Walter Jones

Mr. JONES

Mr. JONES. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would prohibit the Federal Government from spending millions of taxpayers dollars expanding job- destroying catch shares programs in fisheries along the Atlantic seaboard and the Gulf of Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I have two cosponsors of this legislation. I yield 1 minute to Mr. Pallone from New Jersey.

Mr. JONES. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. JONES. Mr. Chairman, at this time I would like to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank), also a cosponsor of this amendment.

Mr. JONES. Mr. Chairman, in closing, I must say this is an east coast issue. That's why you have Mr. Pallone and Mr. Frank and myself speaking. And with that, the fishermen on the east coast need fairness from their government, and this amendment will help give fairness to the commercial and recreational fishermen on the east coast of America. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JONES

Mr. JONES. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. JONES. Mr. Chairman, this amendment removes the new $400 million Afghan Infrastructure Fund and it would be returned to the spending reduction account. I bring this amendment to the floor because of the frustration of the American people. Here we are trying to find $400 million to put in an infrastructure fund for Afghanistan, which is going to be borrowed money from the Chinese to begin with. It's not even Uncle Sam's money. And then in addition to that, we're propping up a corrupt, dishonest government headed by President Karzai. At this time in America's history when we are having these debates tonight that I've heard all day long with the frustration of the Members of Congress from both parties that here we cannot even balance the budget of this country and we're trying to find this money to go to the infrastructure of Afghanistan and we're going to say to the American people, we can't help you with your infrastructure needs in your counties, in your towns, in your cities, it makes absolutely no sense to me, and more important than me is to the American people. I would also like to mention that the Afghan Infrastructure Fund would help create another ``bridge to nowhere.'' It's going to be money that cannot even be accounted for the majority of the time, and I make mention of that for this reason. The recent Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction report released on January 30, 2011, cited significant fraud, waste and abuse with Afghanistan reconstruction funds. I do not know why in the world we cannot make the statement to the American people that we're going to see that the $400 million going to a dishonest, dysfunctional government overseas cannot be returned to help reduce the debt and deficit of this country or even returned to the cities and counties throughout the country of America. With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JONES. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I would say if I thought Karzai was an honest man that would appreciate the American taxpayers' money, I would feel differently, quite frankly. But I realize it is a corrupt government. I wish that what you say was so. And I trust you. I have great respect for you as well, but we are dealing with a dishonest, dysfunctional government. When Karzai was quoted in The Washington Post in December saying, ``I have three enemies, one being America, one being the Taliban, one being the international community, and if I had to choose one of these as a friend, I would choose the Taliban,'' this is why I wanted to speak tonight, to bring this forward and let the Members vote this up or down. That is fine with me. The point is this is money we could be using right here in this country. If I thought Karzai was an honest broker, I would probably not even offer the amendment.

Mr. JONES. My answer to that would be that I would hope that this would prove to be true. But the problem is we always know that when you have got a dysfunctional government, you have got a dishonest man, it might be intended to go this way, but too many times it does not. I would honestly say to you that I offer this amendment on behalf of the American people, because they can't fix their streets, they can't fix their roads. And, by God, it is only $400 million, but to a lot of people in my district, that is a lot of money going to a dishonest leader of a country in Afghanistan.

