Duncan Hunter

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, the amendment offered by the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt) is very excellent with respect to the requirement or the proposal that we increase in two areas in missile defense, one of which is for additional PAC-3 missiles. Those in fact are the missiles, the antimissile system that we are deploying in the near term. We started deploying those around September of 2001. We are moving ahead to deploy that first battery. We are in what is known as low-rate initial production right now, finishing up EMD; and we are starting to move out with that program. And it is a great improvement over the Patriot missile that we utilized during Desert Storm. So it makes sense to try to get as many of those in the field as quickly as possible. Similarly, we have been the prime mover in the Arrow missile program, which is also a theater antimissile system. It is an excellent system. It has been proven out and is in deployment right now, and we are trying to increase the deployment and get a third battery up for the Arrow missile. So both of those adds, I think, are good adds, Mr. Chairman. What we do that is a little different in the substitute, the way we modify Mr. Spratt's amendment, is instead of designating certain places where we mandate cuts in the missile defense program, we are not replacing General Kadish's discretion with our own. We are leaving him the discretion to move money around and decide where he is going to take the money from to come up with this additional $135 million-or-so for these two missile programs. So if the gentleman will accept our substitute, I am inclined to accept his amendment.

Mr. HUNTER. I yield to the gentleman from South Carolina.

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time. Motion to Rise Offered by Mr. Taylor of Mississippi

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from South Carolina and I have discussed his accepting of my substitute and our accepting of the amendment. I know he has several speakers. We do not have any more speakers. What I would be happy to do is yield my time on the substitute to the gentleman from South Carolina's speakers and maybe we could move this process along.

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I thank him for accepting my amendment. This Arrow missile was a program that we started in 1987. Members of the Committee on Armed Services contacted Mr. Rabin and Mr. Abramson and said you have to develop a system against incoming ballistic missiles because at some point we are going to see them coming from neighboring countries built presumably by Russia. We saw that. We are going to see more of it. This is a prudent move. The PAC III is also an excellent addition. I thank the gentleman for accepting this substitute. Mr. Chairman, I move the substitute at this time.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion to recommit.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give recognition to the extraordinary life of Captain Joseph A. Pariseau who, at the age of 82, passed away on February 23, 2002. Joe was born March 19, 1919, in Franklin, MA, the son of a baker. Nurtured by a loving family of seven, Joe spent a happy childhood in Attleboro, MA, excelling in sports like the other Pariseau boys. He attended Providence College on a football scholarship, graduating in 1941 with a degree in Philosophy. After earning his Navy wings in 1942, Joe was assigned to VP-63, flying combat missions based from Wales, Gibraltar and North Africa, patrolling for German submarines. Other career highlights include Flight Ordnance Test Pilot with VX-5, Fleet Air Gunnery Unit (precursor to Top Gun) in 1958, Aide to Admiral Wendell Switzer, an icon in Naval Aviation, evaluation of the first U.S. angled carrier deck on USS Antietam and Air Boss on the USS Ranger. He served as Commanding Officer of Fighter Squadron VF-53, Carrier Early Warning Wing 12 and NAS Chase Field. During his distinguished career, Joe flew over 40 aircraft types. His many Naval honors include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, Presidential Unit Citation with star, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with two stars, and the Meritorious Service Medal for his work as Project Manager for the Navy's billion dollar E-2C Hawkeye aircraft project. After his 30-year career as a Naval Aviator, the ``Flying Frenchman'' (his aviator call sign) retired to manage his ranch in Beeville, TX, for 31 years. Joe was married to Mary D. Lassiter of New York, until her death in 1960. He married Anna Claire Heard of Beeville, TX, in 1965. They remained devoted to each other and married for 36 years until her death on February 13, 2002. Joe is survived by his daughter, Paige Pariseau Ochenrider of Whitefish, MT; son Robert R. Pariseau and wife Laurie of San Antonio, TX; brother Roland Pariseau; sister, Lucille Pariseau, both of Attleboro, MA; grandchildren Michael Pariseau of Mountain View, CA, Stacey Lowrance of Tacoma, WA, and Mark Ochenrider of Seattle, WA; and great grandchildren Colton and Madilynn Lowrance. A talented chef and superb dancer, Joe was devoted to his family and a true gentleman. A hero in the eyes of his family, Joe's service to our country reminds me of a passage in James A. Michener's great classic, ``The Bridges at Toko-Ri''. ``Why is America lucky enough to have such men? They leave this tiny ship and fly against the enemy. Then they must seek the ship, lost somewhere at sea. And when they find it, they have to land upon its pitching deck. Where did we get such men?''

