John McHugh

Mr. McHUGH

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, let me begin by thanking my friend from Mississippi (Mr. Taylor), both for bringing this question to the floor at this time, well, maybe not at this time, but at all, and join in his very gracious and I think very appropriate comments about the previous speaker, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), who clearly has been, amongst many defenders and many fighters, the number one champion on behalf of this issue. All veterans and, indeed, all Members of this House and all people who live under the blanket of security and freedom provided by our military Armed Forces owe him a great debt of thanks. This is obviously a very troubling issue. It has been a perplexing one for this House for a number of years. But it is not a new issue in terms of confronting Members of Congress. This is a policy that has been in place for some 100 years. As the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) so clearly stated, the House has taken some very definitive steps, and I think thanks are due to, as the gentleman from Florida said, the gentleman from Iowa (Chairman Nussle) of the Committee on the Budget, the leadership on the Committee on Armed Services on both sides of the aisle and Members again on both sides of the aisle who have fought for and have been concerned about this for some time. It is interesting to note, Mr. Speaker, that when the House provision was adopted in H.R. 4546, the vote on the floor was 359 to 58. Clearly every Member, Democrat and Republican, have expressed great concern and great support for trying to take an important step towards righting what most of us feel is a very clear wrong. The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) also pointed out some realities in conference with respect to what we were able to achieve. The fact of the matter is, the Senate provision over 10 years costs nearly $46 billion. Maybe equally important is the fact that, over 10 years, $15 billion of that $46 billion amount is discretionary spending, money that would have to come out of the military services budget, money that would diminish the appropriations that we provide to do all kinds of good things in support of those very brave men and women that we all care so much about. The House version, on the other hand, compared to the Senate version, is more affordable and less expensive; not $46 billion, but nearly $18 billion. Again, as the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) so correctly stated, it has, regrettably, caused a great deal of concern and expressions of opposition from the department and one that has placed the entire authorization bill into a great state of flux. I want to give compliments to the leadership of the other body. They are working in the conference, Senators Levin and Warner particularly, to try to find a way in which we can do all that is humanly possible in the confines of the bill at hand to right this wrong. They have been joined by the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter), with the great support, of course, of the gentleman from Arizona (Chairman Stump) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), the ranking minority member, and all of the members of the committee to try to see what we can do to, as I say, make this situation better for every deserving veteran. There is no disagreement tonight between myself and the objective that the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Taylor) has defined. I would certainly suggest, respectfully, to all of our Members that the objective of this motion to instruct is a very laudable and a very worthy goal that all of us support; and I certainly would not urge a single Member to vote against it. Let me again give my appreciation to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Taylor) and to all those other Members who have fought so long and hard to try to take a step in the right direction on this. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I proudly yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham), a Member of this House that certainly knows firsthand about the sacrifices of the men and women of the military, and a gentleman who is a former member of the Committee on Armed Services and then moved over as a member of the Subcommittee on Military Construction of the Committee on Appropriations.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood). (Mr. NORWOOD asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Chambliss), the distinguished member of the Committee on Armed Services. (Mr. CHAMBLISS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I have no requests for time at this time, so I will reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), a true gentleman and my neighbor and friend from my home State, the dean of our conference and the New York State delegation and a former chairman of the Committee on International Relations. (Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs. Johnson), another great Northeasterner who, as every Member of this House understands, has been a constant leader in health care issues for both veterans and the civilian community.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, the hour is late. Obviously, the sentiment of this House and its Members is, as I have suggested in my opening remarks, very, very clear. It is a sentiment we all join in. As a member of the Committee on Armed Services, as a conferee, as I know the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Taylor) understands, we are working on both sides of the aisle in both Houses of Congress to do all that we possibly can within the fiscal as well as the political realities of this bill. Mr. Speaker, finally, I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this motion as a very clear indication of our ultimate objective.

Mr. McHUGH

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley), one of the most senior, one of the most distinguished members of the Committee on Armed Services, as well as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Military Readiness.