Mr. JONES. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. JONES

Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, it is always interesting for those of us who don't have a law degree to come down and listen and sometimes, like myself today, to have a few minutes to share my thoughts on this, because I think the majority of people in my district are God-fearing, constitutional-loving Americans like people in anybody else's district across this Nation. I regret and will always regret that I was too weak to vote my conscience when we had the Patriot Act up the first time. I did not feel good about it. As a non-attorney and as an American who loves the Constitution and who believes in the civil liberties that are guaranteed, this country too many times has sold itself to the Federal Government to take care of it. I make reference, Mr. Speaker, to a book that was written by Judge Andrew Napolitano. He is a well-known constitutional lawyer who is on Fox News from time to time. The title of the book is ``A Nation of Sheep.'' He actually wrote this book in 2007, years after we passed the Patriot Act. He goes through every aspect of the Patriot Act, which he believes sincerely is a serious violation of the civil liberties of the American people. In fact, I would like to share just a couple of his comments. He said: ``The gravest dangers to our freedoms lie hidden in a government that has seized them from us, and that vigilance and natural law can save us from the power-hungry bureaucrats who run the government today.'' He further stated in the book ``A Nation of Sheep'': ``An unalienable right comes from God and is an element of humanity that cannot be given up or legislated away.'' Let us not legislate away our God-given right to liberty. Mr. Speaker, I hope that my colleagues who voted against this when it was on suspension will again today vote ``no'' on this reauthorization, because it should go to a hearing. We should be very careful. And I hope and pray that maybe we will be able to defeat this tonight, but I know the odds are against it. Mr. Speaker, I will ask God to continue to bless America and to continue to bless the Constitution. As Andrew Napolitano says, let's not be a Nation of sheep.

Mr. JONES

Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, I am on the floor again tonight, and I have said that I intend to be on the floor each and every night that I can be on the floor to talk about bringing our troops home from Afghanistan. I hope tomorrow night when the President gives the State of the Union, that he will stay to and keep his word when he said he will start bringing our troops home in July of 2011. The reason I am somewhat concerned, there have been leaders in both parties, primarily on the Senate side, who have said that they think that they need 4 more years in Afghanistan. Well, you know, that might be a dream, but that is all it is, a dream. You're not going to change history. History has spoken many, many times, from Alexander the Great to the English to the Russians, that Afghanistan is a vast country of many, many tribes, and they never have had a national government, and they will not under Karzai. He is corrupt. He is very corrupt. So I hope that the President will stick to his timetable of bringing our troops home beginning in July of this year, and that he will be not swayed by anyone who says just 4 more years. I say that for this reason: I am on the Armed Services Committee, and I remember a few years ago when they were telling us, these generals would come in--and I respect each and every one of them--and they would say to us: Well, we're making progress. We're training the Afghans to be policemen. We're training the Afghans to be soldiers. Well, we are 10 years later, and we are still training. How much more can you do? It is costing us $8 billion a month. And more important than the money is the lost lives and the broken bodies of our men and women in uniform. Recently I had the opportunity, the privilege, to go to Walter Reed in Bethesda. Mr. Speaker, for the first time before I walked into this young soldier's room, I was told out front by the major that escorted me that he has no body parts below his waist. They have all been blown away. Then I had an opportunity to see a marine sergeant during the same visit who had been to Afghanistan four times, and on the fourth tour, he had his left leg blown off. What in the world are we trying to do? Why don't we understand from history: nobody is going to ever conquer Afghanistan. So, therefore, I hope the President will stay to his word and start bringing our troops home. We are spending $8 billion a month in Afghanistan, and yet throughout America, including my district, the Third Congressional District of North Carolina, we can't even fix the roads. We can't even fix the schools because we are spending money we don't have that we are borrowing from the Japanese, the Chinese, UAE and other countries. It is time that this Congress speaks up and listens: 63 percent of the American people say it is time to get out of Afghanistan. So I hope that the President will speak tomorrow night about Afghanistan. I hope he will say that he intends to start bringing our troops home this year. Mr. Speaker, I have here photographs of marines from the Camp Lejeune area, which is in my district. They are young, anywhere from 19 to 38 years of age, who have given their life for this country. And yet many times I wonder here in Congress why don't we bring up this issue of bringing our troops home from Afghanistan. So, Mr. Speaker, tonight I want to thank you for giving me this chance to speak. I want to thank those who are on the floor, I hope you join us, Ron Paul and myself and Jimmy Duncan on our side, who have been saying that it is time to bring our troops home. Let's join together in a bipartisan way and start talking about bringing our troops home. Mr. Speaker, before closing, as I do each and every night, as I think about the pain that I have seen at Walter Reed and Bethesda, I think about the families who are burying their loved ones now who have died in Afghanistan, that it is time to say to God, God please continue to bless our men and women in uniform and their families. God, in Your loving arms, hold the families who have given a child, dying for freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq. God, please continue to bless the House and Senate that we will do what is right in Your eyes for Your people. God, give wisdom, strength, and courage to President Obama that he will do what is right in Your eyes for Your people. And three times I will say, God, please, God, please, God, please continue to bless America.