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, today I am proud to introduce the Pacific Highly Migratory Species Conservation Act of 2002, which amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to keep the West Coast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) free of pelagic long-line fishing. For those new to the issue, pelagic long-lining is a fishing method that uses long-lines more than 20 miles in length, which are suspended horizontally over the water by surface floats. Attached to that long- line are lines and hooks that dangle vertically in the water for as long as twelve hours. Those baited hooks are meant to catch highly migratory species of fish such as swordfish and tuna, but they have the unintended consequence of also catching many other sea creatures swimming by in search of a meal. On the East Coast, the species that are caught in this gear by mistake (called by-catch) include endangered sea turtles, dolphins, pilot whales, porpoises and even sea birds. These creatures are stuck on the longline until it is reeled in, which takes several hours. Many cannot withstand the long soak time while stuck on the line, and they have no escape from predators. A lesson from history is proof of the need to address this problem: For over 150 years on the East Coast, commercial swordfish harpooners maintained a strong viable fishery by targeting fish that were adults and that have spawned more than once. After the introduction of drift long-lining in the late 1960s, swordfish and marlin stocks decreased at a rapid rate. In fact, it took less than 30 years to virtually bring these species to their dangerously low levels of today. We have a thriving harpoon industry in California with exceptionally high quality product that should be protected. Congress has debated how to restrict or eliminate the use of the pelagic long-line gear in East Coast and Gulf of Mexico waters over the last three years. Unfortunately, the National Marine Fisheries Service is considering allowing the experimental use of these non-selective and destructive long-lines within the 200 mile West Coast EEZ. This would have a devastating impact on all West Coast pelagic fisheries, but most particularly in California, where long-lining has not been previously permitted. My bill will protect the species in the West Coast waters from long- line gear, remove pelagic longline gear from the West Coast EEZ from the Canadian border with Washington State to the Mexican border with California. Our marine ecosystems will be protected from the devastating impact of the gear and serve as a successful example of sound fisheries management. In California's commercial fisheries, there are more selective ways to target economically valuable pelagic species. We should not let the mistakes made in the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico waters replicate themselves on the West Coast.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Utah for yielding me the time, and I just want to say I support his amendment. I would also like to take this opportunity to say I support the Issa amendment, which would make excepted employees of INS employees and give them, I think, more accountability in a very, very serious and very critical position. I thank the gentleman for letting me add that endorsement of the Issa amendment.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, this is the first day of the Masters, one of the most prestigious sports events in our Nation and, indeed, the world. And I rise today to commemorate the fact that for only the second time in 45 years, one of the great golfers of this decade, in fact, one of the great golfers of this century, Billy Casper, is not playing in the Masters. Billy Casper, won the Masters in 1970. He also won a couple of United States Open championships. In fact, in 1966 at Olympic Country Club in San Francisco, he came from behind in what is considered to be one of the most stunning come-from-behind victories in the history of golf. That is when he was seven shots back to Arnold Palmer with only nine holes to go and Billy Casper, called by Golf Magazine the greatest putter in the history of golf, managed to shoot a 32 on the back nine at Olympic Country Club in San Francisco, one of the most difficult golf tracks in the world. He tied Arnold Palmer for the U.S. Open championship and the next day shot a 69 and beat Arnold Palmer. If you add to that great win, that great success, and his other U.S. Open success and his 1970 Masters success the fact that Billy Casper won 51 times on the PGA tour, which puts him the sixth winningest golfer of all time, and you add to that the fact that he has the best Ryder Cup record in terms of wins and losses of any player in American history, and you add to that the five Vardon trophies he won on having the lowest scoring average on the U.S. PGA tour, then you have to conclude that Billy Casper indeed is one of the great heroes in sports history. Mr. Speaker, I am proud that Billy Casper lives in San Diego, California. He still plays golf at San Diego Country Club, where he worked as a caddy as a kid. He has a big heart. He has been a great leader of junior golf in developing young golfers in our country and, indeed, the Nation. Billy Casper is joined by his wife, Shirley, in all of his efforts. He not only is a great athlete and a great teacher but a great person and a great leader in our community. Mr. Speaker, I know that the greatest golf field in the world is playing in the Masters right now. The game is still on. We will have a leader today; and ultimately on Sunday afternoon we will see who the champion is. But there is one great champion, the 1970's Masters champion who is not playing this time for only the second time in 45 years, but he will be down there because he is a wonderful person. He has a big heart. He loves this event. He loves the tradition. He loves the galleries which in turn love him because he is indeed a great sportsman, one of the great representatives of the game of golf. Billy Casper.