Mr. McHUGH. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Madam Speaker, truly one of the most profound powers bestowed upon this or any other Congress is the authority to send our American men and women into armed conflict. The loss of human life that invariably attends every war, no matter how swift or certain its course, demands that such action be executed carefully, with a full understanding of the consequences likely to arise both from the conflict itself as well as from its aftermath. This debate will, as it should, reveal many such questions, many doubts that we have heard here already this evening, many pleas to adopt a different course. I want to say to those who raise those concerns I extend my gratitude. In my mind, their pleas are not a product of weakness, as some have suggested but, rather, to the contrary, a necessary challenge for all of us to carefully weigh every possibility, every path. The question, Madam Speaker, now for those of us entrusted with this awesome authority is to ensure that we have met those challenges, to ensure that the use of force that we contemplate on this floor for the next 20 hours is our one true choice, the one necessary step to protect the lives and the well-being of more than 280 million Americans who have bestowed upon us this trust in making such weighty decisions. For me, Madam Speaker, the answer is sadly a resounding yes. The most vital question before us at this moment is, should we fail to act, what does tomorrow bring? The answer is clear. More debate, more doubts. As President Bush said so clearly in his address to the American people last night, a future of fear. For the past 11 years we have placed our hopes as a good and decent people against the reality of the unabashed deceptions, deceits, and deeds of one of the most despicable tyrants the civilized world has ever known, Saddam Hussein. For 11 years, Madam Speaker, we have hoped Saddam would abandon his murderous ways and at long last obey the dictates of the world community and the rule of international law. We have hoped, hoped he would dismantle and destroy his stockpile of biological and chemical weapons of massive death and forego his feverish pursuit of nuclear weapons. We have hoped Saddam would respect the clear resolutions, 16 in number, of the United Nations and follow the terms that he himself committed to at the end of the 1991 Gulf War. While we have hoped, Saddam Hussein has plotted and marched forward. How can we in the aftermath of September 11 tell the American people through this vote that all we can now offer is hope? How can we merely hope the next cloud we see rising from an attack on our shores will not be from the stockpiles of Saddam's terrible weapons? How will hope dull his affection for, and known support of, numerous terror organizations? And how can hope alone prevent the transfer of his horrible agents of death into the hands of those who have already declared war on our country? I ask my colleagues, can our message to the American people possibly be at this critical hour we hope the judgment, common sense, and humanity of Saddam Hussein will spare us one more day, just one more day so we can what? Begin to hope again. Madam Speaker, I will continue to hope. I urge our leaders to further pursue their ongoing efforts with the United Nations Security Council to produce a workable and just resolution of a dangerous situation too long ignored. I yearn for a way that a timely, unfettered, unconditional, and effective weapons inspection system can be put into place that Iraq will accept and cooperate with to the benefit of not just America but peace-loving nations throughout the world. And, most of all, I pray we may yet avoid the conflict that this resolution considers, avoiding the need to yet again call our servicemen and women into harm's way. But in the end, Madam Speaker, should all else fail, we cannot entrust the future of the world's greatest democracy and the very lives of its people to a man who trades not in hope but in destruction, to a man who rules not by favor but through fear. This country has seen many great yesterdays. It is our solemn duty this day, Madam Speaker, to ensure that we realize many equally bright tomorrows. It is at long last time for Saddam Hussein to hope and for this Congress to act.

Mr. McHUGH. Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on International Relations, I yield 60 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss) and ask unanimous consent that he be permitted to control that time.

Mr. McHUGH

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 411) recognizing the exploits of the officers and crew of the S.S. Henry Bacon, a United States Liberty Ship that was sunk on February 23, 1945, in the waning days of World War II, as amended.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), the author of this legislation and a gentleman who worked very hard to ensure that we have this moment on the floor for this very, very worthy proposal.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me say a few words, if I might. First of all, my thanks, as I mentioned earlier, to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte). The saga of liberty ships in World War II is particularly a remarkable one. Indeed, I was at a function this past weekend in my district in Oswego, New York, where they were commemorating an opening of a safe haven museum, a museum that commemorated a place, a shelter in that community, the only place provided in World War II for Jewish refugees, something that that community understandably is very, very proud of. We had a number of refugees from that period speak during the ceremony, and they mentioned their experience on a liberty ship, a ship called the Henry Gibbons, a ship that brought them and nearly a thousand souls from Italy. So on that basis alone, this is a very, very worthy resolution. As my two colleagues who have spoken previously so eloquently underscored, the exploits and heroism of those displayed on the Henry Bacon were particularly extraordinary, that stood them apart from the accomplishments of other extraordinary American and women and liberty ships. As is the case with most stories with heroism, the crew members of the Henry Bacon were from all walks of life, were ordinary men who met extraordinary challenges with incredible courage. And it is I think, Mr. Speaker, particularly important to remember the heroes of past conflicts because in their stories we find examples of courage and sacrifice that perhaps few times in our Nation's history are more needed than they are now to sustain us as we go forward in the war against terrorism around the globe. Perhaps one of the more eloquent and simple statements about the brave men aboard the Henry Bacon was spoken by a historian of that era whose writing shortly after that event wrote, ``There is no finer instance of a merchant ship defense in the history of the North Russian convoys.'' Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte). Most of all, my thanks to the brave men of the Henry Bacon and all that they did at that time. Mr. Speaker, I ask our colleagues to support this very, very worthy enactment. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McHUGH

