Marilyn Musgrave

Mrs. MUSGRAVE

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of SGT Nicholas Walsh and pay tribute to his patriotic service to our Nation. As a team leader with Charlie Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Sergeant Walsh bravely led fellow Marines on special operations missions in Iraq's Al Anbar Province. On May 26, while on a mission in Fallujah, Sergeant Walsh tragically lost his life. After graduating from John Carroll High School in Birmingham, Alabama, Nicholas Walsh followed in the footsteps of a number of his family members and joined the Marines. Sergeant Walsh served four years before leaving the Marines. He married his wife Julie and started a family. Two years after leaving the Marines, Sergeant Walsh re-enlisted in the Corps he loved so much. Like so many of our brave men and women in uniform, Sergeant Walsh often demurred at being identified as a hero. When asked if he would like to be buried at Arlington he responded: ``No way; that place is for people better than me. That place is for heroes.'' Madam Speaker, Sergeant Walsh is a hero. He is a hero for his selfless service to our Nation. He is a hero for paying the ultimate price for freedom and liberty. Today, I echo the words written by neighbors of Sergeant Walsh's parents, Maggie and Jerry: ``We know that no words we could say can comfort you, but our thoughts are with you and our hearts ache for you.'' Our hearts ache for Sergeant Walsh's wife Julie, his sons Triston and Tanner, and the many loved ones and friends Sergeant Walsh leaves behind. Madam Speaker, Sergeant Walsh is a true hero. Today, with a heavy heart, I extend to Sergeant Walsh's family my deepest sympathies. I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring the patriotism and selfless sacrifice of SGT Nicholas Walsh.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Madam Chairman, the bill we are debating today will direct $300 million to the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. This is an organization that was founded to fight deadly diseases in the world's poorest countries. Madam Chairman, I have learned that the Global Fund's former executive director was spending money on activities well outside of its intended mission. According to a Boston Globe article which broke a story last February, the former executive director of the Global Fund frequently used Global Fund dollars in ways most of us, especially the American taxpayers, would find reckless. Global Fund documents say he spent between $91 and $930 per day for limousines in London, Paris, Rome, Washington and San Francisco, averaging $376 a day. He spent $1,695 for a dinner for 12 at the United States Senate dining room here in Washington, D.C.; $225.86 to rent a suit; $8,780 for a boat cruise on Lake Geneva in Switzerland; $8,436 for a dinner in Switzerland for 63 people; $5,150 for a meal and drinks for 74 staff members at a retreat in Switzerland. The Global Fund documents cited other spending that included buying flowers for staff members and champagne at a retreat. Madam Chairman, this sounds like American tax dollars being spent to improve the lifestyle of Global Fund employees. If you add up all the lavish spending just listed in the Boston Globe article, it comes to $24,512.72. At a dollar a dose, that money could have saved the lives of 24,514 infants from dying from malaria. That money could have protected almost 5,000 families from being infected with malaria for a year at the cost of about $5 to spray a house with the cheapest insecticide. Madam Chairman, the United States has contributed almost $3 billion to the Global Fund since 2001. I want to make sure that the Global Fund knows that the American people are watching the way they are spending their hard-earned dollars, and I want the director of the Global Fund to know that he is accountable to the United States taxpayers. And that is why my amendment reduces his salary from $320,000 a year to $145,000 a year, which is equal to the salary of the United States Global Fund AIDS coordinator. I ask for support for my amendment. This is a shot over the bow to let the Global Fund know that we want American tax dollars spent to save lives, not to give lavish lifestyles to the Global Fund employees. Madam Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a true American hero, Jack Carter, who proudly served our country in both the Navy and the Army during both World War II and the Korean war. He then returned home to be a leader in Morgan County, Colorado. Jack Carter was born in 1925 and joined the Navy in January of 1943, at the age of 17. One of Jack's first assignments was to the fleet Marine Corps as a medic. He made 3 beach landings before he was hit in the stomach with a 25 mm round during the infamous invasion of Guam on February 25, 1944. After 45 days of rest and recuperation he was reassigned to the aircraft carrier USS Ranger, where he remained until his discharge in November 1945. Jack and his friend Murl Ring re-enlisted 3 years later, this time in the U.S. Army. The two friends managed to stay together and were assigned to the 34th Regiment of the 24th Infantry when the Korean war broke out. The two friends survived when most of the 34th was lost in battle, hiding for 3 days before being rescued. Both men were medics and they were involved in numerous firefights. Jack received a long list of awards and honors for his