Duncan Hunter

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. You know, we're at a turning point right now in the war on terrorism. We talked about Afghanistan today, Madam Speaker. But first as we do this, I would like to yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida, an Army veteran and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Tom Rooney

Mr. HUNTER. I thank the gentleman from Florida for his service in the Army as well as his service now to the Nation in Congress. He's really living up to those Army ideals. You know, now that this security situation in Iraq is under control and U.S. forces are beginning to rotate out of that region, we're confronted with a new challenge of equal significance in Afghanistan. By all accounts, the combat mission in Afghanistan has reached an important crossroad. In March, President Obama unveiled a new approach to achieve this victory in Afghanistan, reminding all Americans of the necessity to disrupt, and I quote from President Obama, disrupt, dismantle and defeat al Qaeda, in Pakistan and Afghanistan and to prevent their return to either country. Leading the mission in Afghanistan is General Stanley McChrystal who was appointed by the President and Secretary Gates to evaluate the situation on the ground and provide a resource request detailing the needs to achieve his victory. The President now has General McChrystal's request in hand, which includes adding another 40,000 combat troops, minimum, to the region. As the President considers what course to take, the security situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating. The insurgency is gaining strength, and U.S. soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen, as well as our allies, are being increasingly targeted by ambushes and roadside bomb attacks. To prevent mission failure and to protect those troops already there, the President must act quickly to fulfill General McChrystal's request for more combat resources. Only until recently the collective commitment to this new strategy has come into question. Some in Congress have raised opposition to any type of troop surge whatsoever, even if it means defeat. They instead prefer to maintain or draw down our combat forces, focus on training local security, and rely on targeted air strikes and drone strikes. While a scaled back strategy might be attractive to some people, it would inevitably constrain resources already in short supply in Afghanistan, unnecessarily putting our mission and the safety of the coalition forces at risk. General McChrystal has made it clear that a small footprint counterinsurgency strategy will not work in Afghanistan. What's more, General McChrystal has clearly defined our objectives and the metrics for achieving victory against a resurgent Taliban and possibly al Qaeda. This entails our ground forces working to stand up Afghanistan's security and police forces as we did in Iraq and substantively weaken the stronghold of al Qaeda and the Taliban to the point where these local forces can effectively take control. Madam Speaker, this is nothing new. We had almost the exact same challenges in Iraq and we were told 2 or 3 years ago we were going to lose in Iraq, the surge wouldn't work; there was no way we could win. It was a quagmire. We were going to be stuck there, and Iraq was another Vietnam. Well, guess what? You can walk up to any soldier, marine, sailor or airman who has served over there and don't just say, thanks for serving, you can say thanks for victory, because we're now rotating home out of Iraq in victory, not defeat because of General Petraeus, General Odierno and the almost exact same strategy of surging to provide security so that we could stand up the Iraqi forces, stand up the Iraqi military and the Iraqi police and the Iraqi Government so that we can leave. Afghanistan is not Iraq, true, but that counterinsurgency strategy still stands. It still works. The more troops we send over to Afghanistan, the more secure we can make Afghanistan and the quicker we can leave Afghanistan victoriously. We truly are at a vital turning point in Afghanistan, and the President does have a very difficult decision to make. To quote General McChrystal: time matters. We must act now to reverse the negative trends and demonstrate progress. President Obama himself, in March, said that the counterinsurgency strategy, also known as COIN, is the way to defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan and to defeat al Qaeda. The strategy presented by the President and his national security team would require, quote by the President, executing and resourcing an integrated civilian, military counterinsurgency strategy. But now, the President, instead of listening to the general he appointed who is the resident expert in Afghanistan, who's on the ground in Afghanistan, and who the President had not even met with face to face until he took his Olympic sightseeing tour to Denmark when he finally deigned to meet General McChrystal face to face, he's now listening to possibly Vice President Biden. So he's going to listen to Vice President Biden's advice on Afghanistan instead of the four-star general who he put in charge in Afghanistan. In mid-April, Chairman Mullen and Secretary of Defense Gates actually replaced General McKiernan with General McChrystal because he specialized in counterterrorism. Counterterrorism. That's what Vice President Biden wants to do. McChrystal, even after being an expert in counterterrorism, came back and said, counterterrorism is not going to work. It's got to be counterinsurgency. So to have this counterterrorism expert come out and say counterterrorism's not going to work, we need a COIN strategy, the counterinsurgency strategy, we need to get the Afghan people on our side and the only way to do that is to secure the area, that's pretty phenomenal. As we speak right now, Madam Speaker, the Iraqi troop levels are going down. Equipment and resources are coming back over here to the U.S., and they're also going to Afghanistan. We have won in Iraq, and we can win in Afghanistan; and we can bring civility to the Afghan Government so that we can leave. But here's what we have to do. We have to have enough boots on the ground to provide security needed to properly train and equip the Afghan security forces, both police and army. You'll see many people saying that it's impossible in Afghanistan because Afghanistan's a much larger land area than Iraq is. That is true. Afghanistan has more area than Iraq does. But it's got much smaller concentrated population centers. There's only two really. There's RC South. This is the Helman province. Kandajar's there. That's where the marines are at this point in time. Then you have Kabul and RC East. That's where the Army focuses on. Pakistan's over there to the east. This is that mountainous range where you have drug runners coming across, you have people bringing weapons across, you have Taliban, al Qaeda and general bad guys coming across with that far arrow. Then you have RC South here where those marines are in Kandajar. Those are the two main population centers. That's what we're focusing on. When it comes to IEDs going off, those are improvised explosive devices, the roadside bombs, the 155 rounds put underground by the bad guys to blow us up. In Iraq we had a very complex road system. There were towns all over, cities all over, bases all over. We had to run resupply routes going everywhere. In Afghanistan you don't have that. You have one main road that rings the entire country. It's called Ring Road because it's a big round road. The only places we have to stop these IEDs from going off are between those two arrows. That's it. These IED casualties that we see coming back, which is 85 percent of our casualties in Afghanistan right now, are improvised explosive device casualties. If we stop those, we will stop sustaining major casualties so we can move on to this security phase. We have to stop the IEDs and we can do it just like we did in Iraq; and it's actually easier to do it in Afghanistan. The Department of State needs to work on the Afghan government structure. I won't argue with anybody who says that the Afghan Government right now is almost completely corrupt. There are many charges leveled against President Karzai who says he's corrupt. And the Afghan government system that we have set up right now over there does not represent the thousands of the years of the Afghan tribal set-up that they've had that the Afghan people are used to. That's going to be a major challenge. Getting the Afghan people to trust in their government so that they actually go out and vote and they actually tell us where these improvised explosive devices are being implanted, that's a counterinsurgency problem. We need to work on the Afghan Government. We need to make sure that it's not corrupt. Right now I am a Congressman from San Diego, California. I was voted in by the people of San Diego. In Afghanistan you don't have that. In Afghanistan, President Karzai appoints who the different representatives are. So that's like President Obama saying, You aren't allowed to elect Duncan Hunter. What I'm going to do is I'm going to tell you who your Representative's going to be. That's how this government's set up in Afghanistan, and it does not properly represent the way that the Afghan people want to be governed nor need to be governed. Just as important as our military and security mission in Afghanistan, it's just important that we work with Pakistan so that Pakistan is not a safe haven to al Qaeda and to the Taliban. I want to read a few quotes here. This is President Obama talking about Afghanistan. He says, and I believe this, Afghanistan has to be our central focus, the central front on our battle against terrorism. President Obama said, Troop levels must increase in Afghanistan. And as little as 2\1/2\ months ago, he said, For at least a year now, I have called for two additional brigades, perhaps three. The President obviously knows what needs to be done in Afghanistan because he's called for it. In his campaign he said, Afghanistan is the central fight against terrorism. When he became President he said Afghanistan is the central fight against terrorism. And now that it looks like it's difficult politically, he's stepping back from that assessment and he's saying, Well, we have to wait and see here. We have to look at this. I don't think that shows good leadership. What I would like to see the President do is listen to the head general who he appointed, who he put in place, and who is the smartest person possibly in the entire United States military on Afghanistan and knows how to win this fight. I would like to yield such time as he may consume now to the honorable gentleman from Michigan, Mr. Thad McCotter.

