Walter Jones

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I would like to claim Mr. McHenry's time.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank you and the gentleman from Texas. I would like to say about the gentleman from Texas that he has been on the floor so many times talking about the economic future of this country and also taking about unjust wars. I would like to tonight, in the few minutes I have, I would like to quote from Rudyard Kipling. It is called the Epitaphs of the War, 1914 to 1918. Mr. Kipling at one time was a proponent of aggressive actions, but once his son was killed he seemed to change his thought, which is understandable. And I quote very quickly before I make my brief comments. ``If any question why we died, tell them because our fathers lied''. I will leave it at that, Mr. Speaker. I think that speaks for itself. And that again was Rudyard Kipling, not me, Congressman Walter Jones from North Carolina. Along with my friend from Texas, I can tell you that I seek the truth. I came to this floor 3\1/2\ years ago, I cast my votes to give the President the authority to commit troops to Iraq. I came to this floor. I was not sure that I was doing the right thing, but I hoped and prayed that I was. But since that time, because I do seek the truth, as my friend from Texas said, that I want to mention to you tonight just a few facts that I have uncovered. Let me base some of this comment tonight on people I have met with in my office person to person, such as - Carl Ford, former CIA, Paul Pillar, former CIA for 31 years, Larry Wilkerson, Chief of Staff to Colin Powell, General Anthony Zinni, CENTCOM Commander for 3 years, General Gregory Newbold, General John Batiste, former Colonel Karen Kwiatowski, Ray McGovern, CIA, and former Colonel Sam Gardiner, Jim Bamford, author of Pretext for War, and John Landay and Warren Strobel, writers for Knight Ridder. Tonight I want to start my brief comments with an article written by Gregory Newbold. General Newbold is a Marine General. He was part of J- 3 at the Department of Defense prior to our going into war in Iraq. General Newbold is a very impressive man. He was a 2-star Marine General on the way to being a 3-star. But I would like, with unanimous consent, to submit the whole article, it is a 3-page article in Time Magazine written by General Newbold, not by a writer at Time. This is what he said in this article. ``I was a witness and therefore a party to the actions that led to the invasion of Iraq, an unnecessary war. Inside the military family I made no secret of my view that the zealots rationale for war made no sense. I think I was outspoken enough to make those senior to me uncomfortable. But I now regret that I did not do more, openly challenge those who were determined to invade a country whose actions were peripheral to the real threat, al-Qaeda. I retired from the military 4 months before the invasion, in part because of my opposition to those who had used 9/ 11's tragedy to hijack our security policy. Until now I have resisted speaking out in public. I have been silent long enough''. Mr. Speaker, I could quote more from General Newbold's article, but the Record will show this. I do not need to read more. It is so sad to me that so many in our military and also our CIA saw what was happening in those who wanted to go to war in Iraq, but truthfully did not have the credibility or could prove what they were saying was a fact. Just today, as a matter of fact, my good friend and Mr. Paul's good friend from Missouri, Ike Skelton is on the floor. I assume he will speak when we finish. We held hearings today on the Armed Services Committee. He is the ranking member. This was to, if you will, to rally about the fact that we found 500 weapons known as munitions that Senator Santorum and Representative Hoekstra were saying, oh, this shows us that there was weapons of mass destruction. It just was not true. I do not mean to discredit them, but it was not true. These weapons, according to the experts were probably in existence from 1984 to 1991. And as a matter of fact, today at our hearing, we had a former UN inspector, David Kay, Dr. David Kay. And I quoted this during the hearing today. Mr. Kay has said, when this announcement was made 2 weeks ago, and nobody at the administration was excited about it, and said, oh, this is the secret. This is what happened. This is why we went to war. None of that was said. And certainly I have not heard a peep, if you will from Secretary Rumsfeld. But Dr. Kay said, well, I questioned this as far as being the weapons of mass destruction. And this is what he said, and I brought this out today, later on this afternoon. I will quote this. He said, ``They probably would have been intended for chemical attacks during the Iran-Iraq war'', said Dr. Kay who headed the U.S. weapons hunting team in Iraq from 2003 until 2004. He said, ``experts on Iraq's chemical weapons are in almost 100 percent agreement that Sarin nerve agents produced from the 1980s would no longer be dangerous''. And I quote, and a quote Dr. David Kay, and I asked him about this today. And he said, yes, sir, this is what I said. ``It is less toxic than most things that Americans have under their kitchen sink at this point''. That is what he said. And yet we have got those in the Congress who are just beating the drums of, this is what we are saying, this is the reason we went to war. We should never, under any circumstances, send American boys to die for this country unless we know the intelligence has been verified, verified, verified. And I regret, and I said this Monday. I was invited by Senator Dorgan to sit on the Democratic Policy Committee's investigation of the Iraq war where they had three or four CIA agents there to testify. And the Senator very kindly allowed me to sit at the dais. And I apologized that I did not ask the questions before we went into Iraq. I know knew better, but I did not at the time. I am not smarter, Mr. Speaker, but I am wiser, much wiser. But I said today, as Frank Gaffney who was on the panel with Dr. Taylor, former UN inspector, and also Dr. David Kay. And Mr. Gaffney was saying, well, you know what we need to do is we need to get the President to speak more about the potential threat and this and that. And I said, well, the problem is trust. The American people have to trust the Congress. They have to trust the administration, be it Democrat or Republican. I said to Mr. Gaffney, I said, I assume that an article in the London Times and the New York Times must be accurate, because I have heard no one dispute it, because if it is true, I would want to demand that I get 8 o'clock national TV to say this is not right, I will not accept it. But this is what was said, just two quick points. This is by David Manning, who was Mr. Blair's chief foreign policy advisor at the time. Mr. Blair and Mr. Bush were meeting. This is about 6 months before we went into Iraq. And this is what Mr. Manning says, ``our diplomatic strategy had to be arranged around the military planning''. He further stated, ``that at one point during this discussion between Mr. Blair and Mr. Bush, that it was said that Mr. Bush suggested that the U.S. might be able to have a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, colored in the UN colors, followed by American fighters and fly it over Iraq and maybe Saddam Hussein would shoot it down. And if Saddam Hussein fired on them it would be a breach''. He further stated that, ``maybe it would be possible to get someone to come in and testify that, yes, he has got weapons of mass destruction''. Mr. Speaker, I bring this forward, I do not delight in challenging the administration. But I will tell you that when I go to Walter Reed, like many of my colleagues, both sides, and I never will forget a soldier 4 weeks ago, I was there with Wayne Gilchrest, Mr. Gilchrest, a Member of Congress, was a Vietnam veteran. And he was wounded in Vietnam and spent 4 months at Walter Reed. And we went to Walter Reed, and it was kind of nice to me, I am not a veteran, and for me to be able to say to the wounded, this is a Member of Congress, who like yourself spent 4 months in Walter Reed. He was wounded in Vietnam fighting for his country. He is a Marine. But I never will forget the fellow, Luke, and then I will yield back to the gentleman from Texas before we close. We were standing there and Luke's mom, Luke is from Florida, I do not have permission to use his last name so I will not use it. Luke's mom and dad were there. We met them and shook hands. And Luke's mom never stopped crying. And she would not--it was just tears. It was not boo-hoo. But tears. So we talked to Luke. And Luke said, when we got ready to finish, and his girlfriend by the way, he is engaged now with a ring on her hand, he introduced us. We got ready to leave. He said, Congressman, can I ask you a question? And we said certainly. He said, who is responsible for the stop loss program, where our men and women in uniform who have served their time in Iraq and Afghanistan are extended because of the fact that we are really short on replacements, to be honest about it. And we said, the Department of Defense. They have the authority. He said, will you do me a favor when you go back to Congress? He said, I am just a sergeant. He said, tell them two or three things for me. We said, certainly. He said, first of all, my very best friend was killed 3 months after he was extended. He said I was on my third tour of duty. He pulled the sheets down. His legs are gone, both legs are gone. He said, Congressman, my humble opinion is whether you are there 10 days or 10 years, you are not going to change the people of Iraq. It is a different culture. It is a different country. Whether Luke will be right on that or wrong, I do not know. But why I am here tonight with my friend from Texas is that I have always regretted, since I voted for the resolution, because I should have asked more questions. I should have been more inquisitive. But I was not. And I do have a pain. I have signed over 8,000 pieces of paper to families in this country. There have been over 2,500 killed. And when you factor in their extended families, we have signed over 8,000 pages. It requires, it is a two-page letter. It requires my signature on one page and the second page also. I have done that because my heart aches, the fact that I did not question. And yet, I want this Congress, both Democrat and Republican, as my friend from Texas said just a few minutes ago, we have an oversight responsibility to say how and why were we given information that was not credible? Why were we given intelligence that had not been verified three times before we sent American kids to give their life and their limbs for this country. So with that, Mr. Speaker, I want to yield back to the gentleman from Texas and thank him for giving me a few minutes to share my thoughts with the American people, and to say that I will continue, Congressman Paul, to seek the truth. Because this democracy will not survive unless the American people know the truth. Whether it is good or bad, we must know the truth. Thank you, sir. [From Time Magazine, Apr. 9, 2006] Why Iraq Was a Mistake (By Lieut. General Greg Newbold (Ret.)) Two senior military officers are known to have challenged Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfe1d on the planning