Mr. JONES

Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, last night I stood here and spoke about my experience visiting Bethesda Naval Hospital and seeing the broken bodies of our country's young men and women. After that visit, I was very pleased to see an article this morning about Grover Norquist speaking out and encouraging fellow conservatives to speak out against the war in Afghanistan. The article is from The Huffington Post on January 12, and one sentence in particular came to my mind. Norquist also suggested that many prominent conservatives privately hold the view that the war in Afghanistan should end quickly. It is time for them to speak out publicly, Mr. Speaker. We need to become more engaged in the issue and make our feelings known. Mr. Speaker, I had mentioned before that a retired military general has been my adviser on Afghanistan for the past year. I would like to share two points that he made in a recent email. The first point he made is: ``What is the end state we are looking to achieve? What are the measures of effectiveness? What is our exit strategy? Same old questions. No answers.'' The second point that the general made in his email to me: ``What do we say to the mother and father, to the wife of the last soldier or marine killed to support a corrupt government and corrupt leader in a war that cannot be won?'' Mr. Speaker, I'm going to repeat that very quickly. From the retired general: ``What do we say to the mother and father, to the wife of the last soldier or marine killed to support a corrupt government and corrupt leader in a war that cannot be won?'' These are valid points that we must think about. It is time that Congress and the American people look at what is really going on and what war really means. I would like to thank prominent conservative, Grover Norquist, for speaking out on Afghanistan. I hope this inspires others to do the same. History has shown that we cannot fix Afghanistan. It is in our best interest to learn from what history is trying to teach us, that no country has ever conquered Afghanistan. Mr. Speaker, I have beside me ``The Pain of War: A Broken Body.'' It's a young soldier who has lost both legs and an arm, and his young wife taking him into a room in a wheelchair. This party of mine, which I'm very proud to be a Republican, needs to learn, and again I want to thank Grover Norquist for speaking out and saying to conservatives, stop sending our boys and girls over there to come back with broken bodies or to come back in a coffin. It is time to end the war in Afghanistan. It is time for Mr. Obama to keep his word to the American people, and that is to bring them out in July of 2011. Mr. Speaker, before closing, I would like to say, as I always do, God please continue to bless our men and women in uniform. God please in Your loving arms hold the families who have given a child dying in Afghanistan and Iraq. God, please bless the House and Senate that we will do what is right in Your eyes for Your people. God, please give strength, wisdom, and courage to the President of the United States that he will do what is right for Your people. And God, three times I will ask, please, please, please God, continue to bless America.

Mr. JONES

Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, today I had the honor and privilege of visiting the wounded warriors at Bethesda Naval Hospital. Each one of the young men I saw, the oldest being 23, is very special, as are all of our men and women in uniform. The medical staff at both Bethesda and Walter Reed is truly amazing. They have done a wonderful job repairing the broken bodies and spirits of our young servicemembers. The number of wounded warriors returning from war has become more prevalent with the increased use of IEDs by the enemy. More and more of our young men and women are returning without their arms and legs. Tonight, Mr. Speaker, as a constant reminder of the pain of war, I show you this picture of a young triple amputee and his wife. This man gave his body for this country and will struggle for the rest of his life. How many more will have to return home in this condition? This young man and his wife have just returned from the hospital. He is in a wheelchair. He lost an arm and two legs and he is looking at a beautiful American flag that was on the wall that had been drawn for him. It is time we declare victory and get our troops out of Afghanistan. It is evident that President Karzai does not appreciate our commitment. If he did, he would not be so corrupt. If he did, he would not have made the comments that he now has three main enemies--the Taliban, the United States and the international community as stated in the Washington Post on December 13. He said that if he had to choose sides today, he would choose the Taliban. The Taliban are killing American service men and women. Mr. Speaker, I have joined Dennis Kucinich as well as many other members of both parties in the hope that President Obama will keep his promise to start withdrawing our troops in July of this year. In closing, I would like to urge the American people to get engaged in this cause and to let their Members of Congress know how they feel. They must encourage the Members of Congress to vote to bring our troops home. The pain must end, and we can easily declare a victory and bring our brave men and women home. Mr. Speaker, as I do all the time on the floor of the House when I speak, I ask God to please bless our men and women in uniform, to bless the families of our men and women in uniform. I ask God in his loving arms to hold the families who have given a child dying for freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq. I ask God to please bless the House and Senate that we will do what is right for the American people. I ask God to give strength, wisdom, and courage to President Obama that he will do what is right for the American people. And three times I will ask God please, God please, God please continue to bless America.

