Phil Hare

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In its history, the Medal of Honor has been awarded only 3,463 times. 3,458 of those were awarded for separate acts of heroism. I'm here today to tell you about one such act and the extraordinary individual who performed it. I am truly in awe of his courage and selflessness. His name was Charles George. He was a Private First Class in the United States Army. PFC George distinguished himself by going above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy on the night of November 30, 1952. He was a member of a raiding party committed to engage the enemy and capture a prisoner for interrogation. Subject to intense mortar and machine gun fire, and suffering several casualties throughout the advance, he fought valiantly, and upon reaching the crest of the hill, leaped into the trenches and engaged with the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. When friendly troops were ordered to move back upon completion of the assignment, he and two comrades remained to cover the withdrawal. While in the process of leaving the trenches, a hostile soldier hurled a grenade into their midst. PFC George shouted a warning to one comrade, pushed the other soldier out of danger, and with full knowledge of the consequences, unhesitatingly threw himself upon the grenade, absorbing the full blast of the explosion. Although seriously wounded in this display of valor, he refrained from any outcry which would divulge the position of his companions. The two soldiers evacuated him to the forward aid station and shortly thereafter he succumbed to his wounds. This brave young man epitomized courage and self sacrifice. To show our deep appreciation, and so that we never forget, H.R. 2546 would name the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Asheville, North Carolina, as the Charles George Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleague in urging all of my colleagues to unanimously support H.R. 2546.

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2602) to name the Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility in Iron Mountain, Michigan, as the ``Oscar G. Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility''.

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Medal of Honor recipients have performed selfless acts of courage. When reading their citations, we are deeply humbled by the courage and selflessness of their actions to save their comrades and to defend this great country. H.R. 2602 would name the Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility in Iron Mountain, Michigan, as the Oscar G. Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility. The following is from the citation for Sergeant Johnson, who at the time of his action was a private first class in the United States Army. It was September, 1944, and the Allied Forces were attempting to break the German defense line in Italy known as the ``Gothic Line'': He practically single handedly protected the left flank of his company's position in the offensive to break the German Gothic Line. Company B was the extreme left assault unit of the corps. The advance was stopped by heavy fire from Monticelli Ridge, and the company took fire behind an embankment. Sergeant Johnson, a mortar gunner, having expended his ammunition, assumed the duties of a rifleman. As leader of a squad of seven men, he was ordered to establish a combat post 50 yards to the left of the company to cover its exposed flank. Repeated enemy counterattacks, supported by artillery, mortar, and machine gun fire from the high ground to his front, had by the afternoon of 16 September killed or wounded all of his men. Collecting weapons and ammunition from his fallen comrades, in the face of hostile fire, he held his exposed position and inflicted heavy casualties upon the enemy, who several times came close enough to throw hand grenades at him. On the night of September 16, the enemy launched its heaviest attack on Company B, putting its greatest pressure against the lone defender of the left flank. In spite of mortar fire which crashed about him and machine gun bullets which whipped the chest of his shallow trench, Sergeant Johnson stood erect and repulsed the attack with grenades and small arms fire. He remained awake and alert throughout the night, frustrating all attempts at infiltration. On 17 September, 25 German soldiers surrendered to him. Two men, sent to reinforce him that afternoon, were caught in a devastating mortar and artillery barrage. With no thought for his own safety, Sergeant Johnson rushed to the shell hole where they lay half buried and seriously wounded, covered their position by his fire, and assisted a medical corpsman in rendering aid. That night he secured their removal to the rear and remained on watch until his company was relieved. Five companies of the German paratroop regiment had been repeatedly committed to the attack on Company B without success. Twenty dead Germans were found in front of his position. By his heroic stand and utter disregard for personal safety, Sergeant Johnson was in large measure responsible for defeating the enemy's attempts to turn the exposed left flank. What an incredible hero, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Johnson is no longer with us, but we can keep alive his memory by naming the facility in his honor. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to yield such time as he may consume to the author of this wonderful piece of legislation, Congressman Bart Stupak from the State of Michigan.

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2602.

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to unanimously support H.R. 2602. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2546.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 229) to redesignate a Federal building in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as the ``Raymond G. Murphy Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center''.