of the Iraq war. Army General Eric Shinseki publicly dissented and found himself marginalized. Marine Lieut. General Greg Newbold, the Pentagon's top operations officer, voiced his objections internally and then retired, in part out of opposition to the war. Here, for the first time, Newbold goes public with a full-throated critique: In 1971, the rock group The Who released the antiwar anthem ``Won't Get Fooled Again.'' To most in my generation, the song conveyed a sense of betrayal by the nation's leaders, who had led our country into a costly and unnecessary war in Vietnam. To those of us who were truly counterculture--who became career members of the military during those rough times--the song conveyed a very different message. To us, its lyrics evoked a feeling that we must never again stand by quietly while those ignorant of and casual about war lead us into another one and then mismanage the conduct of it. Never again, we thought, would our military's senior leaders remain silent as American troops were marched off to an ill- considered engagement. It's 35 years later, and the judgment is in: the Who had it wrong. We have been fooled again. From 2000 until October 2002, I was a Marine Corps lieutenant general and director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. After 9/11, I was a witness and therefore a party to the actions that led us to the invasion of Iraq--an unnecessary war. Inside the military family, I made no secret of my view that the zealots' rationale for war made no sense. And I think I was outspoken enough to make those senior to me uncomfortable. But I now regret that I did not more openly challenge those who were determined to invade a country whose actions were peripheral to the real threat--al-Qaeda. I retired from the military four months before the invasion, in part because of my opposition to those who had used 9/11's tragedy to hijack our security policy. Until now, I have resisted speaking out in public. I've been silent long enough. I am driven to action now by the missteps and misjudgments of the White House and the Pentagon, and by my many painful visits to our military hospitals. In those places, I have been both inspired and shaken by the broken bodies but unbroken spirits of soldiers, Marines and corpsmen returning from this war. The cost of flawed leadership continues to be paid in blood. The willingness of our forces to shoulder such a load should make it a sacred obligation for civilian and military leaders to get our defense policy right. They must be absolutely sure that the commitment is for a cause as honorable as the sacrifice. With the encouragement of some still in positions of military leadership, I offer a challenge to those still in uniform: a leader's responsibility is to give voice to those who can't--or don't--have the opportunity to speak. Enlisted members of the armed forces swear their oath to those appointed over them; an officer swears an oath not to a person but to the Constitution. The distinction is important. Before the antiwar banners start to unfurl, however, let me make clear--I am not opposed to war. I would gladly have traded my general's stars for a captain's bars to lead our troops into Afghanistan to destroy the Taliban and al-Qaeda. And while I don't accept the stated rationale for invading Iraq, my view--at the moment--is that a precipitous withdrawal would be a mistake. It would send a signal, heard around the world, that would reinforce the jihadists' message that America can be defeated, and thus increase the chances of future conflicts. If, however, the Iraqis prove unable to govern, and there is open civil war, then I am prepared to change my position. I will admit my own prejudice: my deep affection and respect are for those who volunteer to serve our nation and therefore shoulder, in those thin ranks, the nation's most sacred obligation of citizenship. To those of you who don't know, our country has never been served by a more competent and professional military. For that reason, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's recent statement that ``we'' made the ``right strategic decisions'' but made thousands of ``tactical errors'' is an outrage. It reflects an effort to obscure gross errors in strategy by shifting the blame for failure to those who have been resolute in fighting. The truth is, our forces are successful in spite of the strategic guidance they receive, not because of it. What we are living with now is the consequences of successive policy failures. Some of the missteps include: the distortion of intelligence in the buidup to the war, McNamara-like micromanagement that kept our forces from having enough resources to do the job, the failure to retain and reconstitute the Iraqi military in time to help quell civil disorder, the initial denial that an insurgency was the heart of the opposition to occupation, alienation of allies who could have helped in a more robust way to rebuild Iraq, and the continuing failure of the other agencies of our government to commit assets to the same degree as the Defense Department. My sincere view is that the commitment of our forces to this fight was done with a casualness and swagger that are the special province of those who have never had to execute these missions--or bury the results. Flaws in our civilians are one thing; the failure of the Pentagon's military leaders is quite another. Those are men who know the hard consequences of war but, with few exceptions, acted timidly when their voices urgently needed to be heard. When they knew the plan was flawed, saw intelligence distorted to justify a rationale for war, or witnessed arrogant micromanagement that at times crippled the military's effectiveness, many leaders who wore the uniform chose inaction. A few of the most senior officers actually supported the logic for war. Others were simply intimidated, while still others must have believed that the principle of obedience does not allow for respectful dissent. The consequence of the military's quiescence was that a fundamentally flawed plan was executed for an invented war, while pursuing the real enemy, al-Qaeda, became a secondary effort. There have been exceptions, albeit uncommon, to the rule of silence among military leaders. Former Army Chief of Staff General Shinseki, when challenged to offer his professional opinion during prewar congressional testimony, suggested that more troops might be needed for the invasion's aftermath. The Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense castigated him in public and marginalized him in his remaining months in his post. Army GEN John Abizaid, head of Central Command, has been forceful in his views with appointed officials on strategy and micromanagement of the fight in Iraq--often with success. Marine Commandant GEN Mike Hagee steadfastly challenged plans to underfund, understaff and underequip his service as the Corps has struggled to sustain its fighting capability. To be sure, the Bush Administration and senior military officials are not alone in their culpability. Members of Congress--from both parties--defaulted in fulfilling their constitutional responsibility for oversight. Many in the media saw the warning signs and heard cautionary tales before the invasion from wise observers like former Central Command chiefs Joe Hoar and Tony Zinni but gave insufficient weight to their views. These are the same news organizations that now downplay both the heroic and the constructive in Iraq. So what is to be done? We need fresh ideas and fresh faces. That means, as a first step, replacing Rumsfeld and many others unwilling to fundamentally change their approach. The troops in the Middle East have performed their duty. Now we need people in Washington who can construct a unified strategy worthy of them. It is time to send a signal to our Nation, our forces and the world that we are uncompromising on our security but are prepared to rethink how we achieve it. It is time for senior military leaders to discard caution in expressing their views and ensure that the President hears them clearly. And that we won't be fooled again.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the winners of this year's National Hockey League Championship--the Carolina Hurricanes. The team's Stanley Cup victory last Monday night ended a seven-game championship series versus the Edmonton Oilers, and wrapped up a fantastic season with North Carolina's first major professional sports title. I congratulate Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos, general manager Jim Rutherford, coach Peter Laviolette, team captain Rod Brind'Amour and all of the team's players, veterans and rookies alike, on their hard-earned success. The team's 3-1 win in Game 7 of this year's Stanley Cup finals was proof that hard work pays off. After years of losses and the trials involved in the team's move to North Carolina, the Hurricanes have conquered the world of hockey by winning the most famous trophy in the world of sports. Despite hockey's short history in our region and sparse crowds in the team's early years on the ice, I have been amazed at how lovingly the people of North Carolina have embraced the former Hartford Whalers once they became the Hurricanes and owner Peter Karmanos moved the team to our state in 1997. I am amazed that so many people in eastern North Carolina, who, like me, were not familiar with the sport of hockey, have grown to love the sport because of the Hurricanes. Even in the town where I live, 68 miles East of Raleigh, I see countless cars flying the Hurricanes flag throughout the hockey season. North Carolina residents, well-known fans of college basketball and NASCAR, have warmly embraced the sport of hockey by catching Hurricanes fever. These athletes have become an integral part of their communities by actively involving themselves in the communities where they live. For this, they have gained the respect and admiration of their North Carolina neighbors and fans. When I go to a game, I am always so impressed by how many families I see cheering together for the Hurricanes, who we have welcomed into our communities and into the North Carolina family. Their hard work, talent, and teamwork have been an incredible gift to loyal fans across the state. There is a saying that a successful team beats with one heart. Now, Mr. Speaker, with the team's Stanley Cup victory, it is without a doubt that the Carolina Hurricanes beat with one heart--the heart of a champion. I am proud that the Hurricanes call North Carolina home and I congratulate their hard-earned success.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I might speak at this time.