Mr. HUNTER. I thank the gentleman from Michigan for his words so well put. You can see that he understands what is at stake in Afghanistan. What interests me about Representative McCotter's words, we just want the President to do the right thing. And we believe that he knows what the right thing is, because it was his idea. He brought up the counterinsurgency strategy. He said that Afghanistan should be the main focus in the war on terror. He knows what the right decision is because he has already made that decision in his mind months ago. He put in General McChrystal because he knew that General McChrystal was the right guy at the right time to lead us to victory in Afghanistan. The President knows all of this, and we can only pray that he makes the right decision in Afghanistan or America will be a much less safe place than it is now. What happens if we don't win in Afghanistan? What happens if we keep the troop levels the same or we incrementally escalate our troop levels over there that is not a surge but we add a few thousand troops at a time, what's going to happen in Afghanistan? First, Afghanistan will become once again a petri dish for terrorists. Al Qaeda will return to Afghanistan. There's already networks there. One is the Hakani network. They're in touch with al Qaeda all the time. Al Qaeda will be back in Afghanistan. We won't be there anymore. The Taliban will have control of Afghanistan because they have shadow governments set up throughout the entire country. This is not like in Iraq where there would be a car bomb going off for no reason other than to hurt people. A car bomb in Iraq is not an alternative form of government. The Taliban in Afghanistan is an alternative form of government. They want to take over this fledgling, possibly corrupt, democracy parliamentary system that we have set up in Afghanistan. As bad as it is now, this Afghanistan Government that they have set up, the Taliban would be much, much worse. So what if we don't win? Afghanistan will become a breeding ground for terrorism. Pakistan, which has nuclear weapons, will be destabilized, completely destabilized. I will tell you right now what is going on in talks in Pakistan and with different Taliban people--not because I've heard this from anybody; just because I know because this happened in Iraq. The Taliban is telling the Afghan people right now: America's going to leave. Look how indecisive they are. Their President, even after he said that they're going to surge in Afghanistan to have this counterinsurgency strategy, they can't make a decision. And the people of Afghanistan are listening. Why would the people in Afghanistan not go with the Taliban forces if they think that we're going to leave? Because if we leave, they're going to be slaughtered. There will be reprisal attacks against those Afghans who dared help America; who dared tell us where the IEDs were being planted at; who dared say, These guys over here are bad guys, Sergeant. Could you go get them for me? The people of Afghanistan are going to stop working with us if we keep being indecisive on what we're going to do over there, so Pakistan could possibly become destabilized. Out of all of the bad things happening in this world--Mexico imploding because of its narcotics trade and its gang war, North Korea shooting off nuclear missiles, Iran shooting off nuclear missiles, getting that fissile nuclear material there--all of these things could happen. This world is a very dangerous world. We all know that. One of the most likely, though, and one of the absolute scariest, is the destabilization of Pakistan; it's Pakistan going away and the Taliban getting their hands on their nuclear weapons. I don't think we would want to think about what would happen if the Taliban or al Qaeda got their hands on Pakistan's nuclear weapons. This entire area would be destabilized, and I guarantee you they would be gunning for another 9/ 11. And it would be that much easier for them because we're not there anymore. And I understand we've been at war in Afghanistan since 9/11. We've been over there a long time, over 7 years. And I understand, Mr. Speaker, that the American people are tired of war. I was in the Marine Corps. I joined after 9/11. I did two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan in 2007. I was in the Battle of Fallujah in Iraq. I was in Diwaniyah. I was in Babylon. I'm tired of war, too. But what I want to make sure of is that our country stays safe, it stays secure, and it stays free, and we don't turn our backs on a people who we promised aid to. If we lose in Afghanistan, it will embolden al Qaeda, it will embolden all of our enemies, and we will see increased attacks. This is not a scare tactic, Mr. Speaker; this is simple fact. If we're not there, if America does not lead, our allies will not lead themselves. America is the leader in Afghanistan and our allies are following them. I served with the British, Canadians, Australians, the Poles, Czechs, the Italians, Spaniards, French. I served with a whole lot of people, other countries that are in Afghanistan, and they're following us. We are the leaders for this war. We are providing that leadership role and we're the economic pillar for this war, too. And it is an expensive war. Wars are extremely expensive. Afghanistan, with its tribal layout, its mountainous regions, its desert, its terrain is more complicated than Iraq is. This is not easy. We aren't saying that this is easy. We're saying this is going to be very, very difficult. But we have the willpower, and I think we have the ability. We have the leader in General McChrystal. We sure as heck have the men and women who want to serve and win in Afghanistan. We can do this. So, consistent with General McChrystal's recommendation, the initial strategy outlined by the President almost 7 months ago constitutes the best way towards accomplishing all of these goals. My hope and Mr. Rooney's hope, and it should be every America's hope, is that a favorable decision is reached promptly so that our military, this Congress, and the administration can begin doing everything they can do to provide the full resources necessary to execute a counterinsurgency strategy. We have to know here in Congress what the President wants to do. We need to know what his decision is so we can get the men and women serving over there right now, the ones getting shot at, the ones getting IEDs, the ones getting rocketed, we want to get them what they need. One of the things they need is the support of the American people. Until President Obama comes out, makes his decision, lets Congress know about it so we can inform our constituents and we can tell them why it's important that we win in Afghanistan, our men and women overseas right now are suffering. You don't think that the privates, sergeants, corporals, staff sergeants at the officer corps in Afghanistan are looking back right now, watching C-SPAN watching CNN, and saying, Our main General, General McChrystal, the man who we're following, the man who's asked us to fight, the man who's asked us to drive these dangerous roads, the man who's asked us to kill the enemy for our country and our lives are put in danger, he's asking for 40,000 troops, and the administration in D.C., in Washington, is not giving them to him right now, they're thinking about it. We've had enough time to think about it. It's been 7 years. Was our strategy in Afghanistan under President Bush the right one? No, it probably wasn't. It probably was not the right one. We were focused on Iraq, and frankly I think that's a good thing, too, because we have won over there now. But we need to shift focus to Afghanistan. That's what this President said he would do. Experience tells us that wars must be run by our military leaders, not politicians or bureaucrats back here in D.C. I don't want to create strategy for Afghanistan. That's not my job. My job, as a congressman, is to give the military men and women the support that they need to get the job done for whatever the President, who's Commander in Chief, sets out as their strategy and their goals. You don't