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to commend the distinguished career of Colonel Brent W. Marler and congratulate him on his retirement from the United States Air Force and the California Air National Guard. Colonel Marler retired on April 1st of this year after 30 years of dedicated service to our country. A native of Spring Valley, California, Colonel Marler graduated from the distinguished Air Force ROTC program at Brigham Young University. Immediately following graduation, he received an officer's commission in the Air Force. While serving in the Air Force, Colonel Marler flew the F-4 in Germany and Korea, completing several successful missions. He was then promoted to be the Officer in Charge, Weapons Systems Command and Control in the 163rd Tactical Fighter Wing. With the introduction of personal computers, Colonel Marler volunteered his time to teach others, leading to the automation efforts in his squadron. He also served in the 58th Tactical Training Squadron at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, making significant upgrades to course materials that improved training throughout the Air Force. Colonel Marler's personal dedication has improved the quality of equipment used by the United States Air Force and California Air National Guard. Through his personal intervention, he successfully managed to acquire funding for critically needed replacement aircraft, which made it possible to save the C-22 program in the Air National Guard. Furthermore he introduced Commercial Video Cockpit equipment to the A-7, A-10 and F-16, giving the Air National Guard a price effective edge in video surveillance. Colonel Marler also led the effort to replace the retiring RF-4C with the F-16 for reconnaissance purposes. Colonel Marler has led a zealous and patriotic career in the United States Air Force and California Air National Guard. These distinctive accomplishments in both operational and leadership roles of duty, culminate a long and distinguished career in the service of his country. With the retirement of Colonel Marler, our country loses a valuable member of the Armed Services and his dedication and commitment will surely be missed.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. If we look across the array of defense requirements, what our men and women in uniform need in terms of ammunition, spare parts, equipment, pay, this budget starts to turn the corner from what I call the Clinton era. If we look specifically at modernization, at the idea that we need more new trucks, tanks, ships, planes, good equipment for our people, we are spending about $11.9 billion more than we were in the last year of the Clinton administration. With respect to the ammo shortages, we are going to still have an ammo shortage, but we are cutting that shortage down. We are coming into it with about $2.2 billion extra. With respect to operations and maintenance, we are coming in with an extra $3 billion or so. Across-the-board, and we are coming in also with a 4.2 percent pay raise, to follow the minimum 6 percent pay raise of last year. So we are starting to rebuild national security with this budget. We have a long way to go. I would like to have an extra $50 billion or so in this defense budget, but on the other hand, at least we are starting to turn the corner from some very tragic days of the past 10 years or so, and I very strongly support this budget.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, last week marked the 90th anniversary of the Girl Scouts of the USA. Founded on March 12, 1912, with the belief that all girls should be given the opportunity to develop physically, mentally, and spiritually, Juliette Gordon Low assembled 18 girls from Savannah, Georgia, for the first Girl Scout meeting. From its initial 18 members, the Girl Scouts flourished to today's membership of over 3.8 million. The mission of the Girl Scouts is to provide a venue where young girls can learn and develop the necessary skills to help them reach their full potential. They have also implemented successful programs, opening up more opportunities for girls in areas such as sports, technology, and science. Girl Scouts are given the self-confidence that is important to developing active citizens and superior leaders. President Bush recently requested that every American perform 4,000 hours of community service over their lifetime and the Girl Scouts are in step with the President's challenge. The San Diego chapter boasts a volunteer rate of 90 percent among its girls in such projects as helping out in hospitals and planning nature trails. I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating the Girl Scouts for providing 90 years of positive guidance to our nation's young women and future leaders.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, today, as our Nation's armed forces make America proud by fighting the war on terrorism, I wanted to recognize the parents of a young man who gave his life for our country during the war in Vietnam. Clayton and Eleanor Baum live in my district, in La Mesa, California. Their son, Sergeant Douglas Baum, was killed on November 18, 1967, in the central highlands of South Vietnam, Dak To. Sgt. Baum was 20 years old and, according to author Edward F. Murray, founder and president of the Medal of Honor Historical Society, was one of the most popular members of the Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade, Alpha Company 503. As a soldier, Sgt. Baum had earned the Army Commendation Medal, the Bronze Star, the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. Sgt. Baum was due for rotation and had begun to send his belongings to his parents when he was killed defending the lives of those in his squad. After Sgt. Baum's death, members of the 173rd Airborne contacted Clayton and Eleanor to let them know how much Douglas meant to them, praising his bravery and leadership. People like Sgt. Darrell Cline, who has stayed in contact with the Baums and arranged for them to attend several of the national events for the 173rd, and Tom Means, a member of Sgt. Baum's squad who searched 25 years to meet Clayton and Eleanor just to tell them how much he thought of their son. Those who attacked us on September 11th have severely underestimated the resolve of today's forces who carry on the legacy of soldiers like Sgt. Douglas Baum. America's military follows a proud tradition of service and dedication. Like those that came before them they fight to defend our country and they sacrifice to preserve our freedom. Clayton and Eleanor, words cannot express the gratefulness we have for Douglas' sacrifice. On behalf of a grateful country and community we say thank you, his service has helped make America strong.