incredible service, including the Silver Star, Purple Heart, and 2 Bronze Stars, one with a V for valor, and another for meritorious unit actions against an enemy. Jack was on active duty for 13 years altogether and spent 10 years in the National Guard. Following his heroic service, Mr. Carter and his wife Dorothy moved to Brush, Colorado, in 1961 with their children Jerald, Paul, Jack and Carol. He has been married to his second wife Alyce for 43 years and they have a wonderful daughter Lauralyn. Four of Jack's 5 children served in the military; Jerold was an Army pilot who lost his life in Vietnam. Jack worked at the Brush Hospital in both the lab and the x-ray department. Jack is well known in Morgan County for organizing the Morgan County Ambulance Service in 1967. He organized the meetings, trainings and helped establish bylaws and procedures. This volunteer system has been in place until fairly recently. Jack was honored as the Optimist Citizen of the Year in 1969 and later became the first Brush Optimist Club President. Madam Speaker, we are so fortunate to live in this great country where freedom is something that we rarely have to think about and often take for granted. It is simply a way of life for us, and we are truly blessed to live in a country whose citizens willingly volunteer to put themselves in harm's way to defend and protect our great Nation. I am proud to honor Jack for his dedicated service to our Nation. Jack is a hero who left his home to defend our Nation, and then returned home to be a valued member of his community, showing his children and grandchildren how to live meaningful lives of service. Jack truly is the embodiment of all the values that have molded America into the great nation it is today. May God bless Jack and his family, may God bless our precious veterans, and may God bless America.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak on behalf of H.R. 2570, to designate the post office building at 301 Boardwalk Drive in Fort Collins, Colorado, as the Dr. Karl E. Carson Post Office Building. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to honor a man who has given so much to the Fort Collins community. He was quoted in 2005 saying that he lived life by a simple pledge: ``I hope when I leave this place, I contributed to making it a better place.'' His legacy in Fort Collins was indeed a life of community service and devotion to his family. Dr. Carson passed away in February of this year, and I think it would be safe to say that Fort Collins was a better place because of Dr. Carson's service to this community. Karl was born on September 27, 1915, in Wichita, Kansas, to Daniel and Clara Helfrick Carson. He was raised on the family dairy farm, and every day before he went to school he milked cows and bottled milk. In high school, he met his lifelong sweetheart, Wilma Schull, and they married on August 23, 1936. To this union, five children were born: Allen, James, Daniel, Thomas and LuAnn. The Carsons also had eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Karl Carson attended Fort Hays State University in Kansas on a music scholarship, and he paid his way through college by singing at weddings and parties. He served in the United States Navy Reserve during World War II. He was a communication officer on the USS Strive, a mine sweeper. Following his military service, Mr. Carson attended the University of Nebraska and received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 1951. The Carson family moved to Fort Collins where Dr. Carson started his dental practice in 1954. His practice thrived and continued until retirement in 1994. Amazingly, for 30 of those 43 years he practiced dentistry with his son, Tom. In 1991, the Colorado Dental Association gave him its Distinguished Service Award. Dr. Carson was a member of the Fort Collins City Council from 1965 to 1973. He held the city's top post, mayor, for five terms, from 1968 to 1973 at a time when the city council elected the mayor. And he considered his support of adding fluoride to the Fort Collins water supply one of his greatest achievements. During his tenure, he started a program called Designing Tomorrow Today, which led to the construction of the Lincoln Center, city hall, and the downtown library. Dr. Carson's community service is legendary. He was the director of downtown Fort Collins development, President of the Colorado Municipal League and the Colorado League of Cities. He was also a member of Kiwanis since 1938. Continuing his love of music and youth, he lent his expertise to participants in the Kiwanis annual Stars of Tomorrow Talent Show. Madam Speaker, Dr. Karl Carson indeed fulfilled his legacy of leaving Fort Collins and this world a better place. The citizens of Fort Collins, Colorado, will never forget him. He was a man of love and commitment to his family and community. Upon hearing of his death in February of this year, the current mayor of Fort Collins, Doug Hutchinson, called Dr. Carson a ``City Father.'' I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing Dr. Karl Carson for his many contributions to the Fort Collins community by supporting this legislation.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, I would ask the chairman of the committee if he has any more speakers.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. I would yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Westmoreland).