want me running a war. You don't want Vice President Biden running a war, either. That's why General McChrystal is there. That's why General Petraeus is there. That's why General Odierno is there. They are the resident experts. The President rightly recognizes the importance of defeating al Qaeda and the Taliban, but in order to do so, he must stay clear of political currents and do what is right. And once more, I truly believe that he knows what is right. Because what General McChrystal, once more, has brought to the President in his resource request was what the President asked him to do. On two occasions over the last few years, I have been to Afghanistan, both as a Member of Congress and as a Marine. While there, I served alongside and shared experiences with the best that this country has to offer. They are truly the greatest generation. People that have so much opportunity, young men and women, they could go to college, they could pretty much do whatever they wanted to do. Instead, they went and served. I have had the awesome opportunity of serving with them. And they have dutifully undertaken their mission to protect our Nation and the Afghan people. I have also spoken to many civilian leaders and military leaders outside of Afghanistan, and they know what the right thing to do is. Our goals in Afghanistan will become further out of reach. In fact, they become more out of reach every single day that we dally here at home and not give them what they have asked for. If we significantly reduce our military presence right now, at this critical time, the war in Afghanistan will be lost. Understanding this risk, I sincerely hope that President Obama, as Commander in Chief, will follow the recommendation of his appointed military commander and commit his full support to this important mission.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. I thank the gentleman. The liberals in this Congress and in the Senate did a despicable thing today. There is usually one bill in this Congress that gets passed that's nonpartisan. It's bipartisan. It's the authorization bill to get our military what it needs. And it has never been so important as it has been during this time of war. This is beans, band-aids, bullets, trucks, armor, and flak jackets. Everything that we need to win these wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is in this authorization bill that was being voted on today. I voted ``yes'' on it. Many voted ``no,'' and they were in the right as well as I was in the right. And here is why. To attach a hate crimes bill, a thought crimes bill, which is wrong in and of its own, but has nothing to do with the military, nothing whatsoever, but the Democrat Congress knew that we would not vote against the military. That's the hand that they played. So they put one of the worst and most rotten bills that has been passed by this Congress on top. They piggy-backed it on top of our defense authorization bill because who's going to vote against the troops? That was their slant today. And as a marine and as a congressman, it is one of the most despicable things that I have ever seen done by this body. Some of us voted for it. Some of us voted against it. Each of us voted our own conscience on this, and both votes were right. We do have to get our military what it needs on one hand, but on the other hand, we are not going to be ridden roughshod over by a liberal Congress that thinks that they can attach absolutely despicable bills to important things like the defense authorization bill. That's why voting ``no'' on this bill today was also the right choice. So I thank the gentleman for his conscientious vote today, and I appreciate it.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of San Diego Power Surge 96 for its championship victory in the Amateur Softball Association's 2009 Girls National Fastpitch Tournament. The girls of Power Surge 96 competed against some of the most talented and formidable teams in the country--and they did not disappoint their fans. Their national championship victory represents a great accomplishment for not only each team member, but also for the San Diego community. Over the course of the tournament, Power Surge 96 won a total of nine games to compliment the team's overall and quite impressive record of 92 wins, 7 losses and 1 tie. The team's final matchup turned into a heroic test of endurance and skill after falling behind to their opponent, the SoCal Jynx, early in the game. In the seventh inning, Power Surge 96 tied the score at three, forcing the game into extra innings where they eventually took the lead and never looked back. On their way to the top, the girls of Power Surge 96 prevailed through a qualifying tournament that included several tough opponents. That tournament, the ASA Southern California State Championship, was the first qualifying victory for any Power Surge team since forming in 1992 and competing at the national level. In 2009, Power Surge 96 competed in a total of nine tournaments. The team won six of those tournaments outright, sharing a seventh as co- champion. Altogether, 2009 was a great year for the girls of Power Surge 96, highlighted by their national championship victory. Surely, their victory will help motivate them to reach the same level of achievement next year, when they resume competitive play and prepare to defend their national championship. The girls of Power Surge 96 deserve great credit and recognition for their success and remarkable accomplishment. Their national championship victory, as well as the time they have shared together and hours invested in practice and preparation, is an experience they will always remember. It is an experience that will stay with them well into their adult lives and, hopefully one day, be shared with their children to encourage and inspire them to reach new heights. Madam Speaker, it is an honor to rise in recognition of Power Surge 96 and I ask that my colleagues join me in paying tribute to this team of talented girls. Next year's national championship tournament will not be easy but if there is any group up to the challenge, it is the girls of Power Surge 96.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3226, Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010: I received $3,000,000 for Trex Enterprises at 10455 Pacific Center Court, San Diego, CA 92121. Funding for this program will be used to complete development, flight testing and integration of the Brownout MMW Sensor that will reduce aircraft accident risk and allow aircrew visibility through the full range of landing and take-off operations in otherwise extremely hazardous flight conditions. ``Brownout'' is a situation Army aviators experience in combat operations daily in Iraq and Afghanistan. Created by helicopter rotor downwash, it continues to cause aircraft accidents and remains a high risk to flight safety. Specifically, as aircraft approach the ground, a thick plume of brown desert dust, dirt and sand disturbed by high velocity winds from rotor systems engulf the aircraft, causing a complete loss of the pilot's visual reference to the ground. The Brownout Situational Awareness Sensor, BSAS, is a cockpit display system capable of providing the aircrew visibility through the blowing sand and dust. This technology will greatly reduce the loss of aviator lives, loss of aircraft and reduce the amount of maintenance requirements resulting in damages from Brownout situations. Brownout is among the biggest hazards to rotary- wing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, contributing to more than 71 U.S. helicopter accidents. Providing this capability is critical to aircrew safety and combat readiness. I also received $2,000,000 for CHI Systems at 12860 Danielson Court, Suite A, Poway, CA 92064. There is currently insufficient training provided to soldiers on the most crucial battlefield lifesaving situations. Medics and soldiers, in many instances, lack the experience to act swiftly and effectively in combat casualty situation. By combining instrumented manikin parts that support hands-on practice with computer based scenario