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mary Ann Heimers for her many accomplishments and contributions to the people of San Diego and, in particular, our community in East County. Mary Ann, and her husband Wolf Heimers, have lived in my district for over 35 years and have been strong pillars of the El Cajon business community for 48 years. Mary Ann has touched thousands of lives through her many years of service as a volunteer. Mrs. Heimers is always at the forefront of assisting those in need. She has spent over twenty years in service to our neighborhood's elderly, sick, and those who just need a helping hand. Mary Ann's dedication to others is evident in the work she performs with non- profit groups in San Diego, such as Victory Chapel, SHARE, the Food Pantry, and the countless number of people she helps every day. Last year, she was named Volunteer of the Year for 2000 by a local service club for her outstanding work in San Diego County. I have personally worked beside Mary Ann on many occasions and have witnessed her commitment to our community and the joy and comfort she brings to those who need it most. Again, I am honored to rise today in special recognition of my friend Mary Ann, and join her friends and family, including her husband Wolf, son Richard, daughter Susan, and grandchildren, to commend her work and thank her for her tireless efforts throughout the many years of service to our community and our Nation.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, in early September, I was gearing up as usual to oppose this Fast Track. And then our country was attacked, and today as we all know, we have Marine expeditionary forces, American carrier battle groups, tactical aircraft, Special Operations forces, in theater, in combat in Afghanistan. Heading those forces, those American forces, is one man, the American President, and for the next couple of months, in my estimation, more than ever, his successes are going to be our successes, his losses are going to be our losses. I, as all my colleagues know, do not like Fast Track, I do not like free trade. But I like less the idea of weakening this President in this time of great national emergency. For that reason, this time, this once, I am voting yes.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I listened carefully while the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) made, I thought, a very reasonable request for additional spending, and was met with I think an equally reasonable response from the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham), and a number of other members of the Committee on Appropriations and the Subcommittee on Defense, to the effect that they are working to engage in this process of rebuilding our national defenses which are being strained by the operation in Afghanistan in which we may expect to be strained further if this conflict continues and perhaps deepens. I hope that this is the start of a bipartisan effort to put together a defense bill in the coming year which is adequate to serve our country's needs. Let me just tell my colleagues that from my perspective, and I heard the gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham) make a number of very, very good points with respect to inadequacies, I think we are about $50 billion short, and I think all of the studies that we have done, such as the CBO, which says that our equipment is short-funded about $30 billion a year. That means if we have to replace trucks, tanks, ships, planes, on a steady state just to keep them halfway modern, we need to spend an extra $30 billion a year in the defense area. We are underfunded on munitions. We know that the Army is about $3 billion short of basic ammunition; the Marines have a smaller shortage. But nonetheless, they are not full up. We know that we are short on precision munitions, which are a very important part of projecting American power. So I would hope that we are starting on a course to rebuild the national defenses that have been savaged pretty badly over the last 6 years. I hope this administration moves with us as well. Let me just say also that while the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis) and the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stump) and others are working hard on defense and putting in a lot of hours now trying to figure out exactly what we need, and are putting together I think a good blueprint to rebuild defense, I would like to see the Office of Management and Budget understand defense a little more than I think they understand; be more receptive when the services come to them and say we have ammunition shortages, we have spare parts shortages, we have equipment shortages. I know that if that office in the administration does not become more receptive, we are going to see, I think, this House take more initiative in that area. So let us rebuild defense. I would like to see the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) working with our Republican leadership to make that happen in this coming budget.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. That is true. I think one reason Bob was so helpful on aerospace issues and on military issues and was so good to this House and such a leader in the House is that Bob Dornan loved and appreciated American air power. Somebody mentioned the other day that American troops had not been killed by foreign air power, that is, by an adversary's air power, for something like 40 years. That is the period of time during which we have held total mastery of the skies in all the engagements that we have been involved in.