Mr. JONES

Mr. JONES. Madam Speaker, today, I have a photograph of Tyler Jordan, whose father, Phillip, was a marine gunnery sergeant killed in Iraq. I saw this photograph about 5 years ago in a national paper, and I felt that I needed to have this photograph for myself to be able to be reminded of war and the pain of war. On Tuesday, I had the privilege and humbling experience to visit the wounded warriors at Walter Reed. I saw the pain these heroes were experiencing from the severe injuries they received fighting for this country. That's why today I show you the photograph of Tyler Jordan's pain as he holds a folded flag at his father's funeral. This boy's pain and the pain of the heroes at Walter Reed are the reasons I've joined my colleagues in both parties in asking President Obama to bring our troops home. Madam Speaker, this country has many problems. Maybe I am wrong, but sadly, it seems to me, the war in Afghanistan seems to be on the back burner. Before Christmas, I read from a Washington Post article that quoted President Karzai as saying he now has three main enemies--the Taliban, the United States and the international community. He said in that article that, if he had to choose sides today, he would choose the Taliban. There have been many articles written questioning the success of our troops in Afghanistan, but our troops have been successful. So why keep them in a country, risking their lives, when the President of that country supports the enemy? The Afghan Government is corrupt. Not one American life should be sacrificed for such a dysfunctional, corrupt government. In mid-December, President Obama released a review of the American strategy in Afghanistan that painted a positive picture of the progress being made there. This review is, at best, dubious. I agree with two national intelligence reports that were also released with a more realistic, negative assessment on the state of the war and our chance for success. As I have said before, we are spending approximately $7 billion a month, which is $234 million a day, to fight a winless war for a corrupt government. Why do we continue to spend $234 million a day so that some other child has to know Tyler's pain? In closing, I would like to ask God, as I do every day on the floor when I speak, to please bless our men and women in uniform. I ask God to please bless the families of our men and women in uniform. I ask God, in his loving arms, to hold the families who have given a child dying for freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq. I ask God, please bless this House and Senate that we will do what is right in the eyes of God for the American people; and I will ask God to give wisdom, strength, and courage to the President of the United States that he will do what is right in the eyes of the American people. And I will say three times: God, please, God please, God, please continue to bless America.

Mr. JONES

Mr. JONES. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Kennedy family for being selected as the National Military Family Association's Coast Guard Family of the Year. Commander John Kennedy has served in the Coast Guard for 16 years. He is supported by his wife, Bobbi, and their 3 children Olivia, Marissa, and Jack. The Kennedy family has moved 6 times within 14 years, most recently to Atlantic Beach, NC. Cmdr. Kennedy currently serves as Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Elm. The Kennedy family is very active in the United States Coast Guard, and their community. They volunteer with Operation Christmas Child, and are active with numerous activities including a variety of athletics and the high school marching band. Being a military family has shown them all how to be independent, and taught them what is truly important in life. The Kennedy's admit they are not finished moving! They will continue to make friends wherever they go, which exemplifies the Coast Guard motto of Semper Paratus, ``Always Ready''. I am proud to have the Kennedy family reside in the 3rd district of North Carolina. I thank all the men and women who have bravely served in our military. Congratulations to the Kennedy family on 2010 Military Family of the Year!