training, this funding will complete the HapMed Combat Medic Trainer development and provide medics and soldiers the ability to practice critical lifesaving tasks. In addition to providing realistic training scenarios, HapMed is also portable, so soldiers can continue to train while they are deployed. This system has received high praise in its ability to train soldiers for medical treatment on the battlefield. According to a Science and Technology Manager for the Army, ``New technologies such as HapMed are needed to provide medics with greater opportunities to develop and test their decision making and technical medical skills.'' New Army recruits must receive training in Buddy Aid or as Combat Life Savers (CLS). Currently, insufficient training is provided to help soldiers and medics acquire and maintain some of the crucial battlefield lifesaving skills such as tourniquet application, needle chest decompression, and emergency cricothyrotomy, addressing, respectively, the top three causes of preventable death on the battlefield. In order to perform these lifesaving functions under battlefield conditions, military personnel must have the awareness and confidence to act swiftly and effectively. Further, I received $1,500,000 for General Atomics Aeronautical Systems at 14200 Kirkham Way, Poway, CA 92064. The Predator C has been designed and developed as the next generation aircraft in the extremely successful Predator series Unmanned Aircraft System. Predator C was designed in order to make the airplane more survivable in higher threat areas and to provide the U.S. Air Force with an armed reconnaissance capability that will be able to fly into many areas around the world undetected. Predator C is slightly larger than Predator B and is capable of carrying 2000 pounds of the same mix of weapons as Predator B. Predator C will provide the U.S. Air Force with additional covert capability, enhanced by much higher operational and transit speeds for quick response and quick repositioning for improved mission flexibility and survivability. This system also provides variations in signature reduction technologies. Furthermore, Predator C means more jobs contributing to San Diego's local economy while providing the men and women on the ground the resources they need to accomplish their mission.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Madam Speaker, today I rise in recognition of Cheyenne Brugh of Ramona, CA. Cheyenne is a 13-year old young woman who has committed her time and energy to the Emergency Animal Rescue group. This nonprofit organization located in my district is made up of volunteers, like Cheyenne, who are committed to rescuing and housing animals from life threatening situations. Today, I am honored to recognize this young lady for her outstanding achievements and superior quality of character. Cheyenne is the youngest of three children and the daughter of a single, working mother. She is involved with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America and works with her Big Sister at the Emergency Animal Rescue organization. When Cheyenne is not helping rescued animals, she continues volunteering her time at promotional events to raise money for Emergency Animal Rescue. In addition to her involvement with the rescue group, she is a hardworking and dedicated student, receiving excellent grades in school. Her dedication to such a demanding organization while balancing schoolwork is truly remarkable. Along with all of her achievements, Cheyenne took the Large Animal Rescue course in California to further expand her knowledge of animal rescue. This rigorous 2-day training program teaches ways to extract animals from multiple dangerous and life threatening situations. At 12 years old, she was awarded the certification for Large Animal Rescue by the California State Fire Marshal, making her the youngest person to ever receive these qualifications. Madam Speaker, this is an extraordinary young lady whose actions and accomplishments directly reflect the type of person she is and will be. Individuals like Cheyenne, who volunteer their time, are at the heart of this great nation. The next time there is a wildfire in Southern California, you can rest assured that Cheyenne will be there rescuing animals. Her selfless dedication to saving animals' lives at such a young age is something we can all emulate. Cheyenne, thank you for your incredible work, you are an inspiration to us all.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask why the Obama administration and the liberal Democrats in this Congress are playing Russian roulette with the welfare of the American people. This administration and the Democrats in this Congress seem not to care about jobs but put all of their time into spending as much as possible in as little amount of time as possible. Cap-and-trade, or the national energy tax passed by Democrats last month is the equivalent of a $3,000 annual tax on every single American family. And it's estimated that over 2.3 million jobs are going to be lost because of it. And the liberal health care gamble, it's not even Russian roulette when it comes to government-run health care. It's like jumping off a 20-story building and thinking it's not going to kill you. The Democratic health care is economic suicide. The health care bill would impose a 5.4 percent surtax on 1.2 million small businesses, and it's going to increase the Federal deficit by $239 billion over 10 years, and most devastating, it's going to kill up to 4.7 million jobs because of the burdens it places on small business. If you want to get every American health care, then get every American back to work. America runs on jobs and small business. Less government, more Americanism. That's what will save this country.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3288, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for FY 2010: I originally requested $2 million in this legislation for the Improvements to State Route 52 East/West project through the Federal Highway Administration's Transportation & Community & System Preservation account. It is my understanding that $400,000 was ultimately appropriated for this project by the Subcommittee and the entity to receive funding for this project is the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), located at 401 B Street, Suite 800, San Diego, California 92101. This project seeks to add Managed Lanes and extends the freeway to greatly improve traffic flow in East San Diego County on SR52 from 1- 15, east to SR67, including a freeway exchange at SR52 and SR67, allowing for traffic flow to be reversed during peak periods. This project has been identified as ``high-priority'' by local and state transportation agencies as it will provide residents living in East County better access to employment in the western part of the region while also relieving congestion on existing freeways and local arterials. For example, the completed project is expected to reduce traffic on Interstate 8 by as much as 20%. I also originally requested $2 million in this legislation for the Bradley Ave/State Route (SR)-67 Interchange project through the Federal Highway Administration's Transportation & Community & System Preservation account. It is my understanding that $400,000 was ultimately appropriated for this project by the Subcommittee and the entity to receive funding for this project is the County of San Diego, located at 5555 Overland Avenue, San Diego, California 92123. The Bradley Ave/SR-67 Interchange experiences heavy congestion during the morning and afternoon commute and currently operates at a failing level of service during peak traffic hours. This project will provide congestion relief for the residential neighborhoods east of SR-67, the businesses west of SR-67 and regional commuters by widening 0.75 miles of Bradley Avenue from two lanes to four, add lanes to the SR-67 on- ramps and off-ramps and replace the narrow existing 2-lane Bradley Avenue bridge over SR-67 with a 6-lane bridge. New bike lanes and sidewalks will also be incorporated into this project on Bradley Avenue. Bradley