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, on April 5, 2005, I rose on the House floor in defense of former Marine Lieutenant Ilario Pantano, who had been accused of premeditated murder for his actions in April 2004 that resulted in the deaths of two suspected Iraqi insurgents. At that time I encouraged my colleagues to support a resolution calling on the United States Government to dismiss all charges against Lieutenant Pantano who had defended the cause of freedom, democracy and liberty, while serving as a platoon commander in Iraq. In an action of self-defense, Lieutenant Pantano made a split-second battlefield decision to shoot two suspected Iraqi insurgents who refused to follow his orders to stop their movement towards him. Lieutenant Pantano did his duty as any marine officer should when faced with the enemy. Following a 5-day military hearing in May 2005, the truth of Lieutenant Pantano's innocence prevailed, and he was cleared of all charges. Lieutenant Pantano left the Marine Corps following the dismissal of the charges brought against him, as the media frenzy surrounding his case may have put him or other corps members at greater risk were he to return to duty. As an outstanding leader and dedicated servant to the Marine Corps and our Nation, I believe Lieutenant Pantano's resignation was a great loss for the Marine Corps and a great loss for America. Mr. Speaker, I recall these events to draw attention to the recent release of a memoir by Lieutenant Pantano, coauthored by Malcolm McConnell, entitled: ``Warlord, No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy.'' Ilario Pantano first enlisted in the Marine Corps at the age of 17 and was inspired to reenlist following the terrorist attack of September 11 of 2001, 10 years after his service as an elite marine sniper and a veteran of Desert Storm. Answering the patriotic call to duty, Lieutenant Pantano voluntarily left a successful career in finance to head to officer's training school in Quantico, Virginia. As a platoon commander in Iraq, Lieutenant Pantano was praised by his fellow marines and superiors as a capable and devoted leader and an intelligent and motivated officer who embodied the Marine Corps principles of honor, courage, and commitment. As someone who had the pleasure of meeting Lieutenant Pantano, along with his lovely wife, Jill, and his two sons, I believe every American would benefit from reading the inspiring story of such a great American and a military hero. Mr. Speaker, I am confident that those who read Lieutenant Pantano's story will come to a better understanding of the depth of his strength and heroism, both on the battlefield and in the courtroom. Mr. Speaker, I close by asking God to please bless the men and women in uniform and to ask God to continue to bless America.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment, a simple and commonsense statement from this Congress that says we stand with our Nation's Federal civilian employees. We are here today to take a stand and rein in a personnel system that is opposed by nearly each and every one of the 700,000 members of the DOD Federal civilian workforce. The National Security Personnel System, or NSPS, is a system that restricts our Nation's Federal civilian employees of their collective bargaining rights, as well as the right to have an independent labor relations board settle disputes, as was recently affirmed in a court of law. This amendment would withhold the funding to go forward on implementing only those portions of the NSPS declared illegal. It would not arbitrarily kill the system as a whole, but allow Congress to carry out its oversight responsibility. Congress has continuously affirmed its strong support of the men and women in our Nation's military. Today, with this amendment, we are asking the same thing, reaffirm your support for our Nation's Federal civilian workforce. Mr. Chairman, by passing this amendment we will help send a message to these highly valuable men and women that we stand with them today; that we stand with those Federal civilians who maintain and repair our Navy and Marine Corps' battle-worn helicopters; that we stand with those Federal civilians who capitalize and upgrade our Army's Bradley fighting vehicles and Abrams tanks; that we stand with those Federal civilians who skillfully manage our Air Force's logistics and distribution operations; and that we stand with those Federal civilians who maintain, overhaul and upgrade our Navy's fleet of ships, submarines and aircrafts. I hope that my colleagues in this House of Representatives will join us and vote ``yes'' on this amendment.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. James ``Jimmy'' Aycock, a native of Fremont, North Carolina, for his dedicated service to his community. A man of strong faith, Jimmy has been blessed by God with outstanding musical talent. For years, he has shared his talent with others in his community and helped young people develop their own musical talents. Jimmy began his expansive musical career at the age of 14 and has been a presence on the Carolina scene for more than 50 years as an accomplished pianist, composer, and musical arranger. In May of this year, the town board of Fremont, North Carolina honored Jimmy with a resolution of appreciation for his 40 years of dedicated service to the community. The resolution expressed gratitude for Jimmy's unselfish contributions of his time and energy. As a teacher in the North Carolina public school system for more than three decades, Jimmy has made tireless contributions to the musical education of the state's young people. Appointed by Governors Jim Martin and Jim Hunt to serve on the North Carolina Arts Council, he has also volunteered his time and talent by playing at cancer benefits and performing for the Governor of North Carolina. In an upcoming documentary intended for national broadcast, Jimmy will be the first artist honored in a program by November Entertainment entitled ``Carolina Icons.'' The program aims to exemplify the best of North Carolina's artistic culture. The documentary will feature interviews with Jimmy and those who know him, as well as video of his work in the classroom and in concert. For Jimmy's long-time service to his community and generous contributions of his time and musical talent, recognition and praise are long overdue. Jimmy Aycock is a man who has given so much of himself to God and to his fellow man, and I consider it an honor and a privilege to call him a friend.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit in its entirety for the Record a letter from the United States Business and Industry Council at the conclusion of my remarks, but I will be reading from parts of this letter. Mr. Kildee and myself have introduced H.R. 4808, the Unfair Chinese Automobile Tariff Equalization Act. I am going to read several paragraphs from this letter that I will submit. It is a letter to me from Mr. Kevin Kearns, President of the United States Business and Industry Council. ``Dear Representative Jones: On behalf of the 1,500 U.S. companies comprising the U.S. Business and Industry Council, I am writing to express our strong support for H.R. 4808, the Unfair Chinese Automobile Tariff Equalization Act. ``Equalizing U.S. and Chinese tariffs on passenger cars, as the bill would require, is an important and greatly overdue step toward restoring equitable competition in both U.S.-China trade and global automobile trade. Such competition in turn is essential to restoring the health of the U.S.-owned automotive sector, which makes us such a large share of our economy and which has undergirded the American middle class for so many decades.'' I am going to skip on with paragraphs, Mr. Speaker. Again, I have asked that this entire letter be submitted for the Record. ``In fact, according to the latest data available, imports have grabbed two-thirds of the domestic U.S. auto market in 2004, up from 50 percent just 7 years earlier. Small wonder that Ford and GM are downsizing as fast as they can. ``Much of the blame clearly falls on incompetent trade policies, many of course supported by Detroit itself in a triumph of shortsightedness. Presidents of both parties have signed numerous free trade agreements over the years. But despite the promises made to sell them to an increasingly skeptical public, they have manifestly failed to open foreign markets for U.S. producers, or even to limit predatory foreign commercial practices such as subsidizing, dumping, and exchange rate manipulation. ``In fact, the trade flows clearly shows that the main new accomplishments of these trade agreements have been to help U.S. and foreign-brand automakers alike supply the American market from low-wage export platforms like Mexico. ``As symbolized by the ludicrously unequal auto tariffs left in place by U.S. negotiators of China trade deals, U.S. policy on automotive trade with China is speeding down the same road and will likely produce the same results. The United States still runs a small trade surplus in autos with China, but since 2000, Chinese auto exports to the United States have outpaced the United States vehicle exports to China by a four-to-one ratio. ``The Unfair Chinese Automotive Tariff Equalization Act can begin reversing this process and help put the U.S.-owned auto industry and the domestic manufacturing base as a whole back on the path of high- wage growth not low-wage stagnation. And the time to pass it is now, before the Chinese export drive takes off.'' Mr. Speaker, the close on this letter is, ``We strongly urge prompt House and Senate passage, and we will do everything we can to help make it the law of the land.'' Mr. Speaker, I also want to mention that the Chair of the caucus known as the House Automotive Caucus has urged Members of this House to support 4808 that is signed by Mr. Kildee and Mr. Upton, and we are asking just fairness in this trade issue. That is all we are asking, is that the Congress send a message to the trade negotiators that we in this Congress want our manufacturers and our workers to be treated fairly. That is all we are asking in 4808 is to send a message. If we could get this bill to the floor of the House and pass this legislation, we would say to our trade negotiators that we need you, the trade negotiators, to make sure that we have fair trade as it relates to the American worker and the American manufacturers. With that, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank you for this time, and I want to close by asking God to please bless our men and women in uniform, and to ask God to please bless the families and to ask God to please bless America. United States Business and Industry Council, Washington, DC, Mar. 9, 2006. Congressman Walter Jones, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Representative Jones: On behalf of the 1,500 domestic U.S. companies comprising the U.S. Business and Industry Council, I am writing to express our strong support for H.R. 4808, Tbe Unfair Chinese Automotive Tariff Equalization Act. Equalizing U.S. and Chinese tariffs on passenger cars, as the bill would require, is an important and greatly overdue step toward restoring equitable competition in both U,S.- China trade and global automotive trade. Such competition in turn is essential to restoring the health of the U.S.-owned automotive sector, which makes up such a large share of our economy, and which has undergirded the American middle class for so many decades. For many years, America's trade performance in passenger cars has been nothing less than disastrous. Despite the proliferation of foreign transplant factories throughout the country, the United States ran a $101.8 billion trade deficit in autos and light trucks in 2005. U.S. imports of these products last year, which totaled more than $126 billion, represented fully 84 percent of two-way global U.S. vehicle trade. In fact, according to the latest data available, imports had grabbed two-thirds of the domestic U.S. auto market in 2004, up from 50 percent just seven years earlier. Small wonder that Ford and GM are downsizing as fast as they can. Much of the blame clearly falls on incompetent trade policies (many, of course, supported by Detroit itself in a triumph of short-sightedness). Presidents of both parties have signed numerous free trade agreements over the years. But despite the promises made to sell them to an increasingly skeptical public, they have manifestly failed to open foreign markets for U.S. producers, or even to limit predatory foreign commercial practices such as subsidization, dumping, and exchange-rate manipulation. In fact, the trade flows clearly show that the main new accomplishments of these trade agreements have been to help U.S.- and foreign-brand automakers alike supply the American market from low-wage export platforms like Mexico. As symbolized by the ludicrously unequal auto tariffs left in place by U.S. negotiators of China trade deals, U.S. policy on automotive trade with China is speeding down the same road, and will likely produce the same results. The United States still runs a small trade surplus in autos with China. But since 2000, Chinese auto exports to the U.S. have outpaced U.S. vehicle exports to China by a four-to-one ratio. Yet it is vital to realize that the development of China as an automotive export platform has only just begun. Vehicle makers from all over the world (Japan, Europe, the United States, and China itself) are building far more auto production capacity in the People's Republic than the Chinese market can possibly absorb. And since China desperately needs to create jobs to keep politically explosive unemployment in check, Beijing has no interest in preventing or even slowing this production glut. Indeed, to reduce joblessness, it has every interest in encouraging overproduction and exporting the surplus. The United States, the world's largest single national automotive market, and the most open major market by far, is the most promising destination. Chinese auto makers, who frequently steal U.S. know-how outright or force their U.S. partners to transfer it, have already announced plans to sell hundreds of thousands of vehicles in the United States by 2012. And foreign auto makers in China (including U.S. multinational companies) will jump on the export bandwagon as well. The bottom line is that, without dramatic changes in U.S. trade policy, China's inevitable emergence as an auto export power will either further undermine U.S.-owned, U.S.-based auto production, or it will permit such production to survive only on a greatly reduced scale, and with a dramatically lower pay structure. The Unfair Chinese Automotive Tariff Equalization Act can begin reversing this process, and help put the U.S.-owned auto industry and the domestic manufacturing base as a whole back on the path of high-wage growth not low-wage stagnation. And the time to pass it is now, before the Chinese export drive takes off. We strongly urge prompt House and Senate passage, and we will do everything we can to help make it the law of the land. Sincerely, Kevin L. Kearns, President.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I might speak at this time.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in sadness to note the recent passing of Buck, a beloved Siberian Husky who has brought awareness to the courage and loyalty of our Nation's heroic K-9 soldiers, the military working dogs. At the age of 15, Buck passed away at home in Lexington, South Carolina, on March 23, 2006. Buck was the companion to Vietnam Scout Dog Handler Johnny Mayo, who served with the 39th Scout Dog Platoon, 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam as a scout dog handler. While traveling in my district last July, I had the opportunity to meet Johnny Mayo and his dog Buck. After having the pleasure of spending a few minutes petting Buck, I can honestly say that Buck was a sweet dog who will be missed dearly by those who knew him. In Johnny Mayo's 2002 book titled, ``Buck's Heroes: A Dog's Tale of Vietnam War Dogs,'' Buck accompanies his master to a reunion of former handlers and their families at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. While gazing at the black granite memorial at his master's side, Buck begins hearing and seeing the ghosts of the dogs who participated in the Vietnam War. Among the scout dogs who speak to Buck are his master's war dogs Tiger and Kelly. The dogs tell Buck what life was like for them and the soldiers they served and protected. By serving as the narrator and storyteller in Johnny Mayo's book, Buck educated thousands of readers about the invaluable service of military working dogs. Buck served as a companion and aid to his owner by traveling thousands of miles with him to various war dog events, including three Vietnam Dog Handler National Reunions in Washington, D.C., St. Louis and Phoenix, Arizona. Continuing the legacy of military working dogs who served our Nation during World War I, World War II and the Korean War, the war dogs who served in the jungles of Vietnam used their keen senses of smell, hearing and sight to detect dangers that threatened American lives. Of the 4,000 war dogs that served in Vietnam, only 204 survived. Historians believe these trained dogs prevented more than 10,000 American casualties during their deployment from 1965 to 1972. As both war dogs and their handlers risked their lives in combat, their bond solidified and grew into a relationship of enduring love and shared loyalty to their mission. With Buck at his side, Johnny Mayo has had the courage to share the story of the loyal service of his war dogs Tiger and Kelly and the bond that develops between K-9 soldiers and their handlers. To honor the loyalty, courage and sacrifice made by the teams of war dogs and their handlers, I will soon introduce legislation to designate land for the construction of a National War Dog Team Memorial in Washington, D.C. The National War Dog Team Memorial Fund and its supporters have already begun to raise money for the project and are not asking the taxpayers or Congress for a single penny. The legislation will merely designate a plot of land for the memorial's construction. The proposed memorial will commemorate all U.S. armed services and all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations where military working dogs have been used to support military ground operations since World War I. As we join Johnny Mayo in mourning the loss of his Siberian Husky, Buck, let us seek to continue the legacy of educating American citizens about the history of our Nation's war dogs by commemorating the heroic service of K-9 soldiers and their handlers with a National War Dog Team Memorial. With that, Mr. Speaker, I close by asking God to please bless our men and women in uniform and their families, and I ask God to continue to please bless America.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, recently Congressman Dale Kildee and myself have introduced H.R. 4808. We both are very concerned about the jobs that continue to go overseas, ``outsourcing'' some people call it. And with this bill what we are speaking to is the tariff situation that will exist between China and America. In 2008, the Chinese will be selling in America Chinese cars that are made in China. These cars obviously will be made by people who make in many cases less than $1 an hour, $1.25 an hour, no benefits, but yet they will be selling these cars in this country. What Mr. Kildee and I have done, along with other Members in both parties, is to say, we want to see fairness in this arrangement. If we try to sell an American car in China today, tonight, tomorrow we would pay 28 percent tariff. When the Chinese sell their cars in this country in the year 2008, they will pay 2.5 percent. What this bill does is simple. It says fairness, fair trade. What is good for the Chinese economy should be good for the American economy. What is good for the American economy, let it be good for the Chinese economy. But for this country, we have lost so many manufacturing jobs in my own State of North Carolina. Since NAFTA was enacted, we have lost over 200,000 manufacturing jobs. Just the past 4 years, between 2001 and 2005, we have lost 2.9 million manufacturing jobs in this country. This Nation cannot and will not remain strong if we do not have a manufacturing base. So this bill that Mr. Kildee and I have put in is very simple. I will repeat it again and then I will close very shortly. That is, if we are going to accept Chinese cars to be sold in this country in 2008, and right now they will pay a 2.8 percent tariff while we are selling American cars in China and American cars have a tariff of 28 percent. Madam Speaker, I will tell you this, I think the American people are tired and really kind of fed up, if you will, with the fact that we have not done a better job in this Congress, both sides, of trying to protect the American worker. This really is a bill that we are trying to send a message. With the WTO and the relationship we have, it would be very difficult for this bill to be signed by the President, but Mr. Kildee and I believe that the Congress, on the floor of this House, should debate H.R. 4808 and let the American people, or as good as the American people, let the negotiators know that the Congress does care about fairness in these trade agreements. With that, Madam Speaker, I will close by saying that I appreciate the honor of serving in the House. I hope that we will always do our best to protect American jobs and the American worker. I also want to close by asking God to please bless our men and women in uniform. And, God, please bless the families of our men and women in uniform. And, God, please bless America.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the gentleman for the time. The reason I am on the floor, I am like anyone else in Congress. It is a privilege to serve in the United States House of Representatives. And every time I go home, like all other Members of Congress, and I see the people of the Third District of North Carolina, the home of Camp Lejeune, 60,000 retired military, they want to know why we are not doing a better job with oversight. When you read in the papers that a DOD inspector says we cannot find $8 billion, and yet here we are in the Congress owing $8.2 trillion in debt, and the American people are out there working hard trying to do their best, they support our troops, they want us to support our troops. But we have a responsibility, and that is to rebuild public trust. The public has lost faith in the Congress of meeting its responsibility for oversight. And I join the gentlewoman from Ohio and my other colleagues, and there are those on the Republican side too, that want to have an accountability to the American taxpayer. It is time that we do so. So I ask my colleagues on both sides of the political aisle, for goodness sakes, let us support the American taxpayer. Let us do what Truman did, saying to the people during World War II, we are going to fight this war, and we are going to defeat the enemy, but we are going to do it in a wise way, we are going to protect the investment of the taxpayer. Let's do the same thing in 2006 that he did during the 1940s. I thank the gentleman for this time, and I close by saying, let's do what is right. This is a good-government issue. It is time that we have accountability to the American people.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my opposition to any limitations on religious freedom In Romania. The religion bill that recently passed the Romanian Senate, discriminates against virtually all Christians except the dominant Orthodox Church. The bill that now stands before the Chamber of Deputies would in many ways treat Evangelical Protestants and Catholics as inferior. The Romanian bill would restrict minority religious education and the use of church cemeteries, and would not protect private legal rights for all religious denominations or allow tax incentives to donors. The spokesperson for a leading human rights group in Bucharest said ``the draft law infringes many laws and the Constitution of Romania, as well as international human rights commitments to which Romania is subject'' and that ``it would close the possibility for religious communities, such as the Greek Catholic churches, to reclaim any property in the hands of other faiths.'' The head of the Romanian Evangelical Alliance, Dr. Paul Negrut, pronounced NAY GROOTS, with whom I met two weeks ago said: ``this is a very critical time for religious liberty in Romania.'' Because we as Americans have to stand for religious freedom everywhere, we are especially concerned about this development in an emerging democracy that is a friend and ally of the U.S. As one who has championed the Houses of Worship bill in the U.S. Congress, it is a personal matter of importance to me. I urge the Romanian President and the Romanian Parliament to reject this discriminatory religious bill to help protect freedom of religion and to help improve U.S.-Romanian relations.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, the United States national debt is $8.2 trillion. More than 25 percent, or $2 trillion of that national debt, is owned by foreign countries. China owns $300 billion of our public debt in bonds and Treasury notes. Our trade deficit with China is $200 billion alone. Between 1989 and 2003, the United States lost 1.5 million jobs to China. According to the Wall Street Journal, China plans to increase its military spending by 14.7 percent, the biggest increase in its defense budget in 4 years. A U.S. Government report issued in July said China is building up its military to be able to project power beyond Taiwan. The Pentagon budget issued this January stated that in the future China will have the greatest potential to compete militarily with the United States of America. Mr. Speaker, China has taken proceeds from our trade deficit and budget deficit and used the money to fund its military buildup. America has done nothing to address the problem as our trade policy continues to give every advantage to China's state-owned companies who continue to take American jobs and sell cheap goods that American workers used to produce. Mr. Speaker, I have joined with Republican Dale Kildee of Michigan and other Members of Congress in both parties to sponsor legislation to say that trade should be fair. What is good for America should be good for China. And what is good for China should be good for America. H.R. 4808, the Unfair Chinese Automotive Tariff Equalization Act, does not require U.S. tariffs on passenger cars to be raised or Chinese tariffs to be lowered. The bill simply states that until tariff rates are equal, no Chinese-made cars may be imported into America. Mr. Speaker, right now if America sells cars in China, they pay a 28 percent tariff. But the United States tariff on Chinese cars will only be 2.5 percent. That is unfair and unacceptable. I hope that the House of Representatives will bring H.R. 4808 to the floor, and, by passing this legislation, say to the trade negotiators, both Chinese and American, all we want is fairness for the American workers. Mr. Speaker, with that I yield back my time, but I will close by also saying that I pray to God that He will bless our men and women in uniform and their families, and I ask God to continue to bless America.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, on March 1, Mr. Kildee of Michigan, a Member of Congress, joined me in a bill, H.R. 4808, which would prevent imports of passenger cars from China until the United States and Chinese tariffs on these items are equal. Mr. Speaker, I think we all know that our trade deficit with China is well over $200 billion. We all agree that we live in a world where we have to work with each other and trade with each other. The problem is that under the current agreement, these cars that will be coming in from China put us at a disadvantage, our workers and our car companies. Let me just share with you that if we ship a car from America to be sold in China, the Chinese Government slaps a 28 percent tariff on American-made cars. If those Chinese cars come into America, we charge them a 2.5 percent tariff on their cars. That is not a level playing field. I think China has enough advantages, quite frankly. They manipulate their currency, violate intellectual property rights, utilize heavy equipment, government subsidies, pay their workers just pennies a day, and they do not have to worry about the labor and environmental standards that Americans must abide by. The tariffs just give China another unfair advantage, an advantage that threatens the job of every worker in the United States auto industry. I hope that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will join us in this fairness issue. That is all this is about, fairness, because our workers work hard to produce a quality product. When we send it to China, they, again, put a 28 percent tariff on our cars going to China, while we only put a 2.5 percent tariff on passenger cars coming to America. Mr. Speaker, there is something else that we fail to realize. With that $200 billion trade deficit, in The Wall Street Journal this week it said: ``China defends outlay to increase by 17.4 percent, the most in 4 years.'' The Chinese are making money off the American people, and they are taking that money and, in many cases, they are putting it into their military. Now, I am not so concerned about China and America going to war, but I do know this: China is trying to build one of the strongest militaries we have ever seen in this world, and what they want to do is to dominate Southeast Asia. What Mr. Kildee and I are asking for is just a simple matter of fairness. If we are going to sell their cars, let us charge them the same tariff they are going to charge us to sell our cars in China. I would hope that my colleagues, both Republican and Democrat, would join us in this effort. This, again, is nothing but an issue of fairness. In fact, the Economic Policy Institute has said that since 1989 through the year 2003 we have lost 1.5 million jobs to the Chinese. Here, again, on this floor tonight I am announcing H.R. 4808, a bill introduced by a Democrat and Republican, that says that we need to charge the same tariff for American cars going to China as Chinese cars coming to America. We should all pay the same. That is a simple matter of fairness. So tonight, Mr. Speaker, I shall be speaking on this issue quite a few times, but I will tell you that we need to be aware of what is happening to the jobs that have been going overseas, and particularly those jobs going to China. So I hope tonight that my colleagues will look at the letter that is signed by Mr. Kildee and myself asking our colleagues in the House to join us on H.R. 4808. All it is is a tariff fairness issue. I will close by saying this again: American cars that go to China to be sold have to pay a 28 percent tariff, Chinese cars coming to America later on this year will pay only a 2.5 percent tariff. That is not fair to the American workers. Mr. Speaker, I ask God to please bless our men and women in uniform; to please bless their families; and, God, please continue to bless America.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, though it is now 2006, I want to take the opportunity to recognize, on two separate occasions, two great success stories from my district last year. One great success story from eastern North Carolina in 2005 is an outstanding athletic achievement from my hometown of Farmville. Though Farmville Central High School's 2005 boy's varsity baseball team began their season with a rocky start, the Jaguars were able to turn their season around and capture the school's very first State baseball championship. I am very proud of my hometown team's record and their historic victory in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association State I- A championship in June of 2005. I wish to congratulate all of the team's coaches and players: Head Coach John Galeazzi; Assistant Coaches Ed Hines and Brian Perry; Statistician Joe Allen; Athletic Director Dixon Sauls; Players: Justin Bagley, Chad Bagley, Brad Bagley, Bill Fisher, Cameron Moore, Robbie Jones, Spencer Albritton, Jonathan Landen, Brandon Cox, Landon Walker, Tommy Cobb, Chris Tomlin, Jordan Corbett, Will Rhem, Mike Dail, Warren Rhem, and Craven Taylor. Mr. Speaker, I, like many of my colleagues in Congress, have had the fortunate opportunity of playing on a high school State championship team. More than 40 years later, I can still vividly recall in my mind the wonderful memory of the night my high school basketball team at Hargrave Military Academy won the Military League Championship. I close by once again congratulating the coach and players of the 2005 Farmville Central High School varsity baseball team for their hard work, and for their success in achieving an athletic victory which they will remember with pride for years to come.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, though it is now 2006, I want to take the opportunity to recognize a great success story from my district last year. One great story of accomplishment from Eastern North Carolina in 2005 is an outstanding athletic achievement by the Rampants of Junius H. Rose High School in Greenville, North Carolina. This past December, the Junius H. Rose High School varsity football team finished an undefeated season by claiming then third consecutive North Carolina High School Athletic Association 4-A state football title. Rose High School is one of only four 4-A teams in North Carolina to win at least three consecutive titles, with a total of four state titles. I am very proud of the Rose High varsity football team's hard work and determination in establishing this winning tradition. Rose coach Greg Thomas, the 2004 AP state prep coach of the year, has declared that the ultimate goal of his team each year is winning a state championship. I wish to congratulate all of the team's coaches and players: Coaches: Greg Thomas, Todd Lipe, Lee Nicholson, Walt Pollard, Stephen Walters, Ronald Pugh, Ron Jones, Nick Anderson, Ty Nelson, Brent Jamison, Phoenix Evans, Will Wiberg, Robert Grant, Bill Grimm. Players: Jonathan Williams, Maurice Weaver, Josiah Andrews, Rashard Green, Brian Blick, Jamie Williams, Chris Townsend, John Wilhelmsen, Scott Hodges, Carmeron Johnson, Brandon Taylor, J J Bryant, Marcus Best, Adam Carraway, Malcolm Blount, Demetrius Dixon, Anthony Adams, Phillip Turner, Montrel Miles, Brandon Cox. Carter Gagnon, McGiver Nicholson, Akeem Thomas, E J Gilbert, Eborn Rawl, Matt Board, Drew Batts, Gabe McCuller, Byron Tyson, Javan Burney, Beau Corey, Danny Jones, Joe James, Billy Cates, Beau Benfield, Jonathan Little, Mike Royston, Bryan Deans, Jameson Bryant, Taylor Ward. Ian Baro, Tyrone Spinks, Larry Chamblis, Charlie Craigle, Brentley Richardson, William Batts, Malcolm Rook, Jimmie Booth, William Brewington, Demarus Williams, John Phillips, Jake Ovitt, Clay Douglas, Garrett Oakley, Morgan Randall, Max Joyner, Louis Muldrow, Sammy Becirovic, Trey Coleman, Anthony Williams. Mr. Speaker, I, like many of my colleagues in Congress, have had the fortunate opportunity of playing on a high school state championship team. More than 40 years later, I can still vividly recall in my mind the wonderful memory of the night my high school basketball team at Hargrave Military Academy won the Military League Championship. I close by once again congratulating the J.H. Rose High School coaches and players for their hard work and their success in achieving an athletic victory which they will remember with pride for years to come.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, prior to the break I came on the floor and announced that we had sent a letter in October of this past year to the President of the United States signed by 76 Members of the House, 3 United States Senators asking the President of the United States to use his constitutional authority as Commander-in-Chief to guarantee the first amendment rights of our chaplains in the military, whether they be Muslim, Jewish or Christian, to pray in their faith and their tradition. Tonight, I am on the floor to give an example of what is happening in our military. I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, in the 3 years that I have talked to chaplains from the Navy, from the Marine Corps, from the Army, Air Force, that there is a prohibited rule that they should not pray in the name of Jesus, if they happen to be of the Christian faith, outside of their church. Give you two examples. Last year, I spoke to a Navy chaplain in Hawaii who had been asked to pray at a remembrance service for Marines killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. At the close of his prayer, he closed in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. About an hour later, he got a phone call from a Marine Major that asked him to please, in the future, outside of his church not to pray in the name of Jesus Christ. He was so upset, Mr. Speaker, that he went to a Jewish rabbi who was a friend of his, and he asked the Jewish rabbi, are you offended when I pray in the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? The Jewish rabbi said, absolutely not. This is your faith and your tradition, and you should pray as you see fit. Mr. Speaker, 3 weeks ago, I spoke to a chaplain in Iraq. His name is Jonathan Stertzbach. He happens to be an independent Baptist. He is a chaplain, and he was asked by a commander of a unit to pray over the grave of a shoulder who professed to be a Christian who had been killed in battle. It so happens in the Army that this chaplain had to submit his prayer in writing to the senior chaplain. The senior chaplain, Mr. Speaker, struck through the words Jesus Christ. The young chaplain whose name is Jonathan Stertzbach, I talked to him by telephone, said, Congressman, I could not pray if I could not pray as I thought my Lord wanted me to pray. It so happens that the company commander, before he removed himself, asked him if he was going to be at the service and if he was going to pray. And he said, sir, I have asked to be removed because my prayer has been struck down. The Major told him, you go to the funeral. You are going to pray as you see fit. Since that time, it so happens that a newspaper in America called Chaplain Stertzbach and he did comment about what happened, and so now he has been removed from his chapel in Iraq. I have written to the Inspector General, General Stanley Green. I have asked him to look into this matter. Mr. Speaker, I would be on the floor of the House tonight if this was a Jewish rabbi, if it was a Muslim cleric, and protect their rights to pray as they see fit. That is what America is all about, is the first amendment rights to pray, to speak as we see fit. I hope that my colleagues in the House will join the 76 of us who have signed this letter and say to the President of the United States, protect the first amendment rights. We are not talking about having altar calls. We are just talking about in certain ceremonies and services that they pray as they think their faith and tradition asks them to pray. Mr. Speaker, I will ask, as I close, God to please bless our men and women in uniform and ask God to please bless the families of our men and women in uniform and ask God to please bless America.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I have read reports, received letters, and seen documentation which verifies that suppression of religious freedom throughout our Armed Forces is a pervasive problem, affecting military chaplains from all denominations and religions. Of particular concern is an incident involving Army Captain Chaplain Jonathan Stertzbach. This chaplain who is serving our troops in harm's way in Iraq was asked by another unit, whose chaplain had to return home to start chemotherapy after cancer was discovered, to serve the spiritual needs of the unit's soldiers in weekly movement to an undisclosed FOB (Forward Operating Base). During a mission, tragically, one of the soldiers was killed in action. The unit's Commanding Officer asked this chaplain to perform the memorial ceremony because he had bravely served the soldiers and risked his own life. Before the memorial ceremony, the chaplain submitted two prayers for review. The Brigade Chaplain attempted to remove the chaplain from praying at the memorial ceremony because he concluded his prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. The chaplain, adhering to his conscience and faith tradition, said he would not strike the words Jesus Christ. The unit's Commanding Officer intervened, explaining that Chaplain Stertzbach volunteered to serve a different unit outside of his assigned unit and placed his life in harm's way to provide for the needs of the unit's soldiers. The Commanding Officer instructed that Chaplain Stertzbach would pray according to his faith tradition. After the incident, Chaplain Stertzbach's story reached the media. Consequently, his answers to the media and the incident surrounding the memorial ceremony resulted in Chaplain Stertzbach's removal from his chapel. This is unacceptable! Since the beginning of our nation's military, chaplains have played an integral role, fulfilling the spiritual and emotional needs of the brave men and women who serve--and they have always prayed according to their faith tradition. It is in the best interest of our Armed Services and this nation to guarantee the constitutional right of military chaplains to pray according to their faith. Congress of the United States, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, February 6, 2006. LTG Stanley E. Green, Department of the Army, The Inspector General, Army Pentagon, Washington, DC. Dear LTG Stanley Green: It has come to my attention that in all branches of the military it is increasingly difficult for chaplains to pray in adherence to their faith. I have read reports, received letters, and seen documentation which verifies that suppression of religious freedom throughout our Armed Forces is a pervasive problem, affecting military chaplains from all denominations and religions. Of particular concern is an incident involving Army Captain Chaplain Jonathan Stertzbach of the 3-6 FA HHB in Iraq. I am writing to request that the Army Inspector General investigate whether Chaplain Stertzbach was illegally removed from his chapel. This chaplain who is serving our troops in harm's way in Iraq was asked by another unit, whose chaplain had to return home to start chemotherapy after cancer was discovered, to serve the spiritual needs of the unit's soldiers in weekly movement to an undisclosed FOB (Forward Operating Base) as well as his own battalion. During one of the missions, tragically, one of the soldiers was killed in action. The unit's Commanding Officer asked this chaplain to perform the Memorial Ceremony because he had bravely served the soldiers, and gone to the risk of convoying to the FOB (Forward Operating Base) weekly. Before the Memorial Ceremony, the chaplain submitted two prayers and a meditation for the Division Chaplain and his direct supervising chaplain to review and was approved. The Brigade Chaplain, having just arrived from Fort Drum, attempted to remove the chaplain from administering the prayers of the Memorial Ceremony because he concluded his prayer in the name of Jesus Christ in a public forum. The chaplain, adhering to his conscience and faith tradition, said he would not strike the words Jesus Christ. The unit's Commanding Officer intervened, explaining that Chaplain Stertzbach volunteered to serve a different unit outside of his assigned unit and placed his life in harm's way to provide for the needs of the unit's soldiers. The Commanding Officer instructed that Chaplain Stertzbach would pray according to his faith tradition and the prayers that he had already submitted. The Brigade Chaplain told him to qualify his prayer at the beginning with ``Please pray according to your faith tradition, as I pray according to mine'' and then close the prayer with ``in thy name we pray, and in Jesus' name I pray.'' Chaplain Stertzbach delivered the Memorial Meditation and prayers for the fallen hero, but still followed orders with the `qualifier' remaining in place. After the incident, Chaplain Stertzbach's story reached the media. The chaplain was directly contacted by the Washington Times and referenced in a Washington Times January story. Chaplain Stertzbach's incident was not printed, but he was quoted as saying the following: ``You need to allow people to pray according to their faith group. Many faith groups do not pray in general and generic terms . . . For Christian groups, the name of Jesus is from where all the power comes.'' I believe Chaplain Stertzbach answered questions fairly, accurately, and within his legal rights. Consequently, his answers to the media and the incident surrounding the memorial ceremony resulted in Chaplain Stertzbach's removal from his chapel. I am concerned that Chaplain Stertzbach was removed without justification. Again, I am requesting that you investigate this incident and provide an explanation. Sincerely, Walter B. Jones, Member of Congress.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, before I start my remarks, I want to pay respect and gratitude to the gentleman from Michigan who served with my father for a number of years, and also has been a friend to me. Mr. Dingell, you are an example of what is good about the House of Representatives. Mr. Speaker, in my remaining time, I want to speak about a serious problem in my opinion, and that is the fact that chaplains in the American military, those who happen to be of the Christian faith, have been told they cannot use the name Jesus Christ when they pray outside of the church. Mr. Speaker, I would be on this floor tonight if this were a Jewish rabbi or if it were a Muslim chaplain in the United States military. Mr. Speaker, 72 Members of the House have sent a letter to the President. This is the first sentence. ``Mr. President, we are disappointed and gravely concerned to learn that the Christian military chaplains are under direct attack and that their right to pray according to their faith is in jeopardy.'' Mr. Speaker, I spoke to a Navy chaplain, and in the last 3 years, I have talked to hundreds of chaplains who have conveyed to me the fact that they are being told outside of their church they cannot pray their faith, and I think this is a tragedy, particularly in our military. About 10 months ago I spoke to a Navy chaplain in Hawaii who told me he is a Methodist. He told me ``Congressman, let me tell you what happened. I was praying at a service to remember Marines who were killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. When I finished my prayer, I prayed in the name of Jesus Christ, our savior.'' Mr. Speaker, he told me, about an hour and 15 minutes later, he got a call from a Marine major who reminded him, in those kind of settings, you cannot pray in the name of Jesus Christ, and please in the future do not do so. He was so upset, Mr. Speaker, he went to a friend of his who happens to be a Jewish chaplain, and he said to his Jewish chaplain friend, ``Chaplain, do I offend you when I pray in the name of Jesus Christ?'' The Jewish chaplain said, ``No, you do not. This is your faith and your tradition and you should pray in the name of your savior.'' This came from a Jewish chaplain. Mr. Speaker, to me this is a very tragic situation. We are asking the President, as Commander-in-Chief, to use his constitutional authority to call up the Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, and say, Mr. Secretary, I am Commander-in-Chief and I am asking that you protect the first amendment right of all of our chaplains, whether they be Muslim, Jewish or Christian. As I begin to close, let me just read a letter that I received from an Army major who is a chaplain. This was last year. ``Dear Congressman Jones: Thank you for your interest in ending the religious persecution that exists in our military today. I am a chaplain in the United States Army, and I can tell you in all honesty that religious persecution is taking place in the Army on a daily basis. The persecution centers on Christian chaplains praying in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.'' Mr. Speaker, I want to make it clear tonight that if we do not protect the right of our chaplains in the military; and I have spoken to many, almost 200 as I said just a few minutes ago, that are telling me that they are being encouraged not to pray outside of the church in the name of their religion and their faith; there is something wrong with that. We are going to do a news conference tomorrow and ask the President to please protect the first amendment right of our Muslim, Jewish and our Christian chaplains, and I will tell you that the American Center for Law and Justice, ACLJ, they have over 158,000 signatures from people around this country asking the President to use his constitutional authority to protect the first amendment rights of all of our chaplains. With that, I want to say to the gentleman from Michigan, congratulations, you are a great man and a great patriot. And I close by asking God to please bless our men and women in uniform, to please bless the families of our men and women in uniform, and God please bless and hold in his arms those who have given their life dying for this country, and I ask God to please bless America, and continue, God, to show us the light that we might save this great Nation and do what is right in your eyes.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize an American hero, a loyal friend to everyone who wears the uniform of our Nation's military. C.A. ``Mack'' McKinney, veteran of three wars and distinguished military legislative advocate for over 30 years died November 15, 2005. He was 80 years old. In 1942, Mack McKinney enlisted with the Marine Corps at age 17 to join America's. fight against tyranny and oppression, and shipped off to war. He served honorably and tirelessly for over 29 years and participated in the invasion of Okinawa during WorId War II, the Korean conflict, and the Tet Offensive during the Vietnam War before retiring as a Sergeant Major of Marines in 1971. McKinney is the recipient of 16 medals and commendations including the Combat Action Ribbon. McKinney's service to this country did not end with his retirement, however. Over the next 34 years he lent his time and efforts to improving the recruiting, retention and readiness of the Armed Forces by petitioning Congress for military compensation and benefits packages commensurate with the ``extraordinary demands and sacrifices associated with military service.'' McKinney devoted his talents to a number of organizations dedicated to bettering the lives of America's fighting forces, as well as their families. At the time of his death he was legislative counsel for the Fleet Reserve Association (FRA), headquartered in Alexandria, Va. Mack McKinney began his long public-service career with the Marine Corps League (MCL) and the Non-Commissioned Officers Association (NCOA). He played a key role in these organizations and was credited with helping stem the losses of highly skilled mid-career military personnel by convincing leaders of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees to authorize two consecutive double-digit pay raises during the late 1970s. Recognizing that there is strength in numbers, McKinney became a driving force behind the creation of The Military Coalition (TMC) in 1985, and the original 12 co-founding organizations stopped legislation that would have zeroed out retired pay cost-of-living adjustments for a 7 year period. He served as TMC co-chairman, coordinator and administrator--having been reelected as the latter on November 3, 2005. He also mentored numerous TMC organization representatives, imparting them with his vast knowledge of military benefits and the legislative process. Today TMC is comprised of 36 military and veterans' organizations and represents more than 5.5 million active duty, National Guard, Reserve, retirees and veterans of the uniformed services as well as their families and survivors. In 1987 McKinney was appointed a member of the Veterans Administration Committee on Cemeteries and Memorials, a position he held until 1993. NCOA recognized his accomplishments by establishing an award in his name--the C.A. ``Mack'' McKinney Award--presented annually to current or former uniformed service members who exemplify professionalism, dedication, and service to the country. He was also the first ever recipient of the Marine Corps League's Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone Award for Commitment, and was honored by the U.S. Coast Guard with the Meritorious Public Service Award ``for providing consistent and exceptional support to the Coast Guard.'' McKinney was a member of numerous professional organizations and held leadership roles in many of them. He was a founding member and President Emeritus of the Exchange Club of Capitol Hill and helped found the Gang of 30 for the purpose of fostering good fellowship and staying abreast of Corps' activities for active duty and retired Marines. He was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Disabled American Veterans, First and Third, Marine Divisions Associations, Marine Corps Aviation Association, Congressional Marines, Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation, Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, the Marine Corps Association and the Fleet Reserve Association. He was also a charter member of and second president elected to head the Combined National Veterans Association as well as a charter member of the Combined National Veterans Associations of America. In 2004, he was awarded the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, the Award citation reads in part: Mr. McKinney played a decisive role in winning enactment of virtually every significant legislative initiative affecting compensation and benefits for active, Reserve and Guard, and retired service members... Above and beyond his enviable work ethic, Mr. Speaker, Mack McKinney's most memorable quality was his impressive knowledge of legislative issues affecting the service member. McKinney could speak to the issues passionately and convincingly, whether it was one-on-one, or to an entire room. He had a way of speaking that drew attention to his words, and his presence commanded attention. Well known at military retiree and transition seminars, McKinney constantly implored service members to stay abreast of the issues that affected their quality-of- life, remarking often that ``what Congress gives, Congress can take away.'' McKinney was also famous for his sense of humor and was quick with a joke. When remarking about his time in the Marine Corps he would say, ``I stayed in 29 years and 6 months because I didn't want to make it a career.'' In an interview with Navy Times reporter Rick Maze in 2000, he remarked on his position with the FRA, one he held for 10 years: ``I've been here longer than all but a handful of Senators and Representatives but I'm not ready to retire. In fact, my wife won't let me. She says she married me for better or worse but not for lunch.'' Mr. Speaker, Sergeant Major Mack McKinney worked until the very end to better the quality-of-life for America's veterans and their families. He held strong to his belief that: ``There is a lot more that needs to be done, and I'm going to keep trying to do it. Enlisted people need someone looking out for them.'' I am proud to have known Mack and honored to call him my friend, I will miss him dearly. Mack McKinney is survived by his beloved wife of 52 years, Rosemarie, three children, six grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, recently I had the honor to meet an amazing young man from North Carolina, his name is Acton Archie. I wanted the opportunity to not only congratulate Archie, but to tell you about his life. Too often we hear about the bad choices young people make and the decisions that lead them down a path to nowhere. Fortunately, Acton Archie made the right decisions, despite unimaginable obstacles, which has led him down the right path. Growing up in Charlotte, Acton moved from one public housing development to another, he moved 12 times in 12 years. His father was murdered when he was just a child and his mother struggled with drug addiction. By 9th grade, Acton rarely attended school; he was surrounded by crime and drugs. He was on the verge of dropping out of school altogether when he was introduced to Communities in School, a program that helps young people successfully learn, stay in school, and prepare for life. Acton credits his grandmother, his strong faith in God and Communities in Schools for literally saving his life. Acton not only finished high school, he graduated with a 3.8 GPA. He then went on to attend North Carolina State University where he recently graduated with a degree in Business Management. He will soon begin a career as a business analyst with the world's largest privately held software company. Ten years ago, if someone would have told Acton that he would achieve so much, I doubt he would have believed them, but the wonderful thing is that he has achieved so much. I am certain even greater things are yet to come for this young man. I would like to congratulate Acton Archie for his achievements, but I also want to congratulate Acton for the tremendous courage he has shown in overcoming barriers in his life. This young man is truly an inspiration to me, and I know he is an even greater inspiration to young kids who feel trapped by their situation in life. May God Bless Action Archie and all who continue to overcome roadblocks in their lives to achieve what might have been seen at one time as the ``Impossible Dream.'' Thank you, Acton Archie.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, as I am on the floor tonight, I think about the great history of this country and the fact that this Nation was founded by people of faith; and yet in this great Nation today, our chaplains in the military are being told if they should be of the Christian faith that they cannot outside of their church pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Mr. Speaker, to me this is very alarming when we have a President, President Bush, who is a man of faith, who went to China and criticized the Chinese, or at least encouraged the Chinese, to allow the Chinese to have more religious freedom. This never seemed to be a problem until about 1998. For whatever reason, those in the leadership of the chaplain corps of the military decided that they needed to encourage those of faith, particularly the Christian faith, not to pray in the name of Jesus Christ outside of the church. Mr. Speaker, I want to say I would be on the floor tonight if this were happening to the Jewish chaplains, to the Muslims chaplains in the military. I would be on the floor defending their first amendment right because that is exactly why our men and women in uniform are in Iraq and Afghanistan, to defend freedom; and yet within this country we are having our chaplains being denied their freedom to pray in the name of their faith. Mr. Speaker, 72 of us have written a letter to the President of the United States, three Senators have joined us, and we have asked the President to please use his executive authority as Commander in Chief to say that as long as I am Commander in Chief that I will guarantee that the chaplains in this great military will have their first amendment rights protected, whether they be Muslim, Jewish, or Christian. Mr. Speaker, I include this letter for the Record. Congress of the United States, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, October 25, 2005. President George W. Bush, The White House, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. President: We are disappointed and gravely concerned to learn that the Christian military chaplains are under direct attack and that their right to pray according to their faith is in jeopardy. As you may know, the Air Force leadership recently released proposed guidelines that will restrict how Air Force chaplains can pray, and if approved, those guidelines may well be implemented throughout the entire DoD. We believe that the Air Force's suppression of religious freedom is a pervasive problem throughout our nation's Armed Forces, and it has come to our attention that in all branches of the military it is becoming increasingly difficult for Christian chaplains to use the name of Jesus when praying. There are currently no laws or regulations that prohibit chaplains from praying according to their respective denominations or different faiths, and we are deeply concerned that chaplains are now being instructed on what to say when they pray. Throughout our nation's history, chaplains not only have remained an integral part of our military, but they also have always prayed according to their faith tradition; and Christian chaplains have always been able to pray using the name of Jesus. We believe that if Christian chaplains are chosen to pray before a professional setting, then they--as with the chaplain of any other faith--have a constitutional right to adhere to the religious expressions of their faith. Praying in the name of Jesus is a fundamental part of Christian belief and to suppress this form of expression would be a violation of religious freedom. The current demand in the guidelines for so-called ``no- sectarian'' prayers is merely a euphemism declaring that prayers will be acceptable only so long as they censor Christian beliefs. Current surveys in the military indicate that upwards of 80 percent of soldiers identify themselves as Christians, and such censorship of Christian beliefs is a disservice not only to Christian chaplains, but also to the hundreds of thousands of Christian soldiers in the military who look to their chaplains for comfort, inspiration, and support, just as our military soldiers of other faiths look to the chaplains of their faith. While some military members may find certain prayers to be offensive and wrongly claim that they are not non- pluralistic, we believe these restrictions raise constitutional issues involving the Establishment. Free Exercise and Free Speech Clauses of the First Amendment (There are numerous other offensive provisions throughout the proposed guidelines. including the onerous provision that chaplains can only speak of their faith with officers--the ``peer to peer'' provision). Officially inhibiting or defining what chaplains can and cannot say in effect establishes an official religion and burdens our military's chaplains' right of free speech. We are requesting that you, as Commander and Chief, protect by Executive Order the constitutional right of military chaplains to pray according to their faith. With deep concern, Walter B. Jones, Sam Johnson, Joseph Pitts, John Hostettler, Trent Franks, Joel Hefley, Scott Garrett, Robert Aderholt, Virginia Foxx, Dave Weldon, J. Gresham Barrett,Randy Neugebauer, Jo Ann Davis, Michael Bilirakis, Frank R. Wolf, John Culberson, Henry Brown, Melissa Hart, Steve Chabot, Louie Gohmert. Jeb Hensarling, Virgil H. Goode, Jr., Rob Bishop, Darrell Issa, Spencer Bachus, Michael E. Sodrel, Ron Lewis, Steve King, W. Todd Akin, Robin Hayes, Donald Manzullo, Marilyn Musgrave, Mark Souder, Mike McIntyre, K. Michael Conaway, Jim Ryun, Charles W. ``Chip'' Pickering, J. Randy Forbes, Todd Tiahrt, Ron Paul. Katherine Harris, Tom Price, Sue Myrick, Bob Beauprez, Roger Wicker, Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon, Jeff Miller, Gil Gutknecht, Rodney Alexander, John Sullivan, Joe Wilson, John R. Carter, Mike Rogers, Bob Inglis, Luis Fortuno, Bobby Jindal, Michael Turner, Michael McCaul, Wally Herger, C. L. ``Butch'' Otter, Michael C. Burgess, Dan Burton, Phil Gingrey. Mr. Speaker, a couple of other points and then I will start closing. For 4 years I have heard from chaplains around this Nation in letter, meeting with them in person, by telephone, and they have told me just how concerned and disappointed they are that they do not have the freedom. Let me at this time read a letter from a marine major written to me in May of this year, getting ready to go to Iraq. He is in Iraq tonight, and I hope and pray that all of our men and women in uniform are safe. He said: ``Dear Congressman Jones, I am a member of the military, and there is something that I think you should know. ``Before my last change of command, my chaplain came to me and asked if I minded if he mentioned Jesus in his prayer given at the start of the ceremony. I was surprised by the question since the prayer was for me and my family and we are Christian and we specifically desired he do so. He alluded to the fact that he and other chaplains have been asked not to mention Jesus Christ. This startles and frightens me that one's faith is being infringed upon even within our own military. I strongly believe in religious freedom, and I hope you understand my grave concerns about forces that would try to limit it. ``I hope you can find support to stop this intolerance that is creeping into all walks of life. Sincerely.'' This, again, is a marine major who is in Iraq fighting for freedom for the Iraqis and for those in Afghanistan. Mr. Speaker, the last letter I want to make reference to is from a chaplain in the United States Army, and he wrote: ``Thank you for your interest in ending the religious persecution that exists in our military today. I am a chaplain in the United States Army, and I can tell you in all honesty that religious persecution is taking place in the Army on a daily basis. The persecution centers on Christian chaplains praying in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Additionally, I have personally been subject to heavy-handed intimidation by a senior chaplain.'' Mr. Speaker, there is story after story after story that I could share with the Members on the floor tonight, but because of time, I can only give those two situations. But this is a grave situation that we in Congress, like the young man tonight from California that was sworn in, Mr. Campbell, hold up our hand to protect the constitutional rights of the people of this great Nation. Please, Mr. Speaker, as I close, I ask that we in this Congress defend the first amendment right of all of our chaplains. And I close by asking God to please bless our men and women in uniform and God continue to bless America.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, today my heart has ached more than it has in 12 years in being in the United States Congress. It has ached not because of this debate, because we should be having this debate, but not at this time of day, it should happen after the recess, but because the gentleman from Pennsylvania who I think is a great American, and it has hurt my heart that he has been under attack unfairly. Surely anyone who has ever worn the uniform for this Nation should be able to express themselves. And if you have not worn the uniform, you should be able to express yourself. Our Armed Forces are in Iraq and Afghanistan tonight fighting for freedom. Let me share with Members what James Webb, Secretary of Navy under Ronald Reagan and Vietnam veteran, wrote me when I joined my colleagues on the other side and the Republican side in voting for the House Resolution 55, bipartisan, he wrote me this letter, and I will read three sentences. ``When American citizens are being asked to war, it is their most basic right that the strategic issues be explained in clearly understandable terms. And if the endpoint cannot be clearly explained, there is, in fact, no really strategy.'' That is what Mr. Murtha is asking for. That is what Senator Feingold is asking for. That is what Walter Jones and Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich and Neil Abercrombie are asking: Tell us what the strategy is. I close with this. It is so ironic that we are having this debate tonight because on April 9, 1999, Governor Bush criticized President Clinton for not having a strategy. This is his quote in the Houston Chronicle: ``Victory means exit strategy, and it is important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is.'' That is all we are asking for. My last quote is from the New York Times on June 6, 1999. ``I think it is also important for the President to lay out a timetable as to how long they will be involved and when they will be withdrawn.'' That is Governor Bush asking President Clinton. Tonight we are asking President Bush the same thing he asked President Clinton. God, please bless our men and women in uniform; and please, God, bless America.

Mr. JONES of North Carolina

Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I might speak at this time.