Mr. JONES

Mr. JONES. Madam Speaker, the war in Afghanistan continues to prove to be an impossible task. Enough is enough. America is spending $7 billion a month on the war. To break it down further, that is approximately $233 million a day on the war, with no end to it at all. Madam Speaker, to reset our equipment alone will cost in excess of $13 billion, just to bring it back to the same position it was prior to going into Iraq and Afghanistan. It is impossible to absorb this amount of money, particularly with the debt this country has and the fact that we can't even pay our own bills without borrowing money from China, Japan, and the UAE. Yesterday in an article in The Washington Post, Afghan President Karzai stated that he ``now had three enemies: the Taliban, the United States, the international community.'' He also said in The Washington Post article that if he had to choose sides, he would choose the Taliban. This is what our young men and women are dying for. Madam Speaker, I have on the floor with me today a photograph taken of the Air Force Honor Guard at Dover Air Force Base, escorting the remains of an American hero off the plane. Madam Speaker, this is just not worth the cost of our young men and women dying, and it's not worth the cost that it is costing the taxpayers. In addition, I read another article that I would like to quote from. It was an AP article entitled, ``No Decisive Victory One Year Into Afghan Surge.'' It really gathered my attention. In the article, a citizen of Afghanistan stated, ``Every day that passes, the security situation is getting worse. The government is not in a position to bring peace. Every day, the Taliban are getting more powerful than the government.'' Madam Speaker, again, today I have this poster on the floor because, in my mind, since we don't draft young men and women anymore to fight wars, and it is a volunteer service, and they are doing a magnificent job, but with four, five, and six deployments, they are wearing down. They're wearing out. Their suicides are up, and divorces are up as well. Last week, we had six Americans killed in a bombing in Afghanistan. We continue to repeat history. This case of Afghanistan history will show that no nation has ever conquered Afghanistan. It will always be a vast country of 1,400 different tribes. What are we trying to do? Why are we continuing this war effort? I join my friend Jim McGovern. I join my friends in both parties that are saying to the President, please, Mr. President, rethink. Don't stay there four more years because it's not going to be worth it. It's not worth it now. And, Madam Speaker, after 10 years, going on 10 years of being in Afghanistan, we continue to see no end to this commitment that, in my humble opinion, is not worth one American life. So, Madam Speaker, as I do frequently on this floor, I'd like to close by asking God to please bless our men and women in uniform. I ask God to please bless the families of our men and women in uniform. I ask God in his loving arms to hold the families who've given a child dying for freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq. And God, please bless the House and Senate that we will do what is right in Your eyes for Your people. And God, please give wisdom, strength, and courage to President Obama that he will do what is right for Your people in this country. And, Madam Speaker, three times, God, please, God, please, God, please, continue to bless America.

Mr. JONES. I yield to the gentleman from Michigan.

Mr. JONES. I thank the gentleman, Mr. Conyers. Thank you so much for joining me.