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 6) recognizing Commodore John Barry as the first flag officer of the United States Navy, as amended.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.J. Res. 6.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, with a final urging to all our colleagues to support this very, very worthy resolution; and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McHUGH

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Con. Res. 411.

Mr. McHUGH

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 465) recognizing, applauding, and supporting the efforts of the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation, a nonprofit organization incorporated in the State of Georgia, to utilize veteran aviators of the Armed Forces and former Army Aviation aircraft to inspire Americans and to ensure that our Nation's military legacy and heritage of service are never forgotten, as amended.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Con. Res. 465.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The United States military that fought with such skill and courage during the Persian Gulf War, the Balkan War and now in our deadly conflict with terrorism was and is an all-volunteer force. Our Nation can be immensely proud that we have created a military that is second to none in the world and that we have done it by attracting the best and the brightest to serve voluntarily. While we are rightfully proud of the success of the all-volunteer force, there is, unfortunately, a downside. Since far fewer people are recruited to serve in a voluntary military, the connection between America and its military is increasingly tenuous and less personal. If the gulf in understanding between the military and the American people should become too pronounced, our national security decision process could be affected and made prone to miscalculations. House Concurrent Resolution 465 offers a solution for this problem. By recognizing, applauding and supporting the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation, the Congress can take action to close the gulf between the American people and the military. Mr. Speaker, this organization brings to life for people across the country a view of the military that so many have not experienced personally. In short, the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation educates the public on the history of military aviation and connects servicemen and servicewomen to the American family. This type of education promotes understanding of and confidence in the military and yields a level of patriotism that is essential in our effort to battle terrorism around the globe. Mr. Speaker, I certainly want to commend the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins) for sponsoring this resolution and for working with all of us to ensure that this moment on the floor to make these worthy remarks and very, very important offering to our colleagues actually occurred. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins). (Mr. COLLINS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, with a final word of praise and appreciation to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins) and an urging of all of our colleagues to join us in supporting this resolution, I yield back my time.

Mr. McHUGH

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I had another appointment, and I was disappointed because I thought I would not have the chance to be here; but I did not want to let this opportunity go by without joining in at least for a few moments in adding my words of great admiration and best wishes to a very, very dear friend and a remarkable colleague, Ben Gilman. Mr. Speaker, as we have heard and we will continue to hear, Ben has accrued a litany of achievements, any fraction of which would make each and every one of the 435 Members of this House very, very proud. During his 3 decades of service to his constituents and the American people, Ben has done so much for so many, not just here at home, but Ben, as we have heard, through his leadership on international, particularly, humanitarian and veterans issues. It is indeed, as the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) suggested, disappointing that politics beyond the control of an individual politician takes away from our ranks such an illustrious Member. And, frankly, Mr. Speaker, that is the only way that Ben Gilman could have been removed. Because as former House Speaker Tip O'Neill said, ``All politics is local.'' And the local people of New York State understood the compassion and great devotion that Ben brought to this job and has brought each and every day. Former President Truman said, ``If you need a friend in Washington get a dog.'' Well, if President Truman was with us today, I think he would amend that to saying ``or Ben Gilman.'' A leader, a compassionate man, a dedicated legislator to those principles which have guided him his whole life, but to those of who have known him perhaps best, always a friend. Something that is unfortunately very, very hard to find in Washington. I had the honor of serving with Ben not just on the Committee on International Relations, admiring and looking in amazement at his leadership as he guided that somewhat difficult committee at times to do even better things as each individual Member would have envisioned unto him and herself; but also on the Committee on Government Reform where I had the chance to serve as chairman of the Subcommittee on Postal Service, Ben was there every minute providing guidance and instructions and leadership. So to Ben and Georgia, we certainly wish them every continued success and Godspeed, and on behalf of not just the New York State delegation and his colleagues but all Americans. We thank him so much for his service.