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, on December 9, 1861, Iowa Senator James W. Grimes introduced S. 82 in the United States Senate, a bill designed to ``promote the efficiency of the Navy'' by authorizing the production and distribution of ``medals of honor''. On December 21 the bill was passed, authorizing 200 such medals be produced ``which shall be bestowed upon such petty officers, seamen, landsmen and Marines as shall distinguish themselves by their gallantly in action and other seamanlike qualities during the present war.'' President Lincoln signed the bill, and the Medal of Honor was born. The first Medal of Honor was the Navy Medal of Honor. Raymond Murphy was a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps when he risked his life and went above and beyond the call of duty as a platoon commander in action against the enemy. Although painfully wounded by fragments from an enemy mortar shell while leading his evacuation platoon, Second Lieutenant Murphy refused medical aid and continued to lead his men up a hill through hostile mortar and small-arms fire, while shouting words of encouragement to his men. Under the increasing intense enemy fire, he immediately located casualties as they fell and made several trips up and down the fire- swept hill to direct evacuation teams to the wounded, personally carrying many of the stricken Marines to safety. When reinforcements were needed by the assaulting elements, Second Lieutenant Murphy employed part of his unit as support and, during the ensuing battle, personally killed two of the enemy with his pistol. With all the wounded evacuated and the assaulting units beginning to disengage, he remained behind with a carbine to cover the movement of friendly forces off the hill, and although suffering intense pain from a previous wound, seized an automatic rifle to provide more firepower when the enemy reappeared in the trenches. After reaching the base of the hill, he organized a search party and again ascended the slope for a final check on missing Marines, locating and carrying the bodies of a machine gun crew back down the hill. Wounded a second time while conducting the entire force to the line of departure through a continuing barrage of enemy small-arms, artillery and mortar fire, he once again refused medical attention until assured that every one of his men, including all the casualites, had preceded him to the main lines. Second Lieutenant Murphy's actions epitomize the Marine Corps motto, Semper Fidelis, ``always faithful,'' and demonstrate his loyalty and commitment to marine comrades-in-arms. After the war, Mr. Murphy continued his service to his veteran comrades in New Mexico, serving as Director of Veteran Services at the VA center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Renaming the VA Medical Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico is a fitting tribute to a tireless advocate of veterans. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall).

Mr. HARE. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I have had the opportunity I think twice now to be able to manage bills on the floor of the House. I want to say that today is a very proud day for me. These are four great, great men; heroes they are, one and all. I am honored, and I thank the committee for allowing me the opportunity to do this. As my colleague said, this isn't just naming buildings after somebody. This is really a lasting memory of people who have given everything they have ever had. Everything we are as a Nation we owe to these four great people. I urge my colleagues to unanimously support Senate bill 229. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to the amendment offered by the Gentleman from Kentucky that would strip critical Davis- Bacon protections from H.R. 2638, the fiscal year 2008 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. The goal of the Davis-Bacon Act is to protect local construction wage standards by preventing contractors from bidding for federally funded contracts on the basis of wages lower than those prevailing in the area. Davis-Bacon applies to procurement of construction services by Federal agencies; however, it does not automatically apply to construction projects financed in whole or in part by federal grants and other forms of federal financial assistance to states and localities. Section 536 has therefore been included in H.R. 2638 in order to assure the consistent application of Davis-Bacon prevailing wage standards to construction projects funded with federal assistance. Contrary to arguments we have heard this morning, numerous recent academic studies demonstrate that the application of Davis-Bacon prevailing wage standards to construction projects does not substantially increase the cost of public works projects. Additionally, claims that the application of Davis-Bacon prevailing wage standards to recipients of DHS grants violates states' rights raise a legal argument that was resolved 70 years ago when the Supreme Court held that federal statutes which offer financial assistance subject to acceptance of federal standards do not invade state sovereignty. The statute simply extends the right for states and localities to accept or reject the opportunity to obtain DHS grants and other federal financial assistance to help meet security and recovery needs. By guaranteeing payment of the prevailing local wage rate, Davis- Bacon provides a better standard of living and economic security for workers, particularly in rural communities and small towns like those in my Congressional district. It is crucial that these protections remain in H.R. 2638. Accordingly, I urge my colleagues to reject the Rogers Amendment.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2642, the Fiscal Year 2008 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act. I am honored to stand here today as a freshman member of this Democratic Congress as we approve ``the largest'' funding increase in the 77-year history of the Department of Veterans Affairs. It is my hope that providing $6.7 billion above last year's funding will only be the beginning of our commitment to the promises made to our service men and women. All of us were outraged by the reports of what happened at Walter Reed. Part of the problem is for years the VA has been shortchanged on funding, due to understating its budgeting needs instead of proactively planning for the needs of our veterans. This underfunding has resulted in budget shortfalls, understaffing of vets centers, a huge claims backlog, and inexcusable delays at VA facilities. This bill represents a change in priorities. It funds an additional 1,100 claims' processors to address the 600,000 backlog. It provides $4.4 billion above 2007 levels for the Veterans Health Administration. This will help the VA treat the more than 5.8 million patients they expect in 2008. Additionally, the bill increases funding for the VA's repair and maintenance accounts to prevent a VA medical facility from falling into unacceptable levels of disrepair. I commend my colleagues on the VA Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee for bringing to the floor a bill that exceeds the recommendations of the veterans' service organizations of the Independent Budget. We've seen a change in priorities and I am going to continue to support this momentum until all veterans who want access to healthcare in the VA system, have it. I urge all my colleagues to pass this bill that funds critical benefits for our veterans.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, on June 2, Illinois lost another great American hero when Corporal Jeremiah Costello of Carlinville was killed in Iraq by an IED. Corporal Costello joined the Army in pursuit of becoming an Illinois state trooper, leaving his 4-year-old daughter in the care of his mother and stepfather. Like the 21,000 single parents serving in Iraq, Corporal Costello struggled with being away from his daughter, yet he bravely fought with courage. Corporal Costello was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. He is remembered as a cheerful young man with a knack for improving people's moods and surprising loved ones with gifts. As Father's Day approaches, I ask my colleagues to remember Corporal Costello and his 4-year-old daughter, Lilly, and the approximately 2,000 children who have lost a parent in the Armed Forces over the last 5 years. On behalf of the 17th Congressional District of Illinois, I extend my thoughts and prayers to the Costello family. Corporal Costello's service to his country will not be forgotten, and a grateful Nation stands humble. Thank you, Corporal Costello.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, I'm a new Member of this institution. I sat here last night, along with a lot of Members of this body; and on my way, walking to my apartment, I was walking with another freshman Member, and we were talking about what did we just do. It was what we didn't do. We listened to procedure after procedure, stall after stall, finger-pointing after finger-pointing; and here we were talking about, I thought, an appropriation for something that is incredibly important to this entire Nation. Our national security is at stake. I'm going to say something also as a new Member. I will comment on the bill in a moment. I want to commend the chairman of the Appropriations Committee. Quite frankly, he has a much longer fuse than I have. So much finger-pointing going on. I know how much work that he and Representative Price and other people have put into these bills. I'm not an appropriator. I'm a clothing worker, but I'm a freshman Member of this body, and I know finger-pointing when I see it. I know coming to the floor and getting your picture on TV and making sure the cameras hear every word that you say, but I also know the difference between right and wrong. And I will tell you this, Mr. Chairman, last night this was absolutely one of the worst dog-and-pony shows I've seen, and hopefully we will never have to revisit this again. To the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, let me say, I understand how much work went into this, and to the appropriators, how many hearings went on. I heard about the 3\1/2\-month delay that we were blamed about, but the very same chairman of the Appropriations Committee was verbally blasted in this Chamber because he had the unmitigated gall to try to put things in that would give hurricane relief to people affected on the gulf coast, give an opportunity for people to be able to have better lives, a farm disaster, wildfires that we don't have any money for to put out. How quick we can be to criticize. It's easy, very easy to do. I'm here tonight to say to this chairman of the committee and to the appropriators, I thank you for the hard work that you have done. We'll get these passed. We have agreed to a rule that opened this Chamber up to allow people to be able to do it, to be able to offer amendments and to come to the floor. I didn't think we offered it so that we could just have a 2 o'clock in the morning marathon, but I was elected to do the work of the people of the 17th Congressional District. This bill fulfills the commitment to the 9/11 Commission's recommendations. How many years have we been waiting for that, Mr. Chairman? It provides significant increased support to our first responders, to Customs and border agents and the Transportation and Security Administration. It appropriates $44 million above 2007 to infrastructure protection so communities can identify and assess critical security vulnerabilities. It funds disaster relief to the tune of $1.7 billion so our State and local governments can respond to declared disasters or emergencies. My congressional district runs almost from the Wisconsin border to St. Louis. I've seen what floods can do to my district. I see what it could do to our farmers and how it can displace people. This bill provides $230 million to modernize and digitize over 100,000 flood maps used to determine rates for the National Flood Insurance program. And the bill assures the consistent application of Davis-Bacon prevailing wage standards to construction projects funded with Federal grants. By guaranteeing payments of the prevailing local wage rate, this legislation facilitates a better standard of living and economic security for workers, particularly in rural communities and small towns in my district. I want to close, Mr. Chairman, by again thanking the chairman of the Appropriations Committee. I thank my friend Congressman Price for the hard work that he's put in. As I said, these bills will pass, and we will let the people of our district and the people of this Nation be the ones to decide which one of us, which Member of this body, really came here to do the work of the people. I did and so did many, many of my colleagues in this Chamber. But I will tell you what I won't do: I will not go back to my congressional district and apologize for putting in for projects.