Avenue is a key part of San Diego's Regional Arterial System and is classified as a Major Road. Improvements to this interchange will address local accessibility and regional mobility, all joint goals of County of San Diego, Caltrans, SANDAG, City of El Cajon and City of Santee, substantially alleviating congestion and improving traffic flow through the area. This is particularly necessary during commuter hours, but essential during disasters and evacuations which have occurred twice in the past five years. Finally, I requested, and the Subcommittee appropriated, $250,000 in this legislation for the East County Boys & Girls Club Teen Center project through the Housing and Urban Development's Economic Development Initiatives account. The entity to receive funding for this project is the Boys & Girls Club of East County Foundation, Inc., located at 8820 Tamberly Way, Santee, California 92071. The East County Boys & Girls Club Teen Center project focuses on the rehabilitation of the 48-year-old Boys & Girls Club building and conversion of the Wells Park Fieldhouse into a facility that can service young adults. With the rehabilitation of both facilities, the number of El Cajon youth that can be served will increase from 230 to 400 per day. The Boys & Girls Clubs of East County have provided a number of recreational, cultural and leadership programs that promote good behavior, active lifestyles and a positive alternative to the streets. By converting the existing Clubhouse to a center for 6-10 year olds, and relocating the 11-18 year old population to the new Teen Center, the Boys & Girls Club will enhance learning environments for both populations resulting in improved academic achievement, citizenship, decreasing police contact and vastly improving health through childhood obesity and athletic programs.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, California unemployment is at 11.6 percent, and State Democrats in California destroyed the job market and the manufacturing base there through bureaucratic overregulation, unrealistic mandates and punitive fees and taxes. Congressional Democrats here in Washington are following California's lead with the national energy tax that's going to cost every American family $3,000 a year and with the job-killing health care plan projected to cost over 4 million jobs. I've simply come to the easy conclusion that Democrats don't like small business. I've come to the conclusion that Democrats don't like jobs. Those of us in California have seen this movie before, and it ends like ``Thelma and Louise''--with the economy driving off a cliff in the Grand Canyon. And it's being driven by congressional Democrats.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding an earmark I received as part of H.R. 3183, the Energy and Water Appropriations for FY 2010: I requested $250,000 in this legislation for the San Diego Four- Reservoir Intertie Project through the Bureau of Reclamation's Water and Related Resources Investigations account. The entity to receive funding for this project is the City of San Diego, located at 202 C Street, San Diego, California 92101. The City of San Diego is seeking to perform a feasibility study in partnership with the Bureau of Reclamation, authorized by the Omnibus Public Land Management Act (P.L. 111-11), to examine connecting four existing reservoirs in San Diego County (San Vicente, El Capitan, Murray and Loveland) in an effort to study and improve water supply reliability and water yield throughout the region, as well provide an added element of public safety to protect local water supplies. Loveland currently only receives local runoff, El Capitan receives local runoff and imported water, but due to pipeline capacity limitations, the full capacity of the reservoir cannot be utilized. Local rainfall in the watersheds to these reservoirs is inadequate to fill them and only occurs once every five to ten years. The unused capacity of the four San Diego reservoirs totals an estimated 100,000 acre-feet a year. Maximizing storage capacity would provide a significant water storage volume that can be put to beneficial use if imported water were piped to the reservoirs and efficiently operated. Additionally, connectivity between the reservoirs would allow the isolation of contaminated water in the event of a terrorist attack or natural disaster while, at the same time, transport water from another reservoir to the affected area. Besides the City of San Diego, this project has the full support of the San Diego County Water Authority and the Sweetwater Authority, two local public water agencies.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding an earmark I received as part of H.R. 2996, the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010: I originally requested $1 million in this legislation for the El Monte Valley Groundwater Recharge Project through the Environmental Protection Agency's State and Tribal Assistance Grant Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Project account. It is my understanding that $500,000 was ultimately appropriated for this project by the Subcommittee and the entity to receive funding for this project is the Helix Water District located at 7811 University Avenue, La Mesa, California 91941. This is a groundwater recharge and habitat restoration effort led by the Helix Water District where it will secure highly treated wastewater from the Padre Dam Municipal Water District's Santee Water Recycling Facility, provide additional treatment to purify the wastewater, pump and pipe this water to surrounding basins and then release it into the San Diego Riverbed where it will be allowed to seep down to existing groundwater levels. As the purified water is maintained in this location, it will receive additional natural treatment as it percolates through native materials. Extraction wells will be installed at strategic locations for conveyance to a water treatment plant as a new source of water for all District users. This action will assist in the continued goals of the San Diego County region to reduce its dependence on imported water from the Colorado River and Northern California by annually producing 5,000 acre-feet of locally available drinking water and meeting 10-15% of the Helix Water District's raw water needs. By raising the groundwater levels in El Monte Valley, revegetation of the riverbed is supported and a more natural habitat is created for recreation and wildlife. This project is the beginning of an 8-year program and has been endorsed by other elected officials, including California Assemblyman Joel Anderson and California State Senator Christine Kehoe, as well as the Association of California Water Agencies, Endangered Habitats League, San Diego County Water Authority, Padre Dam Municipal Water District, Otay Water District, and the Lakeside Water District.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. I thank the ranking member, and I would like to associate myself with the chairman's remarks on this issue. I think I'm the only one on the floor here who's actually served in Afghanistan. I served twice in Iraq as a United States Marine. I would have to respectfully oppose this amendment, and the reason is this: The best exit strategy is to actually win. That's the best exit strategy. To go in there, win the fight, kill al Qaeda, kill Taliban, have the State Department work with the local Afghan people, then we can leave after we have success over there. That's how we won in Iraq. We won in Iraq. Once we stopped worrying about losing, we had the surge, and now we're successful in Iraq. That's what we need in Afghanistan. The way that we're going to lose Afghanistan is if we start focusing on how we're going to pull out successfully. What we need to do is win, win hard, and win strong, and then we can all come home.

Mr. HUNTER. I thank the ranking member from California. I respectfully oppose this amendment. As a United States Marine, as a U.S. Congressman and representing all of our men and women in uniform fighting for us right now, let's win, get the job done, and then we can come home.

Mr. HUNTER. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, it's very simple: if you release the names of these foreign special operators that are at WHINSEC, you are literally encouraging their murder. The men and women fighting for justice in Central and South America, if you release those names, you will have their attempted murder on your hands if this amendment passes.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 2647, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010: I requested $3,000,000 for Trex Enterprises at 10455 Pacific Center Court, San Diego, CA 92121. Funding for this program will be used to complete development, flight testing and integration of the Brownout MMW Sensor that will reduce aircraft accident risk and allow aircrew visibility through the full range of landing and take-off operations in otherwise extremely hazardous flight conditions. ``Brownout'' is a situation Army aviators experience in combat operations daily in Iraq and Afghanistan. Created by helicopter rotor downwash, it continues to cause aircraft accidents and remains a high risk to flight safety. Specifically, as aircraft approach the ground, a thick plume of brown desert dust, dirt and sand disturbed by high velocity winds from rotor systems engulf the aircraft, causing a complete loss of the pilot's visual reference to the ground. The Brownout Situational Awareness Sensor (BSAS) is a cockpit display system capable of providing the aircrew visibility through the blowing sand and dust. This technology will greatly reduce the loss of aviator lives, loss of aircraft and reduce the amount of maintenance requirements resulting in damages from Brownout situations. Brownout is among the biggest hazards to rotary- wing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, contributing to more than 71 U.S. helicopter accidents. Providing this capability is critical to aircrew safety and combat readiness. I also requested $1,000,000 for CHI Systems at 12860 Danielson Court, Suite A, Poway, CA 92064. There is currently insufficient training provided to soldiers on the most crucial battlefield lifesaving situations. Medics and soldiers, in many instances, lack the experience to act swiftly and effectively in combat casualty situations. By combining instrumented manikin parts that support hands-on practice with computer based scenario training, this funding will complete the HapMed Combat Medic Trainer development and provide medics and soldiers the ability to practice critical lifesaving tasks. In addition to providing realistic training scenarios, HapMed is also portable, so soldiers can continue to train while they are deployed. This system has received high praise in its ability to train soldiers for medical treatment on the battlefield. According to a Science and Technology Manager for the Army, ``New technologies such as HapMed are needed to provide medics with greater opportunities to develop and test their decision making and technical medical skills.'' New Army recruits must receive training in Buddy Aid or as Combat Life Savers (CLS). Currently, insufficient training is provided to help soldiers and medics acquire and maintain some of the crucial battlefield lifesaving skills such as tourniquet application, needle chest decompression, and emergency cricothyrotomy, addressing, respectively, the top three causes of preventable death on the battlefield. In order to perform these lifesaving functions under battlefield conditions, military personnel must have the awareness and confidence to act swiftly and effectively. Further, I requested $3,000,000 for Cubic Solutions at 5650 Kearny Mesa Road, San Diego, CA 92111. The Navy's carriers and large-deck amphibious assault ships serve as the flagships of battle groups and expeditionary forces. Commanders receive intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance (ISR) data from airborne manned and unmanned sensor vehicles via the ships' AN/USQ-167 Communications Data Link System (CDL-S) terminals. The AN/USQ-167 securely transports many forms of classified data, including voice communications, tactical data, photographs, and streaming video, using the NSA-approved KI-11 COMSEC equipment. The KI-11 is based on an encryption device that is no longer available. This initiative will fund a KI-11 replacement based on a new, interoperable, NSA-approved device. Kinetic energy penetrators fabricated from tungsten offer a means to gain 40% more kill depth if nanoscale tungsten is consolidated to full density with retention of the small crystal sizes during consolidation. It is for this reason that I requested $2,000,000 for San Diego State University Research Foundation at 5250 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182. This funding will provide the Army the material that will ensure larger stand-off distances in battle (lethal to the enemy while our troops are beyond the lethal zone), earlier kinetic energy kills of incoming missiles, and more armor penetrations events. The current depleted uranium materials are toxic and need to be removed from the battlefield. For example, to avoid poisoning surgery is required on any friendly troops struck by fragments. Dual use applications are outstanding--from automobile vibration suppression to high thermal conductivity heat sinks in computers. For example, wireless telephone networks use tungsten-copper composites to improve heat removal from relay stations to improve performance. I requested $1,000,000 for Allermed Laboratories, Inc at 7203 Convoy Court, San Diego, CA 92111. Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease that occurs in many areas of the world in which U.S. Military personnel are deployed. Over 2500 service personnel were diagnosed with leishmaniasis in Iraq and Afghanistan during the present conflict. Funding this program will result in the development of a biological product that meets the specifications of the FDA and the DoD. A phase 1 safety trial was completed in 2007; a phase II dose-response study and sensitivity study were conducted in Tunisia and completed in 2008; a phase IIb trial is presently being conducted in San Diego, CA and will be completed in June 2009. In this trial, the sensitizing properties of the skin test doses that were used in the 2008 Tunisia trial are being evaluated. The Navy is challenged to conduct ASW localization and small-area search operations in shallow water littoral areas against emerging modern, diesel-electric submarines and these new submarines provide a minimal noise signature making them virtually undetectable to acoustic arrays under many circumstances. $2,000,000 for Information Systems Laboratories at 10070 Barnes Canyon Road, San Diego, CA 92121 will address this issue. The Navy's answer to the quiet diesel-electric submarine localization problem is to rely on active sensors. Active sensor performance in the littorals, however, suffers degraded detection ranges from reverberation and alerts the submarine, enabling it to undertake countermeasures to avoid detection. Recent developments in miniaturization of low cost, low power electromagnetic sensor technology offers new potential for employing non-acoustic sensors to increase the Navy's capability for tactical surveillance, localization, and classification of quiet, modern diesel-electric submarines. This funding will develop multiple small and inexpensive non-acoustic sensors, or clusters, packaged into ``A'' size buoys, the size buoy currently being used by U.S. Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) airborne assets, which will be demonstrated under this program. This revolutionary ``cluster approach'' is a development that promises to be equally effective in both the open ocean and the littoral against the evolving threat. A-size sonobuoy launch containers can be designed to deploy the mini-sensors in linear arrays, or clusters, depending on the mission. Ongoing electric-field detection technology research has already demonstrated promising near-term solutions and passive ``A''- size air dropped buoy concepts are ready for TRL7/8 demonstration in FY 2009. Finally, I also requested $5,000,000 for MBDA at 5701 Lindero Canyon Road, Suite 4-100, Westlake Village, CA 91362. This funding will develop for the Navy an innovative missile solution for its requirement for an Affordable Weapon System (AWS) capable of operating from ships and with a potential Navy/USMC airborne launch capability. AWS will defeat targets at stand-off ranges, rapidly completing the engagement phase with a capability to loiter in a target area. The Navy is looking for an AWS that can kill a variety of target sets to include Strategic Fixed, Strategic Mobile, Tactical, Maritime and importantly, Irregular Warfare/Global War on Terrorism targets. Typically these include mobile land and sea targets, time critical targets, and targets of opportunity such as terrorist leadership meeting facilities, mobile missile launchers, communication nodes and weapons caches. AWS is packaged in the existing shipboard Mk-41 Vertical Launch System as a ``quad-pack'' missile which offers a four-to-one load-out advantage over the existing weapon system to provide combatant commanders the capability to carry a deeper magazine and strike many more targets. AWS also utilizes conventional, low-cost airframe materials and electronics in combination with flexible swarming cooperative attack algorithms to overwhelm and defeat these targets within their range of undefended to heavily defended threat environments. AWS will have a flyaway cost of $250K, less than a third the cost of the existing shipboard strike weapon system.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 2847, the Commerce- Justice-Science Appropriations for FY 2010: I requested $250,000 for the California Department of Justice (CA DOJ) through the Department of Justice, Community Oriented Police Services Meth Account. Representatives Bob Filner (CA-51) and Susan Davis (CA-53) also requested additional funding for this program and the total amount received is $350,000. The entity to receive funding for this project is the California Department of Justice at 13001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. CA DOJ has made me aware that while California is the nation's leader in meth production, meth continues to be imported from Mexico across the San Diego border. Additionally, violent Mexican nationals are now setting up operations in California, including East County, due to the recent crackdown in Mexico. As a result of a lack of resources, law enforcement is not discovering meth labs until they have already been deserted, leaving the County to clean up. These funds will be used to purchase equipment used for investigation and seizure of meth labs, drug (all types) interdiction efforts, pay overtime to San Diego California Methamphetamine Strategy (CALMS) officers and train local law enforcement. Local law enforcement and first responders will be trained to deal with meth production, clean up and sales. San Diego County will benefit by also having additional CA DOJ enforcement teams in the County to combat drug sales and interdiction efforts. I also requested $250,000 for the County of San Diego, CA, through the Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs--Byrne Discretionary Grants Account. The entity to receive funding for this project is the San Diego County Sheriff's Department at 9621 Ridgehaven Court, San Diego, CA 92123. Funding for this program will be used to implement and replicate the North County Gang Enforcement Collaborative (NCGEC), which focuses on cooperation and communication among street level officers from numerous different law enforcement jurisdictions. NCGEC has successfully reduced violent crime, gangs and other activity and enterprises that result in violent crime and gang violence in the targeted region. Countywide, however, incidence and severity of gang and drug crime is on the rise (502 cases in 2007 to 616 cases in 2008), especially with gangs that serve as the distribution and enforcement arms of international drug cartels, as well as those involved with weapon and human trafficking. The 52nd District comprises between 5 to 9 percent of all gang crime activity countywide. These numbers, however, do not actually reflect gang crimes because much of this activity goes unreported. Additionally, San Diego is the largest port of entry from Mexico, where cross border operation among gangs is routine and from San Diego, contraband is distributed nationally. I met with the San Diego County Sheriff's office to discuss the types of other organized groups involved in criminal activity, e.g., outlaw motorcycle gangs, white supremacists, and skinheads in San Diego's East County. East County will serve as a test site to see if this type of program will reduce these types of gangs. From 2007 and 2008, there were 76 gang related prosecutions from the 52nd District. If successful, the program will be expanded nationally.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Madam Speaker, it is with great honor I rise today to pay tribute to United States Navy veteran Lieutenant John Finn on his 100th birthday. Lt. Finn is the oldest living Medal of Honor recipient and the last living Medal of Honor recipient from the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. His actions in combat and life reflect bravery and courage of the highest level and I am proud to bring recognition to his accomplishments. John Finn was born in Los Angeles, California on July 23, 1909, and at the age of 17, with the permission of his mother, he enlisted in the United States Navy. His Navy career started aboard American gunboats patrolling the rivers of Inland China, and in 1940 he was assigned to the Naval Air Station at Kaneohe Bay in Oahu. On December 7, 1941 came the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor, and it was this event that presented Lt. Finn with an opportunity to display his extraordinary valor. As the first attack on the harbor began, Lt. Finn managed to secure and man a .50-caliber machine gun mounted on an instruction stand on a completely exposed section of a parking ramp under intense enemy fire. Lt. Finn, with no regard for his own safety, vigorously fired upon Japanese aircraft with success. Although he was hit many times by enemy strafing fire, Lt. Finn refused to leave his post until the attack ended. It was only under a direct order that he left for the hospital to treat has 21 shrapnel and bullet wounds. However, after receiving medical attention, and despite a great deal of pain and difficulty moving, he returned to repair and rearm returning planes. John Finn served through the rest of World War II with great distinction and retired from the United States Navy in 1956. He and wife Alice retired to their ranch in Southern California where he continues to live today. In addition to the Medal of Honor, Finn holds the Purple Heart, Navy Unit Commendation, Good Conduct with 2 bars, Yangtze Service Medal, American Defense, American Campaign, Pacific Campaign, and the World War II Victory Medal. Madam Speaker, John Finn has never seen himself as a hero, but that's what he is; as his Medal of Honor inscription reads, John Finn truly went above and beyond the call of duty. It was his tenacity and zeal that embodied the American resolve that set the tone for the rest of the war. Men and women like John Finn are responsible for the success of our Armed Forces. To John Finn, we are forever grateful for your heroism and service. You are truly a great American hero.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, let me say this: I have served in Iraq two times as a United States Marine, and I served in Afghanistan once. When I was over there in 2007, I was fighting, and in October of 2007, word came across from here in the States that said several hundred State Department employees expressed their resentment over a policy that could force them to serve in Iraq or they might lose their jobs. They actually called going over to Iraq and Afghanistan a potential death sentence. So these are State Department employees, diplomats--the same ones we're asking to go to Pakistan and Afghanistan, which is arguably the most dangerous area right now in the entire world. We're asking them to go over, the exact same people who called going over to Iraq a potential death sentence. I would equate this to sending diplomats to Katrina-destroyed New Orleans in 2005 instead of the National Guard. We're going to send diplomats to Louisiana. We aren't going to send the National Guard. We aren't going to send emergency services. We're going to send diplomats. So as opposed to giving General Petraeus, as the President asked for, funding to help out in Pakistan and Afghanistan, we're going to send diplomats so they can talk to the Taliban and they can talk to al Qaeda. They can talk to the mad men who cut off people's heads. That's what the State Department is going to do. This is the wrong move. The Republicans have it right this time. Give the President full authority, Let him come up with a plan, and let General Petraeus implement that. The Republican substitute is the right way to go. We need to make sure that Pakistan is fighting for Pakistan and that Pakistan doesn't think it's only fighting for American dollars. That's what we need to do. Once more, as a United States Marine that saw State Department ineptness and cowardice while I was in Afghanistan, it's almost personally insulting that we're going to pull the funding from General Petraeus and give it to those State Department cronies.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. And I broke the podium. The amendment I am offering today to H.R. 2410, the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, is straightforward. It simply adds the Secretary of Defense to the Task Force on Prevention of Illicit Small Arms Trafficking in the Western Hemisphere that is created under this legislation. The stated purpose of this task force is to develop a strategy and integrated Federal policies to better control the export of small arms and light weapons in a manner that furthers the foreign policy and national security interests of the United States in the Western Hemisphere. While this task force is comprised of the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security and the Attorney General, all of whom should be members of this task force, it does not include perhaps the most important player in global countertrafficking operations, the Secretary of Defense. The Department of Defense plays an important role in U.S. security cooperation and assistance worldwide, particularly with governments and militaries throughout the Western Hemisphere. These relationships are critical to our efforts to promote peace and stability in our region of the world, and intelligence and operational support provided by our military are an integral part of this shared responsibility. Given the Department of Defense's role as an interagency partner in countertrafficking and U.S. export control activities, it should not be excluded, I don't think, in any way from being a primary member of this task force. Whatever this task force puts forward in the way of policy recommendations will be closely evaluated by Congress as we work to address the serious problems of weapons trafficking in our hemisphere. It is important that these findings and recommendations fully represent the role and contributions of those departments primarily involved in combating arms trafficking, protecting U.S. security, and advancing our foreign policy objectives. And I would like to add, Mr. Chairman, that the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Western Hemisphere, Secretary Mora, agrees with this amendment.

Mr. HUNTER. Absolutely, I yield.

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn the statements written as part of an assessment by the Department of Homeland Security classifying disgruntled veterans as a threat to U.S. security and potential recruits for right-wing extremist groups. The report was distributed among law enforcement agencies throughout the country earlier this week. When I was back home in San Diego, our El Cajon police department had actually gotten this memorandum classifying me. Because I served three tours overseas with the United States Marine Corps, two in Iraq in Operation Iraqi Freedom and one in Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom, I am a possible terrorist. So, Mr. Speaker, I would just like to go over some stuff with this DHS memorandum. It is the ``Right-wing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment.'' And here is a picture of it here. This is an actual Department of Homeland Security memorandum that went out to every local, State and Federal law enforcement agency in the entire country. I would just like to go over a few points of it. It first starts off by saying that ``the Department of Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis has no specific information that domestic right-wing terrorists are currently planning acts of violence.'' So they don't have any evidence for anything, but they are still going to call people like me possible ``terrorists.'' We read further down: ``The possible passage of new restrictions on firearms and the return of military veterans facing significant challenges reintegrating into their communities could lead to the potential emergence of terrorist groups or lone wolf extremists capable of carrying out violent attacks.'' I wasn't paranoid before, Mr. Speaker, but if we are going to pass new regulations on firearms, we are going to change the Second Amendment. And the fact that I would like to keep my own guns and that I'm a veteran who has served, that makes me a possible terrorist, as stated by our own government, by our own administration. I read further down: right-wing extremism--and by the way, it is interesting that they don't talk about left-wing extremism or liberal extremism or progressivists. It is just right-wing extremism, and that is okay to talk about. It is okay to scorn those people that are right wing. They aren't as American as everybody else. ``Right-wing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements and adherents that are primarily hate oriented,'' I'm quoting here from this memo, ``those that are mainly anti-government, rejecting Federal authority in favor of State or local authority.'' That means every single one of our Founding Fathers was a possible terrorist because they believed in local authority. They believed in States' rights. They didn't want an all-encompassing, dominating Federal Government. It also includes groups of individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration. I'm quoting again. So I'm pro-border security. I think that illegal immigration is called ``illegal immigration'' because, well, it is illegal. That once more makes me a possible terrorist. I'm pro-life. That makes me a possible terrorist too. I keep reading down: ``Returning veterans possess combat skills.'' That is me. I possess combat skills. So do millions of other Americans that have served in our Armed Forces since 2001--``combat skills and experience that are attractive to right-wing extremists.'' The DHS, our own government, is concerned that right-wing extremists, I guess that's me, will attempt to recruit and radicalize returning veterans in order to boost their violent capabilities. That sounds pretty scary. I must be pretty scary. I wonder if DHS is on their way here to get me right now. I will stay here and wait for them for a little bit longer. I read further down: ``Many right-wing extremists are agnostic toward the new Presidential administration and its perceived stance on a range of issues, including immigration and citizenship, the expansion of social programs''--that is a new one. If you don't like the expansion of social programs, you're a possible terrorist, too--``and restrictions on firearms ownership and use.'' If you weren't paranoid before, you ought to be getting paranoid now. I will keep reading: ``Right-wing extremists were concerned during the 1990s with the perception that illegal immigrants were taking away American jobs through their willingness to work at significantly lower wages. They also opposed free trade agreements, arguing that these arrangements resulted in Americans losing jobs to other countries.'' Are Americans not losing jobs to China, to Communist China, to India and to Mexico? If you believe that American jobs are worth fighting for, then you're a terrorist.

Mr. HUNTER

Mr. HUNTER. I joined the Marine Corps after 9/11, as did thousands of Americans, for one defining reason--so my children wouldn't have to. I went to Iraq twice and Afghanistan once, as thousands of Americans have, so my children and our children wouldn't have to. It is in that vein that I rise today because it is up to this Congress to make responsible choices so our children are not beset by financial ruin. It is up to us to make good decisions right now in this defining moment in American history so our children can grow up without being punished so that this administration can make short-term gains without making any tough choices. Tax cuts for the working class; more government responsibility; and less debt, less spending; were all campaign talking points for President Obama and congressional Democrats. That's all they were-- talking points. The buck stops with this budget that is before Congress now. And this budget can make us or break us. It is time we take responsibility for the direction of this country and stop spending. Just stop spending. No more TARP, no more stimulus, no cap-and-trade tax on small business, no tax on charitable donations, no energy tax on working Americans. Surely, no more burying our children in debt while we spend, tax, and borrow our way into oblivion. I ask the Democrats in this administration to put the checkbook down.