Mr. JONES

Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, this past Tuesday I came to the floor to talk about the corruption in Afghanistan and the growing concern of the American people due to the fact that many in both parties have said we need to stay there 4 more years, including the President of the United States. In November of this year, we had 53 Americans killed in action in Afghanistan and 146 Americans wounded in Afghanistan. Beside me, Mr. Speaker, are the faces of marines who were killed from Camp Lejeune. Too many times, because of the fact that this country does not have a draft, this country seems to put the war in Afghanistan on the second, third, and fourth pages, and that is a tragedy to the families of those young men and women fighting in Afghanistan and to those families who have lost loved ones who have been killed. I would like to take just a moment to read from the Washington Examiner a couple of comments and also a ``60 Minutes'' segment on November 28 by Anderson Cooper called ``Good Cop, Bad Cop.'' From the Washington Examiner earlier this year: ``The Examiner reported that numerous insurgents captured in Pakistan, including some members of al Qaeda, were returned to Afghanistan upon the request of the Karzai government, and then, according to senior Pakistan officials, `released back to the Taliban as bargaining chips in negotiations.' ``A marine stationed in southern Afghanistan's volatile Helmand Province told the Examiner that efforts to retaining insurgent fighters are `worthless.' '' They are worthless. ``Earlier this year, his unit held a man known to be working with the Taliban. The marines had gathered evidence that the man was transporting hundreds of pounds of bomb-making equipment and explosives for the Taliban. But, shortly after they captured him, he was set free.'' That is a tragedy in itself, Mr. Speaker, because our young men and women are over there dying for what, I do not know. In fact, there was an article written in the magazine called The American Conservative by Andrew Bacevich about 6 months ago, and the title of that article was ``To Die for a Mystique.'' He was comparing Vietnam to Afghanistan. Actually, the writer of that article, Andrew Bacevich, fought in Vietnam for this country, and his son died in Iraq for this country. Let me just briefly read from ``Good Cops, Bad Cops: Afghanistan's National Police.'' This is the ``60 Minutes'' segment: ``We began with the three-star American general now in charge of their training. `The police have to succeed,' Lt. General William Caldwell told CNN's Anderson Cooper. `` `If the Afghan police fail, we fail?' Cooper asked. `` `We do,' the general said. ``Caldwell began overseeing training of Afghan security forces last November. `The sooner we can develop an effective police force, the sooner U.S. forces will be able to have less of an active combat role,' the general said. `If we had a better-trained Afghan police at this point, that would save American lives,' Cooper said. `There's no question about that. That is true,' said the general.'' Now, Mr. Speaker, let me tell you just how difficult this job is: `` `Not only are most of the police illiterate, but it turns out many of them also have a drug problem. There is one study said 10 to 20 percent use or smoke hash and other forms of drugs,' Cooper told Caldwell, `and that's probably an accurate statistic based on what we have seen,' he replied. ``Another video taken by members of the 82nd Airborne shows an Afghan policeman smoking marijuana before going out on patrol--evidently not an uncommon ritual.'' Mr. Speaker, it is time that this House and this Senate and this administration understand that it is not worth the lives of our men and women in uniform to keep them in Afghanistan for 4 years. History has proven it is an uncontrolled country. It will never be a nation, it will never have a successful national government, and it is time that the House and Senate understand that it is not worth one more life of our young men and women to stay in Afghanistan. Mr. Speaker, before I yield back the balance of my time, I will ask God to please bless our men and women in uniform. I will ask God to please bless the families of our men and women in uniform. I will ask God in his loving arms to hold the families who have given a child dying for freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq. And I will ask God to bless the House and Senate, that we will do what is right in the eyes of God, and God give strength, wisdom and courage to the President of the United States, Mr. Obama, that he will do what is right in the eyes of God. And three times I will close, God please, God please, God please bless America.

Mr. JONES

Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, I have to my side the faces of marines who have given their lives for this country. They are from Camp Lejeune, which is in the district I represent. These are the faces of those young men and women who gave their lives for this country. I come to the floor today because I join the American people. I am very concerned about committing our troops to 4 more years in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is a vast country. It has never been a nation. It doesn't have a government, and we are trying to build a government in Afghanistan. I want to share just a couple of comments. This is from The Washington Examiner. It reads: ``Catch-and-Release of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan angers troops.'' ``More than 500 suspected Taliban fighters detained by United States forces have been released from custody at the urging of Afghan Government officials, angering both American troops and some Afghans who oppose the policy on the grounds that many of those released return to the battlefield to kill NATO soldiers and Afghan civilians.'' Recently, on November 28 of this year, there was a ``60 Minutes'' segment by Anderson Cooper. It was called ``Good Cop, Bad Cop: Afghanistan's National Police.'' I want to read just a couple of excerpts from this: ``While the Afghan Army has made some strides in recent years, the national police force has developed a reputation for drug abuse, illiteracy and desertion.'' ``Earlier this month, The New York Times reported that up to 19 Afghan police officers from southwest of Kabul defected to the Taliban en masse, taking their guns with them and burning down their own station house.'' Just another part from that ``60 Minutes'': ``What is certain is that the United States has spent 9 years and more than $7 billion building and training the Afghan police force. ``60 Minutes'' wanted to find out what has become of that investment.'' I am going to paraphrase very quickly: There has been very little success. The Afghan police are still 9 years behind in training, and we have already spent 9 years training them. I don't know how that adds up to anything positive. I am going to save some of the other comments from the ``60 Minutes'' segment to use later on this week and to use, certainly, next year when we come back. Mr. Speaker, I have signed over 9,747 letters to families and extended families who have lost loved ones in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I do that every weekend so I can be reminded of my mistake of voting to give President Bush the authority to go into Iraq--a war we never had to fight. It was manipulated by those within the administration, and it never had to be; and, yes, we lost young men and women in that battle. On Afghanistan, I have joined my colleagues on both the Democratic side and the Republican side to ask: What is the end point? What is the definition of ``victory''? What are we trying to achieve? You can never get a straight answer. I don't care who gives you an answer; you don't know what the end point is. So there we are, spending $6 billion, $7 billion a month in Afghanistan, but we can't fix the streets in America. We can't build schools in America; yet we have borrowed that $6 billion, $7 billion from our Chinese friends. We owe them the money while we spend it in a foreign country, and we can't even take care of our own people. So, Mr. Speaker, again, the faces of these young marines--and they could be soldiers, they could be airmen, they could be Navy, but these young marines who died at 20 and 21, the only thing their parents can do in the years ahead, or their loved ones, is to show the face of a 21-year-old marine that died at 21 and will always be seen as a young man who gave his life for this country. It's time for this Congress to come together and say to President Obama, We don't need 4 more years of spending money--and more important than money is the blood of the American soldier and marine and serviceman that is dying for this country. So with that, Mr. Speaker, I will, as I always do, I will ask God to please bless our men and women in uniform, to please bless the families of our men and women in uniform, to bless the families who have given a child dying for freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq, and I will ask God to please bless the House and Senate, that we will do what is right in the eyes of God. And I will ask God to please give wisdom, strength and courage to President Obama, that he will do what is right in the eyes of God for today and tomorrow's generation.

Mr. JONES

Mr. JONES. Madam Speaker, this past Saturday, the 27th of November, Fox News aired a story about the Lee family and Lex, the wounded military working dog that was adopted by the Lee family. Corporal Dustin Lee was Lex's handler and the Lees' son. A rocket- propelled grenade ended the life of Corporal Lee and also injured Lex by sending shrapnel into his back in 2007. Lex's pain has been so very severe over the past 3 years, and he has also had a hard time walking. Lex received adult canine stem cell therapy at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital, performed by Dr. Lee Morgan. Lex was released last Friday with much success. I would like to thank Kelly Wright of the Fox News' show ``Fox and Friends,'' for taking interest in this story and understanding the importance of war dogs in our military. Through his kind work, many people were touched by this heartwarming story. I would also like to thank Dr. Lee Morgan of Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Morgan volunteered much of his personal time to Lex, his recovery, and the Lee family. He was very kind and devoted to this cause and gave this dog and family the attention they deserve. Many individuals and organizations have made it possible for Lex to receive this therapy by donating time and money to the cause. I would like to thank the Humane Society, the American Kennel Club, the German Shepherd Dog Club of Northern Virginia, the Shoreline German Shepherd Dog Club, and the United States War Dogs Association. Also, Marine General Mike Regner for his help in retiring this dog and making sure Lex was able to be a part of and placed with the Lee family. Contributions came from all over the country, and I appreciate everyone who donated. A dog handler currently stationed in Afghanistan sent a donation, which speaks to the importance of these dogs and to the appreciation our servicemembers have for them. With that, Madam Speaker, I close by asking God to please bless our men and women in uniform, to bless the families of our men and women in uniform. And I ask God to continue to bless America.

Mr. JONES

Mr. JONES. Madam Speaker, this week, the German Shepherd Lex, whose master Corporal Dustin Lee was killed in Iraq in 2007, is returning to Washington. The RPG that killed his master also injured Lex by sending shrapnel into his back. Lex's pain has been very severe over the past three years and also has a hard time walking. Lex was able to be retired and in December of 2007 he was officially adopted by Jerome and Rachel Lee, the parents of Cpl Dustin Lee. I would like to thank Gen. Mike Regner for helping get Lex retired and adopted by the Lees, as their son would have wanted his partner to be home with this family. This week Lex is traveling to DC for a visit to the Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Lee Morgan is performing stem cell therapy on Lex to help relieve his pain and extend his life. The idea is to not only treat the pain, but to repair the damage done by the shrapnel altogether. This is a very important procedure for both Lex and the Lee family, as they have all been through so much together already. Many individuals and organizations have made it possible for Lex to receive this therapy by donating time and money to the cause, I would like to thank the Humane Society, the American Kennel Club, the German Shepherd Dog Club of Northern Virginia, Shoreline German Shepherd Dog Club, and the U.S. War Dogs Association. I would like to give a special thanks to Connie Whitfield and her husband Congressman Ed Whitfield, for all they have devoted to Lex and the Lee family. Thanks to John Burnam for all of his work and for bringing Lex's story to my attention three years ago. A big thank you goes to Dr. Lee Morgan of Georgetown Veterinary Hospital for performing the procedure. Contributions came from all over the country and I appreciate everyone who donated. A dog handler currently stationed in Afghanistan sent a donation, which speaks to the importance of these dogs and the appreciation our service members have for them. With that Madam Speaker, I close by asking God to please bless our men and women in uniform, their families, and I ask God to please bless America.

Mr. JONES

Mr. JONES. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 1605, as amended, recognizing the service of the military medical and aircrews who help our wounded warriors return home quickly and safely and commending the members of the Air Force for their commitment to our service men and women. I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson) for introducing this resolution. The key to our having our men and women survive after being wounded in combat is immediate medical care, followed by the quick and safe evacuation from the battlefield. No one does this better than the United States military. Mr. Speaker, today's combat casualty care system is a complex, integrated effort that brings a wounded servicemember from the point of injury on the battlefield to the most sophisticated medical treatment available in the world. All of the military services have a role in this effort--from front-line medics who treat our casualties to the ambulance and aircrews who provide critical transportation to the next level of medical care. We owe our utmost gratitude to all of the dedicated individuals who have a part in this lifesaving endeavor. But today we specifically recognize the men and women of the United States Air Force. Their commitment to excellence has raised aeromedical evaluation to an unprecedented level of success. One only has to travel to Andrews Air Force Base to witness firsthand the care, compassion and love given to our returning wounded. The Air Force pilots, crew chiefs, doctors, nurses, and medics have worked tirelessly to bring the wounded safely home. I urge my colleagues who have not had that opportunity to watch the Air Force unloading these medical transport planes to go out to Andrews and see it. It is truly unforgettable. I have been out there myself, and I must say that it is heartwarming and a humbling experience to see this fine work done by the United States Air Force in the care for these wounded. Mr. Speaker, I join all of my colleagues to honor the military medical personnel and aircrews whose skills and professionalism ensure that our wounded warriors return home quickly and safely. I, therefore, strongly urge all Members to support this resolution. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JONES

Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, on November 5, 2009, 13 people were killed and 31 wounded at Ft. Hood, Texas, when a gunman attacked unarmed military civilian personnel who were preparing for deployment or who recently returned to the United States from deployments. This was an attack that devastated the people there and across this Nation. It was a senseless act of horror that betrayed our respect and dignity for human life. I want to thank my colleague, Representative John Carter of Texas, for introducing this legislation to give all Members the opportunity today to once again stand in support of the men and women at Ft. Hood and their families who suffered in that time of trial. This resolution also honors those military and civilian law enforcement officers who acted swiftly and courageously to neutralize the threat, as well as the medical personnel who immediately began treating the wounded, thereby reducing the loss of life. While we wait for the justice system to decide the fate of the gunman, it is important that we also recognize that Ft. Hood's preparations beforehand enabled a timely response and situational control once the attack occurred. Unfortunately, the attack at Ft. Hood signals the requirement that such preparation apply to all of our military installations. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter), who introduced this resolution, as much time as he might consume.