Mr. HARE. Mr. Chairman, I'm not going to apologize for trying to keep my arsenal, the 7,500 jobs there that produce armor to keep our troops safe in Iraq. I'm not apologizing for trying to save the community of Galesburg that lost a plant because of unfair trade policies to Sonora, Mexico. I don't apologize for writing things and asking for money. It's the taxpayers' money. I don't apologize for anything I came here to work on. I will continue to work. But let me tell you, I'm not going to go through another night like I had last night. I'm going to be very vocal, and I'm going to stand up and I'm going to defend the people of this district. I'm going to defend our leadership because I don't think they need defense, but I think they need to know there are a lot of us that really believe in what they have been doing.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the pending Colombian free trade agreement. Since 1991, over 2,000 labor organizers have been murdered in Colombia. Many of these cases are never investigated, and the perpetrators go unpunished, ready to strike again. For 13 years I served as the union leader for UNITE HERE Local 617. If I had born in Colombia, there is a strong possibility that I would not be here today fighting for working class people. My effort for higher wages, better working conditions, and a secure pension could have cost me my life. Many will argue that the labor rights ``fixes'' in the May 10 agreement between the USTR and congressional leadership will be enough to prevent the deaths of union workers, but no worker protection provision comes close to addressing the brutal violations of workers' rights that we see in Colombia. Mr. Speaker, in good conscience, I cannot support a free trade agreement that rewards Colombia with prized access to American markets as its workers live in constant fear.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 329) congratulating the Barton College men's basketball team for winning the 2007 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship.