without the proper resources, and I think this is an area where we need to take a look that says that we have declared a war on drugs, we have had it for a long time, but are we really properly equipping our borders to stop the flow of drugs into this country when through this 30-mile stretch of border there are, what is it, eight to 10 national park rangers there?

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, there has been a lot of talk around the country lately about leadership. In corporate America we have seen where, for some, leadership had evolved from serving others, serving those who had given you the opportunity to lead, serving and recognizing that with leadership came a certain responsibility, and for that limited number of corporate executives it had moved from serving others. Leadership now means what can I get out of it for myself? Leadership began to mean more about, what's in it for me, than what is in it for others? The gentleman is absolutely correct that for the folks that put their lives on the line each and every day, for them leadership is about service. Chris was doing this in service of his country. For our troops in central Asia, they are doing this in service to their country. For the firefighters and rescue workers in New York and at the Pentagon, they gave their lives because they recognize leadership and responsibility meant serving others and not serving myself. For the folks on United Flight 93, again, service meant, I am going to take the risk. I am in leadership. This is my opportunity to lead. And when leadership presented itself to those people on United 93, they went and they sacrificed their lives knowing that they would serve their country. That is exactly what Kris did. The story of the incident is that he never forgot the responsibilities of his job. When they got to the place where the road ended and the tracks went off the road of the folks that they were pursuing, Kris recognized that to follow those tracks would do more harm to the environment so he parked the truck. He said, we do not take trucks out there. And because of his experience in running, he went after them on foot and then was ambushed and that is how he lost his life. But he never thought about what was in it for him. He said, this is the job that I have agreed to do. I am here to serve my country. I am here because I love the National Park Service, and he ended up sacrificing his life. But the same thing that they have to do is that we have to recognize is that the individuals that we put on the front line as they have defined leadership to mean service, we need to view it the same way. Leadership now means not what is in this for me politically, what are the political costs and consequences, but it is how do we serve our constituents, how do we serve this country and how do we serve those we put on the front line? The way we serve those on the front line is to provide them with clarity of what we want them to do. I think they have that. At least in that 30-mile section they have clarity. They see it as our job to secure that border. That is what we thought borders were for. What maybe has not been so clear back to us here in Washington is taking the steps in leadership that will actually equip these individuals to do that job. Kris saw it. It was my duty to serve my country, protecting the borders and maintaining the integrity of the borders and stopping drugs from coming in here illegally and stopping others from coming in here illegally. That is my job. There is no lack of clarity there. The only lack of clarity that they may have within the National Park Service is if they are asking us to do all of this, why does the rhetoric out of Washington not always match what they are asking us to do. They may be a little confused about that. And then in some cases, and maybe too often, it is why have they not given us the resources to properly do our job? There is no question that for any sovereign nation protecting the borders and providing integrity to the borders is a key component to your sovereign nation and keeping your nation safe. That is a well established fact. That is one of things that governments do. We just need to make sure that the folks that we ask to do that, we recognize and give them the resources to make sure that they can do that job and do it very, very effectively.

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Nine rangers, along with some Border Patrol, who have pretty much single-handedly stopped over close to three-quarters of a million pounds of drugs, 700,000 to 750,000 pounds of drugs, in a single year.

Mr. HOEKSTRA

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of a distinguished resident of Michigan's Second Congressional District who is being honored by an organization that has had an immeasurable impact on America. David Schrader, of Baker College in Muskegon, is Junior Achievement's National High School Volunteer of the Year. Mr. Schrader, a resident of Whitehall, Michigan, has volunteered for 2 years and taught 34 JA classes in that time. Each class encompassed an hour of time and focused on the teaching of fundamentals of business and economics to students. Having started his own accounting firm, and through his work as a professor at Baker College, Mr. Schrader was able to share his professional insights and experiences with the students he instructed. Mr. Schrader brings a unique energy and enthusiasm to the classroom, and he always goes above and beyond in his efforts. He has volunteered to teach students at the elementary, middle and high school levels, and he has volunteered in rural parts of Michigan, so that young people in those areas can share in the important business and economic educational programs supported by JA as well. Founded in 1919 as a collection of small, after-school business clubs for students in Springfield, Massachusetts, Junior Achievement serves as a testament to the human spirit and American ingenuity. Mr. Schrader is one of the more than 100,000 volunteers who assist JA in spreading the free enterprise message of hope and opportunity to young people across America. Mr. Speaker, David Schrader represents the proud and longstanding tradition of volunteerism in the State of Michigan. I wish to congratulate him on his accomplishments and for his outstanding service to Junior Achievement and the students of Michigan.

Mr. HOEKSTRA

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4628, the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003. Over the past decade, Americans have witnessed extraordinary changes in the international security environment. To the average American, some of these new threats were unforeseen. To others, they were simply unimaginable. We live in a different world than that which existed prior to September 11, 2001; and this body is obligated to ensure that every step is taken to protect our Nation against all threats, new and old. Mr. Chairman, H.R. 4628 provides important funding that permits the intelligence community to better confront these threats and ensure greater security of Americans at home and abroad. It is a good, a bipartisan bill. H.R. 4628 addresses numerous intelligence needs, some of which have been underscored by the dramatic events of the past year. One of the country's most important weapons in the war on terrorism is a diverse, well-trained and experienced intelligence personnel. Intelligence officers, whether they are collectors, analysts, linguists or support personnel, have been working in an overload capacity since 9-11. These brave, patriotic men and women deserve the recognition of this body, and H.R. 4628 takes steps to encourage these officers to continue their tireless service to the country by recommending for them fair compensation, benefits and stronger career planning. In addition to receiving enhanced specialized training and collecting and analyzing critical intelligence, these officers need strong foreign language skills to operate effectively in parts of the world where our adversaries might lurk. H.R. 4628 addresses the intelligence community's critical need for better language training, targeting specific training for its officers as well as the long-standing issue of the recapitalization of specific technological intelligence platforms. Mr. Chairman, this Member urges support for H.R. 4628.

Mr. HOEKSTRA

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. It is interesting as my colleagues talk about the spending side and the revenue side, we have had the discussion on the revenue side; now we are talking about spending. It is amazing that the Federal Government at a time where the economy is not growing, where there is not a high rate of inflation, there are some that believe that growing the Federal Government at twice the rate of inflation may not be enough; that as household incomes grow at a smaller rate that somehow the Federal Government is entitled to grow twice as fast as the rate of inflation, that the Federal Government has priority over other sources of income and revenue in this country. I do not know where that has been established. This House has set out a mandate. We have said that we will grow spending to a level of $748 billion in 2003. We have not done it once, we have done it twice. The other body has yet to pass a budget. President Bush has embraced the spending level of the House. President Bush has indicated that, if necessary, he will use the veto to make sure that we control spending and achieve the number of $748 billion at the end of the process. Because the House's number is almost identical to the President's, it is important that we take a look at each individual bill as it goes through the process. Each bill where we spend more than what the President has proposed means that later on in the process, we will have to reduce those bills significantly from what the President's recommendation is. Three of the first four bills or the nondefense bills that have been reported by the Committee on Appropriations are significantly above the President's request. The Interior bill is at $775 million above the request, without including the $700 million in emergency firefighting money. Treasury- Postal is $538 million above the President's request, and the Agriculture bill is going to be $550 million above the request. Collectively, these bills are about $1.8 billion above the request of the President. In order to pay for these increased spending levels, the Committee is proposing a $400 million reduction from the President's request for the Commerce, Justice, State bill, and a $1.8 billion reduction for the request from the Veterans, HUD, and FEMA bill. These bills are scheduled to move later in the appropriations process. If the House passes the first appropriations bills at levels significantly above the request, I think there are many of us that question whether we will be able to pass the other bills because they will be so far below the President's request. If that is the strategy that we are going to have where we are going to have significant differences between the levels passed by the House and the levels requested by the President, we should bring to the floor first those bills that are significantly lower than the President's request, move those first so that we can show and demonstrate that we are disciplined and that we will make those tough decisions, and that we can then accumulate that money and move it into some of these other bills. But we should not begin the process by fattening up the earlier bills with the belief that later on in the process we will be able to deviate significantly from the President's request. This bill is a good place to start. We should try to move that back down to the President's request. Mr. Chairman, today in the Committee on the Budget, Mitch Daniels talked about the projections. We are no longer in an era of surpluses. We are projected to have a deficit of $165 billion. What we need to do to get back into surplus is we need to control that area that we have significant control over.

Mr. HOEKSTRA. This is not coming out of my time? Yes.

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Chairman, is this coming out of my time?

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Twice now the House has voted to set an overall discretionary spending level of $748 billion for fiscal year 2003. As we begin the appropriations process, we begin to put in place the pieces that will enable us to either hit that target or to miss that target. Point of Order