Darrell Issa

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, as 2005 marks the sixtieth year since the battle of Iwo Jima, it is appropriate that the House take this opportunity to recognize the sacrifice of the Marines who fought and died in that great battle. Winning the battle of Iwo Jima was among the most significant victories of the U.S. Marines during World War II. In the Pacific, Iwo Jima was the critical air base from which Japan's fighters prevented American bombers from reaching their targets in mainland Japan. Because Japanese commanders understood the strategic importance of defending the island, it was protected by more than six hundred blockhouses, pillboxes and gun positions. For the Japanese, Allied control of Iwo Jima meant allowing the enemy a base from which to attack the Japanese mainland, an outcome that they were committed to preventing at all cost. After more than six months of Allied aerial bombardment of the island, on D-Day, February 19, 1945, U.S. Marines invaded Iwo Jima, raising the first American flag on Mount Suribachi 4 days later. Despite raising the flag on February 23, the bloody fighting continued for 31 more days until the last pocket of resistance was eliminated on March 25. More than 70,000 Marines participated in the invasion of Iwo Jima. Before the battle ended 17,372 Marines were wounded and 5,931 Marines made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of freedom in securing the Allied victory. Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz said, ``Among the men who fought at Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue.'' Our Nation owes each of the men who fought and died at Iwo Jima its deepest gratitude. Madam Speaker, I am proud to represent the fine Marines of Marine Corps Camp Pendleton. I am privileged to serve these exceptional Americans every day and to have the opportunity to continuously witness their selfless service and constant devotion to our nation. In 3 days Members of this body will travel to Iwo Jima to participate in the formal commemoration of the battle and of the example of courage and determination set by those who fought there, which Marines today strive ever to follow. As we gather in that solemn place to reflect on the immense sacrifices made there, the House, by passing this resolution will have done its part to honor our nation's commitment to those Marines never to forget the value of their sacrifices. I urge the adoption of this resolution.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, today I missed four recorded votes. If I had been present for rollcall vote 49, I would have voted ``no.'' If I had been present for rollcall vote 50, I would have voted ``no.'' If I had been present for rollcall vote 51, I would have voted ``no.'' If I had been present for rollcall vote 52, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.J. Res. 18. This bill recognizes the historic commitment of the United States to the recovery of and full accounting for Americans who are prisoners of war or in a missing status. I would like to personally thank Mr. Franks and Mr. Hunter for bringing this important Resolution to the floor and I am pleased that the House is taking time out to remember the bravery of the soldiers who participated in the rescue of American and Filipino military prisoners of war. As Chairman of the Philippines Friendship Caucus, I am pleased that this resolution not only honors the commitment of United States Army units but also recognizes the courage of the Filipino guerrillas. On April 9, 1942, over 75,000 American and Filipino soldiers became prisoners of war during the surrender on the Bataan Peninsula. The soldiers were forced to march without food or water on the infamous 65- mile trek, known as the Bataan Death March. It is believed that 17,000 captives did not survive the march or the ensuing years as prisoners of war. Many historians call the Bataan Death March the worst military atrocity ever suffered by American soldiers in the history of the United States. General MacArthur committed forces under his command to make every effort to liberate prisoner of war camps and internment camps. United States Army units and Filipino guerrilla forces successfully conducted rescue missions that liberated innocent civilians, prisoners of war and Filipino citizens. General MacArthur's efforts are an example of the United States' commitment to the recovery and full accounting of our prisoners of war. I join my colleagues in recognizing this historic commitment and I urge my colleagues to support this Resolution.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution, offered by Representative Rahall of West Virginia, condemning the terrorist attack of February 14, 2005, that killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and to honor the life and legacy of the former Prime Minister. Born in Sidon, Lebanon, in 1944, Rafik Hariri, a Sunni Muslim, was not born into wealth, but into a farming family. In 1965, seeking a better life, he moved to Saudi Arabia where he worked as a schoolteacher and accountant before starting his own business. Through hard work and particular skill in the construction industry, former Prime Minister Hariri acquired what many have estimated to be a fortune in excess of $2 billion. Mr. Hariri began his involvement in the political and economic life of Lebanon long before he became prime minister. As a Lebanese businessman living in Saudi Arabia, he played a behind-the-scenes role as a mediator, advisor and promoter of cease-fires and agreements to end the civil war that ravaged Lebanon from 1975 to 1990. He invested his time and extensive contacts throughout the world to bring peace to his war-torn country. In 