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. I would like to yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg) for the remainder of the time.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, I recognize the gentlelady for Minnesota (Mrs. Bachmann) for as much time as she may consume.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Could I ask the chairman how much time remains for either side?

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, I would like to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to our distinguished deputy whip from Virginia.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, my amendment to the Financial Services appropriations bill today would make a cut of just one-half of 1 percent in the overall funding of the bill. Again, when I walk around the Halls of Congress, and I see signs on easels by Blue Dog Democrat doors and other individuals, it is pointed out to anyone that walks by that our national debt now is at $8.8 trillion. I offer this amendment in the tradition of our former colleague, Joel Hefley from Colorado, who faithfully came to the floor on these appropriations bills and offered a 1 percent cut, just a 1 percent cut in our spending. Government does not have a revenue problem. What we have is a spending problem. You know, when I listen to my colleagues, my friends on the other side of the aisle, and heard the esteemed chairman of the Appropriations Committee talk, he said something, if we cut our spending, we would have, I believe his term was, exactly this, runaway rugged individualism. You know, as we approach the 4th of July and this holiday that's coming up, the celebration of the Declaration of Independence, I think about what has made this country great. I think one of the main things that has made this country great is rugged individualism. What you have here is two opinions, two views of what makes this country great, and what the role of government should be. I don't think there are many Americans, when they really think about it, wanting the government to advise them on how to buy a car and how to make decisions for themselves. I think Americans can take care of these things themselves. But will we have a bill like this when we have a 9.8 percent increase in spending over last year's amount? That's $1.9 billion. I wonder if the taxpayers think that they need to spend money in these kinds of ways. One of the things that caught my eye was a $550 million increase in funding for the IRS. That's a 5 percent increase over last year's budget figure. There's not too many of us that would want to go home and brag about that. So I think that we need to tighten our belt. I think we need to think about the proper role of government, what government should really do, strong national defense, our roads and our infrastructure, and wonder how government got involved in all of this and why, in this year's appropriations bill, we have to increase spending by $1.9 billion. My amendment would humbly take it from a 9.8 percent increase in spending to 9.3 percent. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Retired Army Col. Bill Gordon of Fort Collins, Colorado. Later today Colonel Gordon will receive the National Order of the Legion of Honor from the Government of France in recognition of his distinguished record of military service in France during World War II. The Legion of Honor is the highest honor conferred upon French citizens and foreign nationals by the French Government. After playing on UCLA's first football team to compete in the Rose Bowl, Bill Gordon was commissioned through UCLA's Army ROTC Program in 1943. Following the 1944 D-Day invasion, Lieutenant Gordon was assigned as a replacement platoon leader in B Company of the 82nd Airborne Division's 507th Regiment. In December 1944, the 507th was assigned to an area along the Meuse River just east of Nouzonville, France, to meet the onslaught of a German surprise attack in the Ardennes. After the Battle of the Bulge, Lieutenant Gordon was seriously injured during a parachute jump near the important German industrial City of Essen. After the war Lieutenant Gordon was placed on reserve status in 1946, but was reappointed to the regular Army in 1949. Over the course of his 30-year career in the Army, Colonel Gordon served in both Korea and Vietnam. Among his many decorations are the Distinguished Service Medal, two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star with V, two Purple Hearts, 14 Air Medals with V, and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. Following his distinguished military career, Colonel Gordon and his family settled in Fort Collins, Colorado, where he served as Director of the Larimer County Emergency Management System and as Larimer County Administrator. The sacrifices he made to ensure the liberty and freedom of future generations will never be forgotten. Madam Speaker, like so many other young members of this Greatest Generation, Colonel Gordon set aside his ambitions and risked his life to ensure the continued freedom of our great nation. I am both humbled by his selflessness and incredibly proud of his heroic patriotism. As he receives recognition today from the Government of France, I urge my colleagues in this House to join me in extending our gratitude to Colonel Bill Gordon.