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, that is true. Daniel Ortega is probably sitting in an empty room right now in Nicaragua with an old copy of the Los Angeles Times predicting that he was going to win this election in one hand, and a ``Dear Commandante'' letter from the more liberal Members of this House of Representatives in the other hand, assuring him of his primacy. That is all he has left.

Mr. HUNTER. That is true. Bob Dornan, I think, went to more States for George Bush than anybody else.

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tancredo) for his very excellent statement about the state of the country with respect to control of our borders and the important need to hesitate at this point in our history and put together a strategy that allows us to control our borders and to get a handle on immigration, and on all of the people who have come into this country legally but stayed beyond their legal limit and apparently did not care. I would hope to work with the gentleman and lots of others in the House over the next several months and try to get our arms around this important issue. I thank my colleague for his statement. Mr. Speaker, on 9-14, just a couple of days after the tragic occurrence that we have been so focused on, a real American, a great Westerner, passed away. That gentleman was named Jerry Williams. I knew him as Mr. Williams because I had a lot of respect for him and for the legacy that he represented. If one drives north from my district in San Diego and you go past Camp Pendleton, it is the only open area between San Diego and the greater Los Angeles area, and you proceed north, you can drive for hours without leaving the site of lots of pavement, lots of construction, lots of traffic and lots of people. That is the southern California that most Americans know. They see it on television. They see it in person when they fly into LAX or San Diego or any other metropolitan area in southern California. But if one goes north and inland, one comes to a different California. It is a California of rolling foot hills, and I am speaking of the Santa Barbara area, big oak trees draped with Spanish moss, and a legacy and a tradition of the Old West, a tradition that was started with the founding of the missions along the California coastline. There are not a lot of great Western families left in southern California because we have urbanized enormously; but there are still a few, and Jerry Williams was one of those great Western ranchers. He represented a hospitality, a big heart, a sense of giving, a sense of community, that is now more rare in the West than it was 20 or 30 years ago. I got to know him by knowing his sons, Rodney and J.P. Williams, and their families, and their good neighbor, John Wiester and his wonderful wife. The Santa Ynez Valley has a spirit of hospitality, just inland from Santa Barbara 15 or 20 miles with one coastal range between the valley and the Pacific Ocean. President Ronald Reagan found that area to be the area that he wanted to locate in and he put his house on top of that mountain range about 10 miles or so from the Pacific Ocean. But that was the world of Jerry Williams. He was a rancher. He was a farmer. He was a businessman extraordinare. Jerry gave of himself to his community during his entire life. He and his wife, Nancy, lived in the Santa Ynez Valley for 40 years. Wild Turkeys flew overhead, and they had a pet raccoon or two. They had a wonder world for their grandchildren, and I could see this was a Western family that really cared about family. Jerry Williams was a member of the Santa Barbara Cattlemen's Association; the Santa Barbara Fiesta Days is an event that we all remember. For 10 years he was a member of the board of that wonderful event until for the last 10 years he was the chairman of that particular board. This was a guy who represented a lot of California that many of us knew and loved and would like to see return. It is the California of graciousness and hospitality and goodness and people who make business deals by shaking your hand, not by bringing in a troop of lawyers. That was Jerry Williams. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to talk about Mr. Williams a little bit and to honor his legacy and the tradition that he has left in the California ranch country. Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk about another individual. This individual is very much alive. I thought about him today as I was going through the New York Times and read the story about the defeat of Daniel Ortega, who at one time was the leader of communist Sandinistas in Nicaragua, and ran for president, and for the third time was defeated, this time by Enrique Balanos who is a businessman who was arrested a number of times, who always spoke out against the Sandinistas and had much of his property confiscated during the Contra wars. This race was considered to be one that would go down to the wire. Mr. Balanos won a fairly convincing victory, but it is not just the victory of Mr. Balanos over the former Sandinista leader that I think is impressive and reminds me of this other guy I am going to talk about; but it is the fact that there was an election, and it is the fact that there was a former communist leader running in that election, putting himself before the will of the people, before the electorate, to let them pass judgment of his fitness for judgment. That is the miracle of Central America and the miracle of the Reagan administration a lot of Members of what this House of Representatives and the other body did in the 1980s to bring about in a Central America that before was one in which military dictatorships were the order of the day, but to bring all of those military dictatorships, whether it was Nicaragua or Salvador or Guatemala, to bring those countries to become fragile democracies. Obviously this democracy in Nicaragua has endured longer than many experts had predicted. One of the gentlemen who really worked in those days to help this country win that freedom for Central America was a guy named Bob Dornan. Bob Dornan is a great friend of mine and a friend of many members of the House here. I see my good friend the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher) here, who stood side by side with Bob and myself and many others during the Contra wars. He was a great friend of ours. And because his election was so close and was contested for so long, we never had a chance to sit around or to gather on the House floor as we often do when a Member retires or leaves office pursuant to an election and talk about that Member. We have not had that opportunity. We never did that, because that election was contested for such a long time that we never went through that tradition. And so I just wanted to say a word or two today and invite my good friend, the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher) to say a few words about this guy Bob Dornan. I am reminded when our troops were killed in Somalia, when the American Rangers were killed and we had that crisis, that Bob Dornan was the one member of the House Armed Services Committee who flew for a dozen hours by himself to go to that location, to meet with the survivors and then came back and personally talked with the families of every American who had given his life in that particular mission, that very dangerous mission. That was Bob Dornan. Bob Dornan knew every aircraft that was ever made in this country and a few that were made in other countries. He flew everything. He flew every jet aircraft and every bomber and every recon plane that we had. But it was really the people that he loved the most. He did a wonderful job as the chairman of the Personnel Subcommittee on the House Armed Services Committee, and he loved people so much and loved people who wore the uniform so much that he was the one guy you could count on to meet with families when there had been a tragedy, when there had been a firefight, when there had been a death, and talk to them about the value of their loved one to the United States of America. I will always remember Bob for that and remember him for his great expertise as a fighter pilot who knew the equipment that we were voting on in the committee and on the House floor. Of course, everybody has their favorite Bob Dornan story, but I can tell you, he was one guy when I was a freshman as a candidate for the House Armed Services Committee back in 1980 and we had a lot of great Members like former colleague Dan Lungren and Pete McCloskey and Bill Lowery and lots of others who were well qualified, probably more qualified than me for that position, and Bob Dornan himself all running for that post. Bob got up when we were about ready to take the vote and said, you know, there is one guy there who is an Army veteran from Vietnam who has got a district that is a military district and probably deserves this seat or needs this seat more than anybody else, and that is Duncan Hunter. I was as much shocked by that as all my other colleagues, but Bob Dornan, instead of voting for himself, voted for me and let me as a freshman have that particular seat. What a wonderful display of generosity and selflessness that represented. That was the true Bob Dornan and is the true Bob Dornan. One great thing about him is Bob Dornan stays current with the affairs of the day. He is still in the media. He is doing lots of work now in radio. And so the people across the country still have the opportunity to listen to this guy and listen to that good conservative wisdom that he has displayed so often. I would be happy to yield to my good colleague, the gentleman from California.

Mr. HUNTER. That is true. Bob Dornan never had an office. He always had a command center.

Mr. HUNTER. Or Cuba.

Mr. HUNTER

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