1984, Mr. Hariri participated in the Geneva and Lausanne conferences to bring about political reconciliation in Lebanon and helped broker initiatives to put an end to the civil war. In 1989, Mr. Hariri was the power behind the Taif Agreement, which succeeded in ending the war and the drafting of a new constitution for Lebanon. This agreement was the political contract that laid down the principles of national reconciliation that ended a dark chapter in Lebanon's history. In 1992, he returned to his home country to assume office as prime minister after 28 years of living and working in Saudi Arabia. He formed his first government on October 22, 1992. He immediately began an ambitious rebuilding program whose crown jewel was the rebuilding of Beirut's war torn central district. Today, this district is a vibrant and beautiful center of commerce and culture that rivals that of the world's other great cities. Rafik Hariri was a man of peace and a man of diplomacy. He was the kind of man the United States and our allies need as we seek to spread freedom and democracy throughout the Middle East. I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Hariri on a number of occasions. He was a kind and humble man and the extent of his generosity towards the people of Lebanon, and those throughout the world, may never be fully known. He used his own personal wealth to give thousands of students the opportunity to gain a college education that they would have otherwise been unable to afford. Mr. Speaker, it is my expectation that a thorough and internationally validated investigation will uncover many facts about the assassination of Lebanon's former Prime Minister who remained a sitting member of parliament. Rafik Hariri was the leader of a political faction that many thought would take back control of Lebanon's government in parliamentary elections scheduled to take place in May. I know, from my personal meetings with Prime Minister Hariri, that he held deep reservations and misgivings about the continued presence of Syrian troops and Syrian secret police in Lebanon. Most often, it was not what he said, but what he indicated he could not talk about that most starkly expressed the reservations he had about Syria's role in Lebanon. Following this national tragedy, Lebanon must now try to hold free and fair parliamentary elections in May. It is my fear that the assassination of Mr. Hariri, and the many other past assassinations that have too often gone without significant investigation in Lebanon, will have a chilling effect on freedom of speech and those who would vocally criticize the continued Syrian presence. To say it plainly, it is time for Syrian troops and all the Syrian secret police to leave Lebanon. The security that Syria once provided is no longer needed and having security only for those who ally themselves with the continued Syrian presence is incompatible with democracy in Lebanon. Mr. Speaker, I support UN Resolution 1559 that demands a, ``strict respect of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity, and political independence of Leanon under the sole and exclusive authority of the Government of Lebanon throughout Lebanon,'' and for all, ``foreign forces to withdraw from Lebanon.'' Rafik Hariri fought for a democratic and prosperous Lebanon. The United States, even after his death, should continue to press for Prime Minister Hariri's vision for Lebanon and a better Middle East.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, many people today have spoken and many more will insert into the Record their comments on the devastation to the Lebanese people of this assassination. I suspect all of us can only sit by in horror and imagine the effect if one of our heads of state running to regain, in this case equivalency of the Presidency in many ways, were to be assassinated by parties unknown who opposed his politics, what a chilling effect that would have on elections. Mr. Speaker, this spring there will be elections in Lebanon. If I may speak for a moment as best I can, as though I were Rafik Hariri, what would he say here today in order to protect the country he loved so well? I suspect that he would say, ``To the people of the world, to the people of this country, make those elections this spring free and fair. Empower the Lebanese people and their candidates not to be chilled by this terrible event.'' And as the prime mover of the Tai'f Accord, a man who came as a Sunni Muslim to a troubled region and said it does not matter if you are Sunni, Shia, Kurd, Orthodox or Maronite, we must come together, we must put behind us the many sins of the past. I believe that Prime Minister Hariri would not say ``Do not find out who killed me,'' not for a moment. But I think what he would say is, ``The best memory that you can have, the best way to eulogize me, is to make my country free. Have all foreign forces leave my country, including their secret police. Allow my country to be what it once was and would be again, given the opportunity to be free of foreign influence.'' Mr. Speaker, I believe very strongly that those words, and more, would be from this great man, who cared more about freedom for his people and about peace than he cared about vengeance. So as Americans we must demand to know who killed this great leader, this selfless servant of the people. But in his name we must also make sure that those elections go forward in a way that presently they will not. We must take the steps to make sure that we do that. I look forward to working on a bipartisan basis to craft such legislation or to urge the administration to bring such sanctions and such force to bear that will cause that to happen. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).