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, my amendment would reduce the overall funding of this bill by .5 percent, one-half of 1 percent. We already know that the increased funding in this bill over the last year's appropriations is an additional $1.2 billion, 4.5 percent. So my amendment would take a 4.5 percent increase to a 4 percent increase. That is not a cut. If you look up the word ``cut'' in the dictionary, this is still an increase in spending of 4 percent. We have a national debt that is at an all-time high, $8.8 trillion. I walk around in the Longworth House Office Building where my office is and I see these charts on easels out in front of Members' offices and they are decrying the national debt. I look at my children and my grandchildren and I am very concerned about this $8.8 trillion. I think we are leaving a terrible legacy to our children and our grandchildren. I hear my friends on the other side of the aisle, and I want to say that you are right when you decry the spending levels that the Republicans reached while we were in the majority. But I want to take it back to a time when I was a teacher, and someone in the class would do something and you would try to correct this student and they would say, But he is doing it too. And you would say, It is still wrong. You are doing it. You stop it. And then you deal with this person over here. Republicans spent too much. Democrats want to spend even more, Mr. Chairman. But as we are standing here today debating these amendments, and some people think we need to hurry up and go home, I think the American people need to hear this debate. I heard the distinguished chairman talking about a meat-ax approach that a Republican chairman had alluded to before years ago. I would say that the Musgrave amendment is just a shave, Mr. Chairman. It is a shave that won't even give you a rash. It is 50 cents on $100. That is very appropriate. When we look at this bill, we hear things that are very worthy of taxpayer spending in this bill. But we also hear other things. This bill contains $204 million for land acquisition. If you take a map of the United States, Mr. Chairman, and you look and see how much land the government already owns west of the Mississippi, if you look at that map, it is staggering. I am very concerned about how the Federal Government already owns too much land. Again, in this bill there is $204 million for land acquisition. I have friends in the Western Caucus, and I am a member of it, and we talk about what happens to communities when this property is owned by the Federal Government, what happens to the revenue stream. This bill also has something else that is especially egregious to me, $160 million in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, a 29 percent increase over the amount that was appropriated last year. I love the arts and I know that these things are noble. But, do you know what? When I talk to a family in Sterling, Colorado, a farming community out there in northeastern Colorado, I would have a very hard time convincing them that they need to be taxed at a higher rate, to send their hard-earned dollars to Washington, D.C. so that money can be handed out for theater productions in Sitka, Alaska. I don't think the family in Sterling, Colorado, would get that. So I think when we talk about the good things in this bill, we also have to look at these egregious things and talk about choices we should make. So again, I want to trim this. I want to give this a shave of one- half of 1 percent, which, by the way, in dollar amounts, ends up being $138 million, just a shave off of this bill, to exercise discipline in our spending just like the families back home have to do to meet their budgets. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Westmoreland).

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, as I think about this amendment again, I have heard from the distinguished chairman, and I do applaud his work and the work of the ranking member on this appropriations bill, but I heard, I believe it was Representative Contee talk about a meat-ax approach to reducing spending. I would just like to say again that this .5 percent is just a gentle shave. We need to look at the trajectory when we look at appropriations bills and see where they are going. We need to ask the American family, are you guaranteed a 4.5 percent increase in your income every year? I think we need to think of that American family, particularly moms and dads with children that are trying to figure out how long they are going to have to work in the year before they reach tax freedom day. How many days do they have to work before they have earned enough money to pay the government to spend like this with increases every year? I am hoping we can look out for the American taxpayer, we can look out for hard-working Americans and say we are going to exercise fiscal responsibility, and we are going to start out with a very small step, reducing spending in this Interior appropriations bill by .5 percent. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Jordan).

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, I would like to give my friend from New Jersey (Mr. Garrett) 2 minutes.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, I would ask the committee chairman if he has any more speakers.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining for both sides.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, I would like to yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Campbell).

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to my colleague from Georgia (Mr. Price).