Mr. ISSA. 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 materials on H. Res. 91, the resolution under consideration.

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of House Resolution 91, introduced by the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) on February 14, 2005, that condemns the terrorist bombing attack that occurred in Beirut, Lebanon, which killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and killed and wounded over 100 others. I and my cosponsors had a hard time writing this resolution with the gentleman from West Virginia, not because there was not an abundance of material, not because the attack was not heinous, but because it is so hard to summarize in a few words on the House floor the devastating effect that his assassination has already had on the people of Lebanon and on this troubled region. As we speak, day after day, the people of Lebanon march in the streets and they chant, ``Syria out. Syria out. Syria, who's next?'' There is no proof that Syria is directly responsible for this assassination, but there is no doubt that Syria has remained in Lebanon far longer either than their mandate or than the agreements under the Taif Accords of 1989. Syria has claimed to be the responsible party in Lebanon for security. Yet even after warnings of the possibility of an attack on these and other leaders who have voiced their opposition to the continued presence of Syria in Lebanon, this heinous attack was allowed to occur. This resolution calls on all foreign forces in Lebanon to leave the country. This resolution calls on many things. But for today, I would like all of us to remember it calls on a remembrance of the life of a man who had great personal wealth, who had great success, who had been granted even the citizenship of another country in which he had worked but returned to Lebanon, and, at his own expense and at his own peril, campaigned tirelessly for Lebanese citizenship, Lebanese nationality, Lebanon for the Lebanese. There is little more that we can say. I would hope that all of us would not forget today, and that day after day and month after month we would return to this body and deal with his legacy until his dreams become a reality. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), someone whose ancestry is from Lebanon, someone who has been a student of Lebanon, and someone who was in periodic communication directly and indirectly with the former Prime Minister.

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox).

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

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

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 91) honoring the life and legacy of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, as amended.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 418, the REAL ID Act of 2005. This bill includes provisions that are essential to preventing terrorists and other criminals from obtaining fraudulent identification and provides security at our borders. Last year, Congress passed legislation based on the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission but failed to address vital national security and homeland security issues. This Legislation addresses theses issues and further secures our Nation in a post 9/11 world. H.R. 418 requires States to implement new minimum regulations for State drivers' license and identification document security standards that must be met within 3 years. It also establishes a process to enable States to use an existing Department of Transportation communication system to confirm that drivers' licenses presented are genuine and validly issued to the person who is carrying them. The 19 terrorists who attacked America on 9/11 had obtained over 63 valid forms of identification between them to breach our homeland security. Improving document security is necessary to counter threats from foreign terrorism. This legislation also takes important steps regarding asylum reform. It prevents terrorists and scam artists from abusing our asylum system and gives immigration judges the tools they need to undercut asylum fraud before it happens. Most importantly, H.R. 418 is critical to the continued construction of the Southwest border fence in San Diego. Despite efforts by the Federal Government and the border patrol, California's Coastal Commission has objected to and stopped the final phase of fence construction. Completion of the fence will reduce the number of illegal crossings, and will allow the Border Patrol to re-deploy manpower and resources to other problem areas in San Diego. Completion of the 3-mile gap in the fence, known as ``Smugglers Gulch,'' would be a strong step toward securing our border. Mr. Chairman, I made a promise to my constituents to continue to fight for security enhancements to curb illegal immigration and secure our borders. This legislation is essential to national security and I urge my colleagues to vote in support of H.R. 418.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this legislation commemorates the life and distinguished military service of Sergeant First Class John W. Marshall of Los Angeles, California. Sergeant Marshall was killed in action in Iraq on April 8, 2003, at age 50. He is survived by his loving wife, Denise, and his six children. Mr. Speaker, in addition to his participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Sergeant Marshall served in Germany, Korea, and the first Persian Gulf War during his Army career. Sergeant Marshall was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. For the last few years, leading up to his death, Sergeant Marshall had been considering retiring from the Army he loved; but beyond taking a leave of absence for 4 years while he battled Hodgkin's lymphoma during the 1980s, Marshall faithfully served in the Army since he was 18. Sergeant Marshall was buried at Arlington Cemetery on May 15, 2003, despite the fact that almost all of Sergeant Marshall's family lives on the other side of the country. Sergeant Marshall's wife and six children came to Arlington Cemetery for that burial of their father and beloved husband. On the issue of where to be buried, Denise said the kids were told how their dad died, and they voted their dad was a hero. Mr. Speaker, nothing in the world is truer than that. The House has not passed a more warranted piece of legislation in this Congress or for many Congresses. How appropriate it is to recognize Sergeant Marshall's bravery in the first week since the historic Iraqi election on Sunday. Without a doubt, heroes like John Marshall made the Iraqi election possible. I know the scores of Iraqis who literally risked their lives to vote on Sunday are extremely grateful to Sergeant Marshall for giving his life for their freedom. I thank my distinguished colleague, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters), for honoring Sergeant John Marshall through H.R. 289, and I personally think that there is absolutely no better way to name a post office than she has done here today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to also urge all of my colleagues to vote, because our vote, not our words, but our recognition of this unsung hero is what will bring others to understand his great contribution. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 289, the bill under consideration.

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 289) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 8200 South Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles, California, as the ``Staff Sergeant First Class John Marshall Post Office Building,'' as amended.

Mr. ISSA

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

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

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 3 minutes. I would like to thank many people involved, and I did it in an overall fashion; but, particularly, I would like to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley), who just had to leave, and the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner) who just spoke. Each in his own way has been instrumental in helping point out the good deeds of this historic figure, as the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner) said of the Democrat Party and of the democratic process. He is an inspiration to people on both sides of the aisle here in the Congress. I would also like to take a moment to thank David Dillon, a former mayor out in Imperial County, who has fought tirelessly to bring this to the attention of so many of us who were not as fully informed as to Dalip's great service throughout his term. On a closing note, I would like to say that this post office is being named after the first Asian American Congressman, yes, after the first Indian American Congressman; but I think it is also being named after a generation of men and women who came here during the turn of the century into the 1930s, a whole generation who passed through Ellis Island. They were not always treated with a welcome mat. They were not always given their due for the hard work, ingenuity, ambition, and raw intelligence they brought with them; but they persevered and they changed America for the better. So it has been a great pleasure to point out one of that generation and name a post office in Temecula after him; but I think on both sides of the aisle, by immigrants, both Republicans and Democrats, we are thankful in this country for a generation who came here in the greatest out-migration from the rest of the world and in-migration to the United States in history because that generation led to the generation that we now have and that enjoys the fruits of their hard labor.

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, at the present time I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Committee on Government Reform, I rise in support of H.R. 120. This bill is to designate a post office in Temecula, California, within my congressional district as the Dalip Singh Saund Post Office Building. Dalip Singh Saund was the first Indian American Member of Congress, and I am pleased the House is taking time out to remember his service. Saund was born in India in 1899. He was educated in India before moving to the United States in 1920 to attend graduate school at the University of California. Saund proudly became a U.S. citizen in 1949. Within a year, he was elected judge of the Justice Court in Westmoreland Judicial District. Unfortunately, after his election, Saund was denied his seat on the grounds that he had not been a citizen for one year when he was elected. You might say he was reelected 2 years later and served on that court for 5 years. Judge Saund retired from the bench because he chose to enter politics. In November of 1956, Judge Saund was elected Congressman Saund, and he was reelected to the House for three consecutive terms, leaving in 1963. How remarkable it must have been to be the first Asian American ever elected to Congress, the first Indian American ever elected to Congress. Just imagine the powerful impact of his service throughout those years. Mr. Speaker, Congressman Dalip Singh Saund passed away in Hollywood, California, in 1973. It is a privilege to advance this legislation honoring his legacy as an American citizen, as a judge and as a Congressman. I especially want to thank my California colleagues, including the minority speaker here today, for co-sponsoring unanimously this legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 120. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 120.

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 120) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 30777 Rancho California Road in Temecula, California, as the ``Dalip Singh Saund Post Office Building''.